Little Delwood Eastleigh Day Nursery and Preschool

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders promote an inclusive environment where children's needs are identified and supported. They work with parents and professionals to identify barriers to learning. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are generally supported well through assessment, monitoring and timely referrals. Leaders collaborate with parents and agencies to support targeted plans, ensuring provision is tailored to individual needs.

Leaders use additional funding to support disadvantaged children, including resources and staff training. However, children with SEND are not always consistently supported to make the best possible progress, such as in communication and language. Opportunities to extend thinking during child-initiated play, such as sand activities, are not always fully utilised.

Leaders and staff work effectively with external agencies, specifically children's social care, to support vulnerable children and their families. They identify concerns quickly and make referrals when required. This helps to ensure children receive appropriate support.

Staff support children's emotional wellbeing appropriately. For example, they use therapeutic stories to help children recognise and talk about their feelings. Furthermore, leaders support children who need additional help with transitions, such as moving on to school. For instance, they incorporate social stories to help children become familiar with new settings, routines and staff. This helps children to develop confidence and emotional security.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders are developing a clearer curriculum and recognise the need to improve consistency. They use monitoring, including observations and feedback, alongside planned curriculum training to support improvement. However, practice is not yet consistent across the setting, and children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, do not always receive consistently effective support to extend their thinking, interests and mathematical understanding.

Teaching is variable in quality across the setting and between staff. Young children enjoy listening to stories and taking part in activities, such as finding animals within stories. Staff provide some incidental opportunities to support learning across areas of development. However, opportunities for children to develop early mathematical understanding, such as counting and exploring numerals, are not consistently embedded across the setting.

In the baby room, staff are attentive and responsive. They sit with children, engage them in play and support communication through simple language, facial expressions and close interaction. As a result, babies are settled and demonstrate secure attachments with staff.

Children take part in planned activities, such as observing caterpillars become butterflies and growing cress. They learn new vocabulary, including frog spawn, tadpoles and froglets. They develop physical skills through activities such as dance sessions with a local school. This supports gross motor development and coordination.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children generally make appropriate progress across the areas of learning and development. They are confident communicators. They use language to share ideas, express needs and engage with adults and peers. Children are curious learners. They explore their environment and engage in a range of activities. They demonstrate independence as they select resources and explore both indoor and outdoor spaces. Strong attachments with staff and positive relationships with peers support children's emotional security and engagement.

Children behave well and follow established rules and routines. They respond appropriately to expectations during daily activities. They demonstrate an interest in books and stories and listen attentively during small-group story time.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning are generally supported through some targeted interventions, such as attention autism activities, which support focus and communication skills. This helps children to take part in targeted experiences. However, this support is not consistently embedded across the setting.

Although children have some opportunities to develop early mathematical understanding, opportunities to use mathematical language and explore numerals are not consistently embedded in their play and interactions.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders promote positive behaviour, attitudes and routines through clear expectations and consistent messages across the setting. Staff act as good role models. They interact respectfully with children and provide gentle reminders to help them take turns and share. This supports children to understand boundaries and expectations within a calm and orderly environment.

Children behave well overall and follow established rules and routines. Minor disputes occasionally occur over resources. However, these are managed appropriately by staff. They support children to resolve them and move on positively. Positive relationships are a strength of the setting. Babies form secure attachments with staff, who are nurturing and speak to babies gently. This helps babies to feel safe and secure. Babies play alongside their peers and show early social interaction.

Young children respond to instructions and are beginning to cooperate well with others. For instance, they share resources while using dough. They take turns when finding and collecting animals during interactive story activities. Older children are confident to share their thoughts and ideas, listen to others and engage in conversations. This supports their developing social skills.

Routines are well established and support children to develop independence. For instance, during snack time, children pour their own drinks and dispose of waste responsibly, including using compost bins. These routines support children's self-care skills and understanding of responsibility.

Leaders promote the importance of regular attendance. As a result, children attend regularly and routines are supported through consistent attendance. This helps children to settle quickly and engage in learning.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders prioritise children's welfare and wellbeing. They ensure that safeguarding and welfare procedures are in place. This helps to provide a safe and secure environment. Systems are in place to support children's needs, such as allergy plans and using a traffic light system. This enables staff to respond appropriately to health and dietary requirements. Leaders promote inclusive practice for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged children and those known or previously known to children's social care. This helps to ensure their needs are identified and support is put in place, including working with external agencies where required.

Leaders ensure staff support children's physical care needs effectively. Babies' nappies are changed discreetly. Older children are encouraged to use the toilet independently. Generally, hygiene routines are established. Children wash their hands before snack. However, on occasion, staff do not always consistently remind them to wash their hands. Leaders address this through guidance, with no impact on welfare.

Leaders promote healthy lifestyles. Children grow and prepare food, such as cress, which they consume in the setting. This supports their understanding of healthy eating. Staff promote wider experiences that support wellbeing and belonging. For instance, older children visit local care homes and interact with residents. This helps everyone to feel included.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders have an appropriate understanding of the setting's strengths and priorities for improvement. They have identified the need to further develop the curriculum and improve consistency in teaching. Plans are in place to support this work, such as planned curriculum training. Leaders use monitoring activities to identify areas for improvement and support ongoing development.

Leaders promote staff development appropriately. Staff access a range of training opportunities, such as special educational needs coordinator and inclusion. Additionally, they take account of staff's interests and development needs when planning training. Staff report that they feel supported and value the guidance provided. Furthermore, leaders promote shared practice through collaboration across the provider's other settings.

Leaders work effectively with parents, schools and external agencies to support children's learning, care and transitions. They engage appropriately with children's social care to support vulnerable children. Additional funding is used to support disadvantaged children through targeted resources and staff training. This helps to reduce barriers to learning. Additionally, leaders contribute to education, health and care plans and support transitions using story-based interventions.

Leaders make use of links within the local community to enhance children's experiences, such as visits to libraries, shops and care homes. Additionally, they arrange visits from ethical animal encounter organisations to provide first-hand exploration and enhance their understanding of the world. Leaders promote the importance of attendance and follow appropriate procedures when concerns arise regarding absence or children's welfare.