Little Latham House

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders support staff to identify when children may need extra support. Those with oversight for special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are knowledgeable. They have completed specialist training to support them in the role. Leaders complete regular assessments to identify gaps in children's learning and plan appropriate interventions. They regularly review these interventions to ensure they are having the desired impact. Additional funding, such as early years pupil premium is used effectively for the children for whom it is intended for. As a result, these children make steady progress in relation to their starting points.

Staff work with specialist professionals where necessary such as physiotherapists. They ensure they carry out these professionals' guidance to support children where required. Staff engage with parents to ensure they are kept informed of their child's progress. However, due to recent changes of policies around the use of images, not all parents receive the same daily information. This means parents cannot always visibly see the progress their child is making.

Strategies are in place to support individual children such as those who face challenges in communicating. Staff have implemented strategies to support individual children. For example, staff use physical objects as a visual aid to help those who do not fully understand the words. Those with more experience and knowledge ensure strategies are understood and implemented by staff. They monitor these strategies to ensure they remain effective and are delivered in the correct way.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders have a clear oversight of the curriculum and its delivery. They provide effective training and monitoring. This ensures teaching is of a consistently high quality. Staff carefully consider children's next steps in learning when planning and implementing activities. For example, they plan engaging activities for toddlers to further develop their fine motor skills. Children excitedly use small tools to break up the ice and free the animals. Children become highly engaged in this activity that supports their physical development.

Staff are skilled at teaching in the moment and use the environment. For example, a ladybird lands within an activity. Staff talk about the ladybird in more detail. They explain to children that they should not touch it and should be kind.

Children benefit from well-planned activities in the local community. For example, they visit the local library to borrow books about spring and different bugs. They follow up on these activities in the setting. For example, staff teach preschool children about the life cycle of a butterfly. This helps teach children about nature and the changing of the seasons.

There is a consistent approach to supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This means all staff implement strategies to support children with SEND. As a result, children with SEND make progress in their learning through well-thought-out interactions.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children develop a range of lifelong skills. These skills consistently help prepare them for their next stage of learning, including school. For example, children learn to put on their own coats and wellies with gradually less support. Children of all ages, including babies, learn to drink from open-top cups. Older children confidently help themselves to drinks throughout the day when they feel thirsty.

Children who start the nursery at different starting points than their peers rapidly catch up. Children are becoming confident communicators. They are confident engaging with their friends and other adults. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make clear progress.

Children experiment with wearing a uniform in preparation for starting school. This helps them to understand how this might feel different from their everyday clothes. Children are becoming increasingly confident in managing their own personal care needs. Older children happily use the bathroom independently.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Staff and leaders have high expectations for children's behaviour. Any incidents are dealt with promptly and calmly. Children are reminded to be kind to each other and other living things, such as the ladybird that flies into an activity. During activities, staff support children when they want something another child has. They calmly suggest they wait until their friend has finished or offer an alternative. Children have formed warm and trusting relationships with staff, who act as positive role models.

Leaders understand the importance of regular attendance and ensuring children access their full entitlement. They work with parents to support them in bringing their children in early enough to enjoy the full range of activities on offer.

Routines in certain rooms are not yet fully established, especially in the baby room, where greater consistency is needed. For example, handwashing routines before meals are not yet fully embedded and take too long. This means children do not consistently know what is happening next. Some wait for an unreasonable length of time for their age. That said, some routines, particularly with older children, are embedded well. These children know what to do when they first arrive at the setting. They confidently change into their nursery shoes, ready to start their day.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders make sure that all policies and procedures prioritise children's welfare and wellbeing. They create safe spaces for children both inside and outside. Children have dedicated and well-equipped outdoor spaces that further enhance their learning. Leaders and staff are aware of guidance around ensuring safe sleep routines. However, the placement of beds and cots are not always carefully planned, which can lead to babies' rest being disturbed.

A dedicated kitchen team ensures a healthy and varied diet is provided. Staff teach children about how to keep themselves healthy. For example, they teach children about the importance of brushing their teeth. Staff teach children to understand their own emotions. They encourage them to talk about how they are feeling and children are confident to do so. For example, children confidently tell staff they are feeling happy today.

Children are learning positive hygiene practices. For example, staff teach children the importance of hand washing from an early age. However, the process of doing this within the baby room is not well established. Although babies are taught good hygiene practices, some children wait too long while waiting for everyone to wash their hands. Meal times are social occasions in which staff and children discuss their day and what they are eating.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders understand the setting's strength and areas for development. They continuously reflect on the provision and how they can make improvements. They acknowledge the work required around further establishing routines. Staff feel well supported in their roles and complete regular training to ensure their knowledge remains up to date. Leaders conduct regular supervisions with staff to support them to air any concerns. They are aware of the pressures on staff and are mindful of their workload. For example, they ensure staff with additional responsibilities have time to fulfil these duties.

There is an effective induction process in place. Many staff transferred from the company's other setting. New staff received in-depth training before the setting opened. They were guided by mentors and had the opportunity to observe high-quality teaching. This has helped staff to deliver a high quality curriculum and ensure there is a consistently high level of teaching.

As a new setting, leaders have pro-actively sought feedback from parents. They typically engage well with parents, providing regular updates and feedback. Due to recent changes in policies around images, some parents no longer receive photos. This means they do not get the same quality of feedback as other parents.