Little Einsteins Nursery

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders have created a highly inclusive setting where all children are welcomed and supported, regardless of their needs. Effective transition arrangements provide opportunities for staff to gather each child's background and experiences. Parents and carers share how their children's uniqueness is cherished, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or who are known to other statutory agencies. Embedded assessment procedures support staff in identifying any delays in development and in quickly taking steps to narrow gaps through targeted teaching and support. Extremely strong partnerships with parents have been established, and this helps to provide a consistent approach to supporting children's individual needs.

Staff fully understand the importance of making adaptations to ensure that all children can access the curriculum. Some staff are expertly trained to support children with SEND. They liaise closely with a range of specialist agencies to reduce barriers to children's learning. Leaders have clear oversight of the use and impact of any additional funding and involve parents in these decisions. For instance, some funding is used to provide additional training for staff, specifically focusing on supporting children's speech and language development. This helps children with SEND to make rapid progress in their development and learning. Gaps in children's communication and language skills narrow rapidly. Children become confident and competent communicators.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have devised a clear, aspirational curriculum, and overall, this is implemented well. They provide training and support to staff that positively impact the quality and consistency of interactions staff have with children.

Staff use children's interests and next steps in learning to provide a range of exciting and appropriate experiences across all areas of learning. However, when planning activities, staff do not always carefully consider what they intend for children to learn, resulting in some activities that do not consistently build on children's knowledge and skills. This said, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities have clear targets and access to activities that are specifically adapted to target their areas of need. Furthermore, children eagerly join in with all activities on offer. As children access painting activities, they cheer with excitement. Staff extend this as they describe the marks children make, discuss patterns and name different shapes and colours.

Leaders prioritise supporting children's communication and language skills. Staff provide a range of books for children to explore. Children request their favourite stories and show enjoyment as staff read these aloud. They talk about their favourite parts and act out the story with puppets using the language that they have learned. Staff use opportunities in play to introduce early mathematical concepts. For example, as children fill and empty containers with rice, staff introduce language such as full and empty. Children then use the knowledge that they have learned in their own play, such as describing their creations as 'giant'.

Staff working with babies place high importance on supporting their emotional needs. Established caring relationships support all babies, including those new to the setting, to feel secure and ready to explore. Babies confidently explore the well-arranged environment that encourages them to be physical in their play. They confidently climb up small slides and pull themselves up to take part in creative activities.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children achieve well from their starting points, including those who may face any barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. This equips children with the skills needed to support them for later learning. Children's learning is consolidated as they eagerly play and explore, which builds their confidence in the skills that they have learned.

Children are confident in communicating their needs and interests. They understand that what they have to say is valued by staff. As a result, children are confident when speaking with their friends and their key persons about what they like about nursery, including their favourite activities. Babies point to items, staff name them and babies attempt to copy the words.

Children show confidence to do things for themselves. They independently access tissues when they need to wipe their own noses. Younger children practise the scooping and grasping skills that they need to later feed themselves as they scoop sand and rice. They then competently feed themselves with a spoon at mealtimes. Older children serve their own food and scrape their plates into the bin when they have finished. Children show high levels of self-esteem and independence.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Staff prioritise forming loving relationships with the children, which helps children feel secure and confident in the environment. Children enjoy the time that they spend with staff and each other. Staff provide care and reassurance throughout the day, including hugs when needed. As babies see their key person during a game of 'peepo', they beam with happiness. Children respond well to the consistent expectations from staff and use impeccable manners and behaviours. Staff support all children to understand routines. For example, children relish learning songs while they wash their hands and know the song to sing while they line up to play outdoors. Children eagerly follow instructions and are respectful towards their peers.

Staff talk to children about the importance of playing cooperatively. Children engage well together in group singing and story sessions. They take turns and show kindness towards each other. Children invite each other into their play and pour each other a drink in the role-play area. They consistently have positive attitudes towards learning and each other.

Leaders fully understand the importance of having consistent expectations for children's behaviour at home and in the setting. They understand the importance of helping children develop good habits for the future. For example, staff support parents to establish consistent bedtime routines at home. These excellent working relationships with families help children to get enough rest and to attend regularly.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Children's welfare and wellbeing are generally prioritised across the nursery. Staff provide many opportunities to talk to children about the importance of personal hygiene and self-care practices. Consistency between the setting and home supports children as they begin toilet training. Staff model good hygiene practices, and children follow these expectations throughout the day, such as washing their hands after wiping their noses and covering their mouths when they cough. However, some staff have not given careful consideration to how they ensure that germs are minimised at all times during children's play. For example, on rare occasions when children explore natural items with their mouths, some staff are not as vigilant to the impact that this could have on children's good health. However, other staff immediately respond, and this minimises the risk to children's health. Children are taught the importance of good oral health as they brush their teeth each day at nursery and talk about the importance.

Staff prioritise developing secure and responsive relationships with the children, and this ensures that care practices are effective in meeting children's individual care and wellbeing needs. They take time to talk to children about their feelings. Children independently talk about their own feelings as they look in the mirror and point out how characters in books may be feeling. Staff value children's differing emotions, which helps children develop a secure sense of emotional wellbeing.

Children are given many opportunities to be physically active in the fresh air. Children run and climb as staff remind them how to stay safe on the slide. They initiate chasing games, then talk about the impact on their bodies as their hearts beat faster. Staff support children's physical development well.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders are ambitious for children and invest in professional development. Staff describe feeling well supported and able to raise concerns. Leaders evaluate practice and recognise what is working well and where further development is needed. Overall, this is accurate, and leaders ensure training focusses on these areas of development and the needs of the children. Leaders have identified minor inconsistencies in the standard of staff interactions with children. They have begun targeting this area through mentoring and training, and they have plans in place to continue these improvements. This is beginning to have a positive impact throughout the setting.

Effective two-way flow of information ensures that parents are kept well informed of children's development. They are supported by staff effectively to continue their children's learning at home. This helps to support consistency for children's care and education.

Leaders work with a range of external services to help children who need additional support or protection. They use extra funding well to support disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities to thrive. For example, specific training has been provided to support staff in assessing and promoting children's speech and language development. This targeted approach helps to remove barriers to learning so that all children can achieve the best possible outcomes.