Little Explorers Day Nursery

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders and staff work closely with parents and external professionals to ensure that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who face additional barriers to learning, receive the targeted support they need.

Leaders and staff swiftly identify any gaps in children's learning. Targeted learning plans for children with SEND are consistently reviewed to identify ways in which future learning can support children's individual needs. As a result, children make progress from their starting points. Leaders and staff plan activities that target learning and are adapted to ensure all children can participate and make progress. For instance, staff sensitively interact with and scaffold the learning of children with SEND as they share and model words to describe the patterns and colours they see on feathers. Children confidently repeat these words, describing their feathers to their friends, building their developing vocabulary and self-esteem.

Leaders use early years pupil premium funding to support babies and children from disadvantaged backgrounds. To promote the emerging interests of babies, staff provide musical instruments to enhance their enjoyment of play. Leaders have incorporated a sensory room for children who benefit from quiet times during their day to help regulate their emotions. This reflects an understanding of how to support the learning of all children, providing exciting experiences that promote children's emerging and individual needs.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have worked hard to develop and continue to embed a curriculum that is progressive and promotes curiosity in learners. Staff gather important information from parents when children first start, using this information, along with ongoing assessment of children's learning, to check what children know and can do. They then tailor their teaching to children's individual starting points and stages of development. Staff make appropriate adaptations and target learning to the individual needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff provide a wide range of activities and learning opportunities that reflect children's personal interests and developing needs. This promotes children's learning across all areas of the curriculum.

High priority is given to children's personal and emotional development, language and mathematical skills. Leaders use language assessment tools to swiftly identify and promote this area of children's development. Staff model appropriate vocabulary for all children. For example, they repeat the names of animals found in shared stories for babies and typically engage in conversations with older children, developing their language and communication skills.

Staff create opportunities for children to develop physical skills. For example, staff add equipment, such as cones and hoops, for children to navigate around as they play outside, developing their large muscles and coordination skills. Younger children explore play dough, using different tools to manipulate and shape the dough. Staff play alongside them, describing the lengths of play dough they roll as 'long' or 'short', promoting children's mathematical vocabulary and understanding of early mathematical concepts.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children make progress across all areas of the curriculum, building firm foundations for later learning. Babies learn first words through their enjoyment of books and rhymes. Children, including those who speak English as an additional language, move from using single words to vocalising their thoughts and ideas in short sentences. This prepares children well for the next stage of their learning.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities engage consistently in activities as they learn to sustain attention for longer. This reflects steady progress from their starting points.

Across the setting, children are prepared for future learning. Children enjoy developing important physical skills as they enjoy being active outside, and they practise early mark-making skills during play. Children explore mathematical concepts and develop counting skills. Babies enjoy songs that introduce them to numbers and counting. Young children accurately count the pegs they sort and add to peg boards. Older children confidently name and describe simple shapes, such as hexagons and squares, preparing them well for the next stage of their education at school.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders and staff are positive role models with clear expectations for children's behaviour, which they implement effectively. Children show positive engagement in activities and demonstrate enjoyment in their learning. Staff support children to learn how to take turns when playing games and to cooperate, sharing resources as they play. For instance, when children are building, they respond to staff who remind them to be considerate and share the magnetic tiles with their friends fairly. This promotes positive learning behaviours in children.

Staff model positive behaviours, such as being caring, polite and respectful, helping children to understand what is expected of them. For instance, babies respond as they are gently encouraged by staff not to throw balls, but to help tidy them away, placing them carefully into a basket. Staff praise children's contributions and efforts, building their self-esteem as they are rewarded with claps, warm smiles and stickers.

Regular routines established across the setting help all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to learn how they are expected to behave. For example, 'now and next' boards are used by staff to support children with SEND to understand what activity they will be completing next, promoting security and self-confidence. All children respectfully follow the instructions given to them by staff when transitioning between activities, such as tidying away resources in preparation for lunchtime and clearing away their plates after eating. Leaders recognise the importance of good punctuality and attendance, and any absence is swiftly followed up by staff and leaders, promoting these expectations with parents.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Needs attention

When babies sleep in the setting, leaders and staff do not follow government guidelines. They do not ensure that babies sleep in cots that are free from soft toys, and staff do not demonstrate an understanding of how or where babies should be positioned in a cot to sleep. This does not promote the safety and wellbeing of sleeping babies.

Leaders and staff create a caring and nurturing environment for babies and children. Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure in the care of the nurturing staff as they approach them with toys and books to share. Staff interact appropriately with children, offering comfort and reassurance, developing secure attachments.

Key persons know children well and they implement targeted strategies to promote children's individual needs. Additional funding is used to implement targeted resources and toys, helping to build the emotional resilience of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities as they play alongside their peers.

Staff are positive role models and promote the use of good manners and hygiene routines. Children learn the importance of washing their hands before eating and disposing of tissues used to wipe their noses. Staff work in partnership with parents to support children to develop independence when using the toilet, preparing them well for the next stage of their education at school.

Leaders and staff promote children's physical development. Babies enjoy opportunities to walk up low ramps and slip down slides, building core strength and balance skills. Children enjoy regular opportunities to play outside. Staff teach children that physical exercise is good for them as they run races and manoeuvre their way around obstacles, promoting their health and wellbeing.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Leaders have failed to notify Ofsted of the appointment of company directors. This is an offence. Internal checks were undertaken by leaders to determine the suitability of new directors with the disclosure and barring service, and they do not work directly with children in the setting, minimising any risk.

Leaders do not ensure that all staff have the appropriate knowledge and skills required to support them in their roles and responsibilities, such as recognising when safer sleep practice is not implemented across the setting. This is a breach of early years requirements and does not effectively promote children's safety and wellbeing.

The newly established leadership team demonstrate an understanding of the setting's strengths, taking action to improve areas of their practice and provision that need further development. Leaders and staff are currently embedding a curriculum that reflects children's individual needs, incorporating a focus on children's personal development, language and mathematical skills. Leaders identify appropriate professional development for staff to help promote these areas of children's learning.

Leaders take decisions that positively impact the learning and development of all children. They ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are swiftly recognised and supported. Leaders make timely referrals to professional agencies for additional support. They implement and oversee targeted action plans to promote the learning and development of children with SEND. Leaders and staff promote positive partnerships with parents and carers. Parents report that their children feel safe and secure and enjoy their time in the nursery. They feel informed about their children's daily activities and the progress they make.

Staff report that they feel supported by leaders, who consider their wellbeing. They receive routine safeguarding and first-aid training and regular coaching and mentoring from leaders to support them in their roles. This promotes positive outcomes for children and staff's wellbeing and workload.