Little Hearts Day Nursery

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders ensure that each child that attends the nursery is included. They are proactive in removing barriers to learning, such as adapting the timings of sessions to allow children to have their full early education entitlement. Leaders are aware of the importance of assessing children's development. They ensure children's next steps in learning are mostly reflected in the curriculum. That said, leaders have not implemented a consistent approach to providing feedback to all parents. Some parents would appreciate support to help children learn at home.

Leaders prioritise staff's training on the approach to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They maintain secure partnerships with external professionals. This ensures that timely interventions are provided for all children, including those with SEND and face barriers to their learning.

Leaders use additional funding very well to support children's emotions. Children have cosy spaces to relax in if they need quiet time to self-regulate. Additionally, children are taken on visits to places that they would not usually experience, such as the urban farm. These experiences help to ensure that children receiving additional funding are not at a disadvantage.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Staff provide meaningful opportunities for children to develop their mathematical knowledge through measuring, counting and creating patterns. However, some aspects of the curriculum need to be further refined to ensure that it consistently helps children thrive in their learning. For example, staff plan activities to specifically teach children the sounds that letters make before children have fully developed their listening and attention skills. On occasion staff do not consistently model high quality vocabulary. Children are not always given adequate time to respond to questions. This means teaching does not always effectively support children's language development.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive an individual curriculum. This helps to ensure that they are not at a disadvantage. Staff assess all children's development and, when children are not developing as expected, staff refer children to external professionals, such as speech and language therapists. This helps to reduce barriers to learning and helps children to make progress. Staff give priority to children's physical development. Children delight as they play outdoors. Staff skilfully encourage children to use climbing apparatus, take turns on bikes and teach them how to be kind towards one another. Children show excellent social and personal skills. This supports children well in readiness for their move on to school.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, benefit from effective support in their learning and development. They achieve well and make progress from their starting points. A strength of the curriculum is how it supports children's emotional development. Children engage in meaningful conversations with each other about their feelings and emotions. They show an interest in the feelings of their friends. Children relate how they feel to the characters in a book. They explain they feel 'loved' at nursery and this makes them happy.

Children like to explore their creativity. They show high levels of engagement while drawing and painting. They smile as they create exciting pictures of rainbows. Children are fully engaged and demonstrate a love for learning. Children show resilience while learning how to solve problems, such as making a tower taller. They show physical strength and coordination while playing outdoors. Children gain skills to be prepared for their next steps in learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders have created a nurturing environment where all children are valued and supported. Children behave well and are developing respectful attitudes. Staff typically provide clear messages about the expectations for their behaviour. Staff are positive role models and teach children about including all children and helping others. Children form secure attachments with staff and develop strong friendships with their peers. They share toys and take turns in their play. Children behave well and know what is expected of them.

Staff teach children the importance of recognising and knowing their own feelings and emotions. Children take part in relaxation activities. They learn to focus on their breathing to calm their bodies. Children discuss their emotions and talk about strategies to use if they are feeling a certain way. For example, children tell staff how they can sit in the 'cosy cove' if they feel sad. They explain sometimes a hug helps make them feel better.

Leaders implement clear policies to encourage children's regular attendance. They work in close partnership with parents and carers to address barriers effectively, including offering individual attendance arrangements to support families. This approach has a positive impact on children's attendance.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders prioritise children's welfare and wellbeing and create a safe and inclusive environment where children feel secure. Staff build warm, responsive relationships with children, helping them to feel secure and confident. Children seek familiar adults for comfort when needed. Staff offer reassurance and support children's emotional wellbeing. Care practices meet children's individual needs effectively. Staff adapt routines and provide targeted support, so children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged children and those facing barriers to wellbeing access care and learning consistently.

Staff support children to develop an understanding of health and safety through daily routines. They guide children during activities, such as outdoor play, and encourage safe behaviours. Staff promote hygiene routines and encourage children to wash their hands and begin to manage aspects of self-care, supporting independence. Staff promote healthy lifestyles through regular outdoor play and physical activity. Children are beginning to understand how to keep themselves healthy.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders have a clear vision for the nursery and want the best for children and their families. Evaluation of the provision is accurate. Improvement plans are in place, and include the views of parents, carers and children. Overall, leaders have successfully implemented a programme of coaching and mentoring for staff. They meet with staff on a regular basis to check on their ongoing suitability to work with children. However, the programme of professional development does not focus on helping staff to raise the quality and consistency of their teaching. This has led to some inconsistencies in the curriculum implementation.

Leaders place a high priority on staff wellbeing and are mindful of workload demands. They ensure that staff have dedicated time to complete paperwork and other tasks. Staff commend leaders for their support.

Leaders know the importance of working with external professionals to ensure that children get the support that they need. This is particularly evident for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This helps reduce barriers to children's learning and supports children to make secure progress.