Little Einsteins Day Nursery Ltd

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders identify children's individual needs effectively and take positive action to ensure that they receive the right support. In general, they work closely with parents and carers and other professionals to ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those known to social care make consistent progress. For example, leaders work with occupational health to implement targeted interventions for children with SEND.

Leaders use funding effectively and continually review its impact. For instance, they have purchased a therapy vest to give children a sense of security and help them regulate their behaviour. Leaders also hire specialist chairs to ensure that children with SEND can fully participate in mealtimes alongside their peers. However, leaders do not involve parents or carers in decisions about funding consistently, thereby ensuring the best possible outcomes for children.

Overall, staff have the skills they need to identify barriers to children's learning. They complete additional training to support children with SEND and those who have adverse childhood experiences. Staff monitor children's progress and make adaptations to meet children's needs. However, they do not use strategies to support children who speak English as an additional language, such as visual aids, consistently across the nursery. This means some children are not fully supported to make the best possible progress in developing their communication and language skills.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have designed a carefully ordered curriculum that, overall, supports children's communication, emotional development and readiness for school well. Staff provide additional support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who have adverse childhood experiences. For example, they use specialist equipment to support children. This means children can focus their attention more effectively, sit for longer periods and interact more effectively with staff and peers.

Children develop their social skills when they make play dough together. They take turns and are able to wait patiently. Children develop physical skills when they use their arms and shoulders to pour and mix ingredients. They develop core strength as they stand and use tools to roll and cut. Children make connections in their learning, linking the activity to their current story. However, staff do not consistently extend children's learning. For example, they do not encourage children to think about measurements and quantities to build on their mathematical understanding.

Staff use Makaton to support children's communication skills. However, the quality of teaching varies across the nursery. For example, staff do not consistently use home languages to help children communicate more effectively and follow routines. This means children are not fully supported to make the best possible progress.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children make effective progress in key areas of learning. They become independent in self-care, such as using the toilet independently, managing buttons and zips, and eating with a knife and fork. Children build their confidence and self-esteem through positive interactions with staff and peers. They follow instructions and begin to understand simple rules. Children enjoy sharing stories. They begin to recognise their own name and can hold a pencil when drawing.

Overall, staff promote communication and language well. They model new words, such as 'caterpillar', 'nibble' and 'cocoon', to build children's vocabulary. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from planned interventions and consistent routines. This means that children generally make secure progress from their starting points. However, some children, such as those who speak English as an additional language, do not always benefit from consistently high-quality teaching, which can prevent them from achieving their full potential.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders promote a positive environment where expectations for behaviour are generally understood. Staff are strong role models. They promote warm, respectful relationships with children, encouraging them to play cooperatively. For instance, babies enjoy taking turns putting shapes into a shape sorter. Older children work together and share their thoughts as they make a caterpillar collage. Children generally demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. Staff help them build resilience and begin to understand and manage their emotions. They work in partnership with parents to implement consistent behaviour management strategies for children who struggle to regulate themselves.

Leaders work with parents and carers to ensure that children attend regularly. Familiar daily routines, such as a 'welcome song', promote children's sense of safety and belonging. Each room has the same core songs and rhymes. This maintains familiarity and continuity for children. Care routines are tailored to each child's individual needs, helping them feel secure. Babies are cuddled by key staff while they drink their milk and sleep comfortably in cots. Children enjoy the social experience of sitting together at mealtimes. Adaptations, such as specialist chairs, ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities can participate fully.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders create a calm, orderly environment where children benefit from stable routines, regular physical activity and healthy, nutritious meals. Rooms are spacious, so children have ample room to move around and play. Babies benefit from secure attachments with key staff, who provide warm, responsive interactions. Children enjoy playing outside every day in the fresh air. They run, jump, climb and balance, which helps them build coordination and strength. Children learn about healthy lifestyles through daily routines. During play and discussions, staff encourage them to think about a balanced diet. For example, children learn that strawberries and oranges are good for them, whereas chocolate cake and ice cream should be eaten as treats.

Leaders work closely with parents, carers and other professionals to identify and respond to children's individual needs. They work with them to establish consistent routines for sleeping, eating and activities. For example, staff have changed routines for some children because they recognise that busy times of the day trigger unwanted behaviours. They use a sensory room as a calming space to help children self-regulate and engage in activities focused on feelings and emotions. As a result, children cope better with changes throughout the day.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders are reflective and knowledgeable. They review their practice regularly and use their findings to make changes that improve outcomes for children. For instance, the nursery now has a 'school room' where children play and learn in small groups. Staff focus on the key skills children need to start school, such as independence in self-care and being able to interact successfully with peers and adults.

Leaders have recently reviewed care procedures and accident and injury policy to ensure that these are implemented consistently across the nursery. They have improved communication between home and nursery to ensure that information about children's safety and wellbeing is consistently shared with parents and carers. Staff have received further training to better understand challenging behaviour, so they can better support children in regulating their behaviour.

Overall, leaders work in partnership with parents and carers, particularly for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those known to social care. However, parents are not informed consistently about how additional funding is used to enhance children's learning to ensure the best outcomes for children. Staff say their wellbeing is well supported. They access a professional development programme to build on their knowledge and skills. However, more targeted professional development is needed to raise teaching standards to a consistently high level across the nursery.