Little Gem's

Inclusion: Strong standard

A highly effective system for monitoring and reviewing children's progress enables staff to identify their emerging needs swiftly. Leaders and staff work closely with special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinators to implement well-targeted interventions. They review these regularly to ensure that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make excellent progress. Parents and carers consistently report that they feel well supported during times of challenge. They praise the sensitivity and professionalism of leaders.

Teaching is highly inclusive and carefully adapted so that all children can participate fully. For example, during singing times, sufficient staff are deployed to provide additional guidance and emotional support to children where needed. Staff play close attention to children's interests and developing patterns of play. They then provide thoughtfully chosen props and resources to support purposeful play.

Children who speak English as an additional language make meaningful progress. Staff skilfully model language, use flashcards, label resources clearly and incorporate words from children's home languages. As a result, children confidently use new vocabulary and join in songs and routines.

Leaders work effectively with local partners and specialists to secure timely support. They use funding well, including the development of a well-planned sensory room to support children to regulate their feelings. Inclusive practice is further strengthened through sign language and diverse resources. There are opportunities for children's learning to continue at home, such as through a lending library and activity bags.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

The curriculum is enriching and carefully considered based on planned next steps and children's emerging interests. Staff skilfully adapt learning to include all children. For example, they offer support, props and flash cards and use signs to support children who speak English as an additional language. They encourage any children with identified barriers to progress by gently praising them when they participate in circle time and copy actions. Children receive support from staff to draw faces on the playground floor with chalk. This helps children to explore and understand their feelings and develop their gross motor skills while encouraging early mark making.

Leaders have made significant improvements to support children's early writing skills by introducing a variety of mark-making opportunities throughout the setting. Children develop their fine motor skills by scooping, pouring and picking dried vegetables with tweezers.

Children forge a love of reading because they have daily story time. They learn new words and concepts by being read to in smaller groups throughout the day too. Staff encourage children to take books and story bags home, which further supports the development of their early literacy skills. All staff know exactly what children can do and what they want them to learn next. This means that all staff are consistently focused on ensuring children learn what they need to. Children learn what makes them unique. They explore diversity by learning about a broad range of special occasions and festivals. For example, leaders invite parents and carers and children to share special food made to celebrate a recent religious festival.

Staff consistently teach mathematics clearly to all children. They use songs and carefully selected stories, as well as highly engaging activities. For example, staff model patterns using bobbins and thread, and they support and extend children's thinking with thoughtful questions. Staff are attentive to all children and ensure they swiftly identify any gaps in their learning. Parents report highly effective support for children with identified needs, such as focused physical exercises to improve children's physical development and core strength.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children develop consistently well across all areas of learning and development because staff are highly focused on ensuring their progress is thoroughly and regularly assessed. Children are well prepared for their next stage of learning because they are receiving support and encouragement to become independent and manage their own needs. Children proudly show staff when they put their own shoes on. At circle time, every child is praised and celebrated. Children are all given opportunities to choose songs during circle time, and those who are less confident and do not want to speak receive choices of songs. This encourages them to participate and helps them to belong, with all children feeling included and celebrated.

Parents report that children are increasing in confidence at the setting and making huge progress in their speech and language. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities develop well through considered and targeted support put in place in close collaboration with parents and external specialists.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Staff and leaders have put in place an enriching and structured daily routine. This is carefully planned and considered to ensure that children feel secure and always know what to expect of their day. Children are becoming more independent and manage their needs without needing to be prompted. For example, they excitedly prepare themselves on the carpet for story time. Routines are well embedded, and this consistent repetition is helping children to learn the skills they need to become more independent.

Staff use transitions from one activity to the next as learning experiences, and no opportunity to teach them is missed, for example counting steps as they walk. Transitions are always calm and well managed. For example, children have the time and space to get themselves ready to go outside and wait to be called into groups to wash their own hands. Leaders understand the importance of regular attendance and ensure this is promoted and managed well.

Children behave impeccably because all staff model excellent behaviour and are kind and attentive to them. Any issues with behaviour are managed promptly and effectively, with staff consistently ensuring children know why certain behaviour is expected of them. Staff ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive support to understand the expectations for their behaviour and are considerately encouraged to reflect on how they are feeling and how they can make others feel.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

The setting is bright, clean, welcoming and safe. Leaders ensure that all staff take responsibility for fastidiously ensuring that risks are eliminated, and staff confidently demonstrate a thoroughly understanding of all of the setting's policies and procedures. This results in children's wellbeing being an absolute priority.

Children grow their own vegetables in the garden and benefit from a range of healthy and nutritious food. Throughout mealtimes, staff have animated conversations with children about the food they are eating. This helps children to learn to make healthy choices and to take care of themselves. Staff are sensitive and kind with children when managing their toileting needs. Staff encourage children to be independent in toileting at their own pace through close partnerships with parents and carers.

Staff have put in place highly structured routines around self-care, which focus on encouraging children to become independent, start to listen to their bodies and understand how to look after them. There are a wealth of opportunities for children to be active and play outside to ensure they form long-lasting healthy habits.

Leaders have an extremely effective key-person system in place. Less-experienced staff pair with the more experienced staff. This helps children to have a sense of belonging and form close relationships with staff who know them well. Children with any barriers to learning receive careful support from staff who have the expertise to ensure their needs are well met. Children evidently have incredibly warm and trusting bonds with staff and are delighted and highly content in their company.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders ensure that staff at this setting feel valued, happy, supported and have a manageable workload. Staff consistently report having opportunities to develop and train in areas of interest or any areas they want to develop expertise in, such as training on inclusion, support for children with autism, and mental health and wellbeing. Each member of staff is given responsibility for a particular area of practice, for example safeguarding or health and safety. There is very much a sense that this is a team effort, with every member of staff contributing being encouraged to develop in expertise.

Leaders work closely with the school in which the setting is located. They arrange visits for children to look round and meetings with leaders at the other settings to ensure information about children is thoroughly shared. This means that children's transitions are managed well to support children as they progress to their next stage. Leaders also strive to improve outcomes for any children with barriers to learning by working with external partners to ensure they have the most appropriate support in place and seeking guidance where they feel it will benefit children.

Partnerships with parents and carers are highly effective. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the care their children receive and the incredible progress they are making. Parents of children with any barriers to learning say how flexible and inclusive the setting is.

Leaders are focused on continuously improving the provision and regularly seek feedback from parents and children. Leaders also involve staff in any improvements made. For example, when the setting improved the layout of and resources in the rooms, each member of staff focused on an area to develop. Staff take pride in the developments they have made to the setting.