Little Green Rascals - 7 Minster Yard

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders work closely with staff to monitor all children's learning, and to review and shape the curriculum to ensure that it remains highly effective for every child. Staff identify children who may need support with their learning at the earliest stage. They implement sharply-focused learning plans to help children make strong and sustained progress. If this action is not quickly effective, staff promptly liaise with other professionals to ensure that children get the right support at the right time. Provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is extremely well coordinated. Leaders support staff to adapt the environment and their teaching, which helps to ensure that all children are fully included. For example, they consistently use simple sign language and visual cues with all children and this particularly benefits children with communication difficulties to strengthen their language skills. Parents say inclusion is truly meaningful here and that their children achieve exceptionally well.

Leaders take thoughtful and innovative steps to reduce barriers to attendance and participation. For example, parents who work nearby can use the breastfeeding room so children can continue to attend while having their needs met. Children who speak more than one language hear songs and stories in other languages, which helps them to feel valued and to belong.

Additional funding is targeted precisely to help eligible children. For example, extra staff are brought in where children would benefit from one-to-one support, and physical play equipment is purchased to help children to develop their physical skills. Leaders carefully consider children's experiences outside of nursery, such as those known or previously known to social services and respectfully work with families and professionals where necessary to assure children's wellbeing and reduce barriers to their learning.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders' in-depth reflections on the curriculum involve staff who work directly with the children. This helps to ensure that the curriculum is flexible, continually adapted, and remains relevant and highly effective for every child. Staff develop a clear picture of what children know and can do when they start. They scrutinise children's achievements and the progress they make, then tailor experiences that help them to thrive in all areas of learning. Staff create and follow detailed plans that help to ensure that children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are fully included and benefit from the rich learning opportunities.

Staff have very high expectations of what children can achieve. There is a remarkable focus on helping children to be confident and independent. Very young children, for example, drink from an open cup and learn to manage their own self-care. There is great consideration given to children's physical development. Staff provide plentiful opportunities for children to practise physical skills. Babies and toddlers are consistently encouraged to roll, crawl and stand, while older children climb, balance and run in the garden. Across the nursery, play and routine activities are filled with language-rich conversations and discussions, in which staff mindfully model language and encourage children's involvement. Children in the early stages of communication benefit from opportunities to express themselves in different ways, such as simple signs, that all staff use consistently.

Leaders have worked with staff to provide depth in the curriculum for mathematics. Staff promote numbers, counting, size and measure consistently throughout each day. Additionally, well taught and appropriate activities, help children to develop an excellent understanding of numbers and their meaning. Children accurately count beyond 10 and solve simple sums with confidence.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children of all ages and abilities, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, make strong and sustained progress, no matter their starting points. Many children achieve beyond typical expectations. They rapidly develop language and communication skills from the earliest opportunity. Young babies, yet to learn to speak, make choices by pointing to a picture that represents a song they want to hear. Older children develop a rich and varied vocabulary, confidently using a wide range of words, such as when they describe 'tornados' and the 'eye of the storm' during a science experiment.

Children develop secure skills across all areas of learning, and make particularly remarkable achievements in their personal, social and emotional development. They are confident, capable and motivated learners who are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning in nursery. For example, children confidently move to the next room, ready for the increased challenge this provides. Pre-school children have a secure range of skills on which to base their future learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Staff hold high expectations for children's behaviour, which are consistently appropriate to children's level of understanding. There is a culture of kindness and staff show children high levels of respect and courtesy. Children mirror these behaviours, are polite and behave well. Staff focus on helping children to build friendships and they play harmoniously together. For example, forest school activities promote collaboration, with children working together to make soup and collect dinosaur bones. Staff manage minor conflicts sensitively and consistently. Children learn to share and consider the needs of others.

Leaders encourage prompt and regular attendance, recognising the sense of security this supports in children. Staff help children to understand what happens in their day and encourage their sense of responsibility. For example, they give clear instructions at tidy-up time and children eagerly help to put away the toys. While there are routines in place for hand washing, staff do not always use these as well as possible to teach children about ways to protect their own health.

Overall, children are motivated learners who choose where they play and move confidently between activities. However, staff do not consistently provide opportunities for older children to follow staff's guidance in adult-led activities and occasionally, some children, particularly those who are more active in their play and learning, choose not to join in with such activities. Although there are some occasions when staff expect older children to listen and take part in shared experiences, such as when visitors lead group activities, these expectations are not built consistently into daily routines. As a result, some older children miss experiences that help them to become as familiar as possible with routines and expectations they will meet when they move on to school.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Key-person arrangements are very well embedded. Children, from a very young age, recognise the kind and attentive staff who care for them and form trusting relationships with them. Staff really understand children and know their personalities. They tailor their care to all children's individual needs and interests, which contributes to children's confidence and sense of belonging in their care. Staff acknowledge children's feelings and encourage them to talk about them. This supports children's emotional wellbeing and they learn to understand and express their emotions.

Children benefit from plenty of fresh air and active play. They learn ways to keep themselves safe. For example, staff use 'PC Paws the safety bear', to help children to identify risks outdoors and take steps to protect themselves from harm. Staff teach children about healthy habits, although routines for handwashing are not fully embedded. For example, when children use the 'snuffle station' to wipe their nose independently, staff are not always present to remind them about the importance of washing their hands afterwards.

Meals and snacks are planned carefully to meet children's nutritional needs. Stringent arrangements to monitor and manage allergies help to assure children's safety and wellbeing. Staff follow individual care routines closely, including sleeping and feeding arrangements, to meet every child's needs appropriately and keep them safe.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders have a clear and confident overview of the curriculum and wider provision They involve staff closely in shaping the curriculum, so that it reflects the needs of all children attending. Leaders have a strong understanding of the nursery's strengths and keep a sharp focus on the areas they want to refine. They have a secure understanding of the different barriers that children may face. They keep this as the centre of their thinking and prioritise these children in their work. They know children well and use this knowledge to shape support that is timely, sensitive and highly effective.

Staff benefit from a comprehensive programme of supervision, support and professional learning. This creates a highly-skilled team who work with purpose, confidence and consistency. It contributes to their first-rate teaching and, in turn, children's secure achievements. Leaders deploy staff with care, monitor their workload and make adjustments to ensure their wellbeing. Staff describe feeling very much valued, supported and proud to work at this nursery. This contributes to the extremely positive atmosphere. Partnerships with parents are well embedded, and leaders and staff communicate very clearly and consistently with them. Parents feel very involved, know what their children are learning and about how to support this further at home.