Little DISCoveries Day Nursery and Preschool

Inclusion: Strong standard

The setting ensures that all children thrive, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged. Staff identify, assess and understand the individual needs of children extremely well, skilfully adjusting adaptations as needed to promote their next steps in learning. Progress is rigorously and closely monitored to ensure that all children achieve well, in readiness for their next stage of learning or school. Leaders are vigilant in ensuring staff have a secure understanding of how to support children's needs consistently, such as using Makaton signing to support communication. They identify any emerging needs swiftly and make suitable adaptations to the environment or daily routines. For example, staff use a 'now and next' approach to support children with communication and regulation. This helps make a sustained and positive difference to children's experiences.

Leaders ensure that funding is used appropriately to reduce any gaps for disadvantaged children. For example, they purchase resources related to children's individual interests, such as role-play outfits. Leaders and key staff work in close collaboration with external professionals, such as speech and language therapists. This ensures that evidence-based approaches and interventions are timely and impactful, which parents and carers value. Staff consistently share observations and information about children's progress with parents, offering guidance and support. Parents speak very highly of these positive relationships, noting that their children are happy and safe, feel included and receive highly attentive care.

Leaders and key staff acquire a vast range of useful information prior to children starting at the setting and sustain excellent partnerships with families. As a result, children settle swiftly. The staff team and children represent a very diverse community which is celebrated and embraced across the setting, such as through the sharing library. This helps all children and their families feel valued.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders have developed and embedded an ambitious and inclusive curriculum that fully prepares children for their next stage of learning in all areas of development. Staff are passionate about getting to know children through a robust settling-in process, which continues as children transition from room to room. As a result, staff make accurate assessments of children's starting points. They use these to implement tailored approaches that support children's development effectively. Staff make swift, highly effective teaching adjustments during play so that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, can access the curriculum well.

Staff and leaders continually reflect on how they can further improve teaching and learning throughout the day. They have high expectations for what children can achieve across the setting. The interactions between staff and children are highly effective across the setting and are a particular strength. Staff engage and interact purposefully with children, taking every chance to extend learning. Children are encouraged to explore and problem-solve, with staff attentively responding to their ideas and introducing new concepts. For example, when children are outside in the eco-garden, they develop their interest in how to grow vegetables, such as carrots. Staff help extend children's knowledge, for instance around why the vegetables are ready to be harvested.

Early mathematical language and concepts are embedded in daily routines and play from the earliest age. For example, toddlers count the number of plastic nails during construction play and learn about concepts such as more and less during window-cleaning play activities.

Achievement: Strong standard

All children and babies make the best possible progress from their starting points across all areas of learning. From the earliest age, children develop their personal, social and emotional skills. Children are highly confident and show increasing levels of independence, such as serving their own food and drink at snack and mealtimes. This ensures they are very well prepared for their next stage of learning or school.

Children demonstrate confidence in mathematical concepts, such as when they explore the eco-garden and specific activity areas. For example, children measure the amount of water for the carrots and count the number of plastic nails required before hammering them in. Babies settle quickly and understand routines such as washing their hands before lunch. Children develop excellent focus and attention skills across the setting and demonstrate resilience, completing tasks they find difficult.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders foster a warm and inclusive environment where children show that they feel safe, valued and able to thrive. From the earliest age, staff build warm, trusting relationships with children and their families. They use their understanding to shape routines and approaches so that every child feels supported and included.

Key-person arrangements are very effective. They enable staff to support children's evolving needs and behaviours, which helps children to feel secure and able to learn. Across the setting, carefully planned routines meet the needs of all children and provide consistency throughout the whole day.

Staff are positive role models for behaviour. Children follow their example by showing kindness, sharing resources and turn taking with each other. They demonstrate consistent, highly positive attitudes to learning. To support daily transitions, staff effectively use songs and visual aids. Children eagerly respond and join in to help to carry out tasks, such as tidying up. Children manage their emotions well, and staff are attentive to ensure that children are consistently supported.

Leaders and staff work seamlessly with parents and carers to encourage regular attendance, ensuring children benefit from the rich learning environment and opportunities available. Leaders carefully and consistently monitor children's attendance and have robust procedures to follow up on absences. As a result of well-embedded routines and expectations, children show that they feel emotionally secure, interact positively with others and are confident in their approach to learning.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders work collaboratively and effectively in partnership with families to promote an inclusive approach. This ensures leaders and staff recognise and have a comprehensive understanding of the changing needs of all children who attend the setting. They place consistently high priority on children's welfare and wellbeing.

Staff work effectively to help children settle swiftly and build secure attachments, helping children feel emotionally safe and secure. This enables children to develop positive relationships with their peers and engage positively in their learning, which they demonstrate consistently through their interactions and behaviour.

Staff are skilful at teaching children about the importance of adopting healthy lifestyles and weave information throughout rich conversations. For example, when children are outside in the eco-garden, they develop their interest in how to grow food and the importance of eating fruit and vegetables. Children share their ideas about why they need to wash the carrots before handing them to the chef in the setting. Staff carefully plan and adapt experiences to include children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. For example, staff use sensory activities to aid exploration. All children have daily opportunities to develop their physical skills and spend time outdoors to support their mental wellbeing.

Leaders and staff place great value on promoting independence skills. Children are encouraged to regularly wash their hands and self-feed, where age- and stage appropriate. Staff follow rigorously reviewed, robust safe-eating practices during snack and mealtimes, ensuring children's safety. Staff are highly responsive to any change in children's needs.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders demonstrate an ambitious vision for the setting and are very passionate about their roles. They have a detailed overview of the setting and ensure they consistently provide high-quality care and education for all children. Leaders regularly reflect and review provision with the staff team to identify areas for development and implement targeted plans to address any priorities effectively. All staff make a positive contribution to improvements to provide the best possible outcomes for children.

Leaders and staff have consistently high expectations for all children. They work seamlessly in partnership with parents and carers to promote children's learning and wellbeing. Parents speak extremely highly of the setting, recognising and valuing the support they are given as families, such as to help them continue their children's learning at home. Staff form highly effective relationships with parents and carers and share children's progress through a secure online platform. Leaders provide robust, tailored transitions for children when they move to the next room or prepare for school. Children are very well prepared for times of transition. Leaders are extremely proactive in promoting an inclusive culture, celebrating the diverse community which the setting serves, including those who are harder to reach. For example, leaders provide weekend opportunities, such as visiting a botanical garden, to support consistent and continual engagement with parents.

Leaders work with a range of external professionals, such as speech and language therapists, to ensure support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is timely and effective in meeting their needs. Staff feel valued, and leaders support their mental wellbeing and workload consistently well. Staff complete regular and tailored professional development, such as Makaton training to support children with SEND. This has a significant and positive impact on children's learning and enables staff to continually raise the quality of their teaching and care.