Little Genius Day Nursery Ltd

Inclusion: Needs attention

Children who have been identified as disadvantaged and with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not consistently receive the support they need. The curriculum is not sufficiently ambitious to achieve positive outcomes for these children. For example, leaders have not targeted additional funding available to support these children fully.

Leaders welcome external agencies into the setting to help identify children's needs. However, they have yet to seek support so they are able to take meaningful action to reduce barriers to learning for children with SEND and disadvantaged children. Leaders and staff with lead responsibility for supporting children with SEND provide staff with training. However, not all staff are confident in applying their knowledge to practice.

Leaders ensure that staff have ample time to observe, monitor and assess children's progress and development. They share this information with parents and carers. Staff encourage parents to make comments and share information about their children's learning from home. Children with SEND and those who face other barriers to learning develop warm and trusting relationships with their key persons.

Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention

Leaders have yet to gain success at devising a curriculum that is precisely planned. Staff do not deliver some areas of learning as well as others. There is an unclear focus on what they want children to know and learn at times. Sometimes, the curriculum is very adult-led. Older children have limited opportunities to be independent and follow their own ideas. The setting's curriculum for physical development is not thought through enough to enhance the large motor skills of both the younger and older children. Although staff support the development of children's language skills, this is inconsistent for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who face other barriers to learning. For example, staff do not provide effective support during activities to help children with SEND to communicate their emotions and needs to access the learning more effectively.

Nonetheless, children access a range of activities that they enjoy engaging in. For instance, children of all ages are delighted when accessing dough. They use their hands, cutters, rolling pins and leaves to manipulate and make marks in the dough. Staff encourage children to explore a 'book of the week'. For example, older children learn about the life cycle of the butterfly. They recollect all the food the hungry caterpillar ate as they paint and print fruits. This helps to support children's understanding of the world and encourages their hand and finger dexterity and creativity.

Achievement: Needs attention

Due to limited plans in place, some children do not receive support to remove barriers they face in their learning, especially for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face other barriers to learning. This limits children in making the progress they are capable of.

Children's achievements across the setting are variable. There are some children who make steady progress from their starting points. However, inconsistencies in teaching and daily routines mean that not all children secure and consolidate their learning across the curriculum. This affects the depth of their understanding and limits how well they are prepared for the next stage of their learning.

Generally, children develop appropriate communication and language skills. They take part in singing activities, listen to stories and engage in discussions with staff. This helps to build on their increasing vocabulary.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Needs attention

Leaders have yet to fully establish a positive environment and strategies where all staff and children understand the expectations for behaviour. Staff talk about their expectations for positive behaviour, such as using 'kind hands', 'inside voices' and 'kind words' during circle times. However, staff do not embed these expectations during activities. For example, staff are not consistent in supporting children to regulate their emotions when they become frustrated.

Routines do not always support the stage of development of the children. For example, during toothbrushing and mealtimes, children spend long periods waiting for an activity to begin or their meals to be served. This leads to them becoming bored and disengaged, sometimes engaging in conflict or moving away from the activity. Staff do not always identify these incidents as an opportunity to use new techniques they have learned to support children's learning. As a result, children are not always clear about the rules and do not always develop necessary skills in sharing and turn-taking.

Leaders focus on monitoring children's attendance. They work closely with parents and carers to promote punctuality and place importance on children's learning and welfare. Staff encourage children to help to tidy away toys as they listen to a tidy-up song. This helps children to take responsibility for their environment and develop key skills they need for life.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Needs attention

Children are not provided with sufficient engaging, age-appropriate activities to enhance their gross motor skills daily. This hinders younger children's ability to develop and strengthen their emerging walking skills. Additionally, older children lack opportunities to take part in engaging opportunities that captivate their interest and strengthen their physical competence. Staff's implementation of routines does not captivate children's attention and promote their involvement and understanding of the routine. For example, at times, children are left seated waiting for meals or wander around with their toothbrushes.

Leaders have a positive stance towards developing children's awareness of a healthy lifestyle and keeping them safe. The procedures for safer eating are consistently implemented by informed members of staff. Staff ensure that children are seated and properly supervised. Food provided to younger children is adequately cut up to prevent choking hazards. Children have access to healthy meals and snacks daily. Regular handwashing routines before meals further support children's awareness of hygiene.

Relationships between children and staff are warm and caring. This encourages children to build warm bonds with their key persons, who know their needs. Staff follow safer sleep guidelines, with younger children having access to appropriate sleeping facilities that are suitable for their age. Sleeping children's safety is promoted as they are regularly checked by staff, who document these checks.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Leaders are aware of some of the setting's strengths and areas that need improvement. While leaders make decisions with the best interests of children in mind, they have not yet closely monitored their implementation. This limits the ability to bring about the necessary changes to ensure consistency in the curriculum. For example, staff sometimes struggle to provide the right support for older and younger children's large motor skills. Additionally, there are moments when leaders do not ensure that staff effectively implement new training methods and techniques to enhance the communication and language skills of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged children.

Leaders are supportive of staff. They foster a positive approach to supporting staff through supervision sessions and training. Leaders ensure staff access training relevant to the needs of the children within the setting. Partnerships with parents and carers form a fundamental part of the ethos for the setting. Parents highly value the attention and time that is given to them and their children from the team. They praise the regular two-way flow of communication, such as via online systems and the friendly greeting and welcome in the mornings.