Little cubs day nursery

Inclusion: Strong standard

Staff complete assessments of children's development with parents on induction. They monitor children's development using progress checks and a communication and language screening programme. They promptly identify gaps and/or delays in children's development and put strategies in place to support them.

Leaders ensure children receive timely, targeted support. They proactively seek advice from other professionals, develop support plans and access funding. They guide parents through the special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) referral process. They work collaboratively with local authority SEND services to complete assessments for education, health and care plans.

Staff are well trained and adapt the daily routine to meet children's needs. Children who experience sensory overload are sensitively supported. Staff create quiet, cosy dens in the provision, where children can relax and have space to themselves. These interventions have a significant impact on children's progress.

Leaders understand the barriers children face in their learning and development. They expertly adapt the provision to ensure children with SEND can access the curriculum, providing one-to-one support for those who need it. Leaders rigorously monitor the impact of SEND and early years pupil premium funding, ensuring it is used effectively. They use this funding to provide cooked meals and targeted resources for children.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have a clear understanding of the curriculum. They closely monitor the quality of teaching by staff and volunteers. They ensure the curriculum, teaching and routine is adapted to meet the needs of all children, especially those who need targeted help.

Resources and activities promote all areas of learning. Staff seize opportunities to help children learn during play and routine time. They model language, teach concepts and introduce new vocabulary. At lunchtime, staff encourage children to describe the taste and texture of food. They introduce new vocabulary, such as tangy and lumpy.

Staff provide opportunities for children to develop their early mathematical skills. They encourage children to practise counting, ensuring they are secure with numbers 1 to 5 before moving on to higher numbers. They help children learn about size and shape as they play alongside them.

Staff plan the curriculum around children's interests and areas for further development. They recently identified that some children were afraid of the police. Considering the impact of this on children's safety, they planned a topic around 'People who help us'. Leaders invited the police, doctors and nurses into the setting to talk to children and explain how they are there to help them.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children generally achieve well in all areas of learning and development. Gaps in children's learning are closing, particularly for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Toddlers and older children progressively develop the skills they require for the next stage of their education. They become increasing agile in their physical development as they explore challenges in the garden and local park. Toddlers observe and learn from their older peers, who interact kindly with them.

Children become confident, independent and motivated learners. They develop a positive sense of self and belonging when they share their family and home learning photographs during circle time. This also promotes their confidence talking in larger groups. Children learn about communities beyond their own when they join in with cultural celebrations. They learn new vocabulary and speak with increasing fluency, happily recalling previous learning. Children talk about exploring sensory experiences in a role-play seaside, which included a paddling pool and beach shop.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Children enthusiastically engage and concentrate on activities skilfully planned by staff to captivate their interests.

Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. They routinely encourage children to be kind and respectful to each other. Children listen, follow instructions, share and take turns.

Staff thoughtfully teach children the language of emotions. They use the 'Billy Goats Gruff' story to help children talk about their feelings and think about the impact of their behaviour on others. Staff help children to begin to learn the skills to regulate their emotions, appropriate to their age and stage of development.

Staff have created and embedded a familiar routine. This helps children know what will happen next. Staff share a visual timetable with children to illustrate this. They provide 5-minute warnings between routine changes and use sand timers to support children to share and take turns. This helps to promote highly positive relationships.

Staff consistently support children to become increasingly independent. Children learn to manage their own personal care, serve their own meals and dress themselves. Staff recognise these as key skills children need before starting school.

Leaders have highly effective procedures in place for non-attendance. They constantly promote the importance of good attendance to parents. This helps children form positive habits for future success.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Staff build supportive, trusting relationships with children and parents. This helps them feel confident to express their views and needs.

Staff actively teach children about healthy lifestyles. Leaders have enrolled on the local authority Start Well Programme. They have identified physical activity as a key focus area to improve children's physical strength and stamina. Staff lead lively dance sessions. They emphasise the importance of stretching muscles after exercise and staying hydrated. Daily outings to the local park provide opportunities for children to develop their large-muscle skills in the fresh air. Children talk about how staff keep them safe and teach them about road safety. This promotes children's physical health and wellbeing.

Children routinely enjoy nutritious snacks and meals, prepared following government nutritional guidance. Staff encourage children to have portion sizes no bigger than children's fists. They consistently support children to learn about good oral health. Children brush their teeth daily and drink milk or water at the setting.

Leaders have a clear understanding of the needs of all children and families. They continually reflect on their provision, reviewing their policies and procedures to meet all children's current and emerging needs. They are passionate about supporting families and improving outcomes for all children.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders are passionate about providing high-quality care and education for young children. They follow robust recruitment procedures to ensure all staff are and continue to be suitable for their roles. This includes ongoing observations of the quality of staff's and volunteers' teaching and care practices along with regular supervision and appraisals. Leaders also ask staff to complete observations of their practice to identify any areas for their own professional development. This creates a positive working culture.

All staff state they feel happy and supported in their roles. Leaders ensure all staff complete mandatory training and have a clear understanding of the policies and procedures of the setting. They reflect on their provision and identify areas for further improvement. However, the arrangements for monitoring children's progress are not distributed across the staff team, which limits their ability to fully embed strong practices.

Leaders proactively try to engage other families in the local area to send their children to the setting, highlighting the importance of early childcare and education. They work with the local authority early years consultant to identify and improve the take up of free early years provision in the local community. Leaders invite parents into the setting to join in with celebrations and participate in children's learning. Parents speak positively about these experiences.

Parents say staff inform them of what children are learning about in the setting. Staff share children's progress and next steps in development with parents, however, there are inconsistencies in how this is received. This impacts on opportunities for parents to continue to support children's learning at home.