Little Lily's Academy

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders and staff create an inclusive environment where all children feel secure and well supported, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Existing and emerging needs are quickly identified through careful observations, assessments and discussions with families. Leaders actively engage parents in planning children's next steps and collaboratively work together to reduce barriers to children's learning.

Staff demonstrate a secure understanding of children's needs and typically adapt their approach to meet individual learning requirements. They demonstrate high expectations of all children, including those facing barriers to learning, ensuring that the needs of children with SEND are generally well met. This is supported effectively through the use of additional funding, for example for the creation of a sensory basket to assist children with social and emotional needs.

All children engage enthusiastically in activities, and appropriate support is provided for those needing greater assistance. Children benefit from one-to-one time with their key persons, who use this time effectively to tailor their teaching to specific needs. For example, staff sit opposite children with delayed language development to carefully demonstrate the formation of sounds and use a mirror to allow children to watch themselves copying the demonstrations. Leaders should now develop partnerships with external partners, including other providers, to gather more precise information about children before they join the setting.

Leaders, and those with responsibility for SEND, have access to ongoing SEND training, enabling them to actively support all children's learning requirements with confidence. Inclusive practice is embedded across the setting, ensuring that high-quality experiences promote children's engagement, confidence and progress.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders develop and design the curriculum to give children the knowledge and skills they need for their learning and development. Staff demonstrate an accurate understanding of the areas of learning and implement the curriculum efficiently, overall. Leaders have effective insight of the quality of the teaching and learning in their setting and monitor this well through observations and supervisions.

Children typically enjoy access to a wide range of activities, which are designed ambitiously to successfully enhance their learning and development. Staff carefully consider those children with barriers to learning, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and make appropriate adaptations. Children enjoy the independence of choosing the activities they engage with, as well as participating in whole-group sessions, such as story time.

Leaders' focus on developing children's communication and language is securely embedded through a love of books, songs, music and rhymes. Staff speak clearly and calmly to children throughout each learning experience. Staff use ambitious language, modelling progressive vocabulary and sentences. Mathematics is carefully woven through all teaching activities, which explicitly includes counting, shapes, colours and time. For example, when role playing with the ice cream shop, staff helped children to identify number, size and shape.

Children develop strength, balance and coordination while enjoying the outside garden and the apparatus. Staff support children's physical development during outside play, encouraging them to climb and balance. During dance activities, children develop rhythm and awareness of differences in speed and height as they move through space.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children display enthusiasm towards their learning. They excitedly engage in carefully considered activities, demonstrating confidence to try new things as they move around the room. Children develop communication and language skills, for example when talking about characters from books and songs. The calm and relaxed atmosphere of the setting allows children to enhance their personal, social and emotional development. For example, when one child took the sensory basket to the carpet area, other children freely followed. The children demonstrated patience and consideration as they took turns, especially with the youngest children, while experiencing and discussing the items in the basket.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are typically achieving well in all areas of learning. Children with barriers to learning are fully included in activities, benefiting from adaptations that meet their needs. Progress and achievement are carefully monitored, recorded and assessed, informing next steps. This means that children achieve well through targeted teaching and support.

Children are suitably prepared for their next steps, including school readiness. This is an area of strength in the setting. The setting develops robust relationships with school teachers, benefiting children to develop emotional security as they transition to school.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders and staff set high expectations for children's behaviour and attitudes to learning. With planned and detailed inductions, these expectations are commonly understood by staff, parents and children. Staff present as positive role models, teaching children courtesy and respect. Children are reminded of the importance of good manners, kindness, turn taking and consideration of other people's feelings. This is achieved with care and calmness, promoting and modelling examples of effective behaviour.

Typically, staff recognise and consider each child's individual needs and circumstances, including those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They maintain high expectations of children's behaviour and attitudes to learning, while also making reasonable adjustments to reflect each child's ability and age and stage of development. For example, staff encourage children to sit together on a mat for story time while also recognising that this is very challenging for some children and allowing them to get up and move around when needed. However, some group activities continue for too long, with children becoming distracted.

Leaders recognise the importance of regular attendance and punctuality. Parents speak of an approachable and supportive setting and feel able to discuss any concerns regarding their child's behaviour or attendance with the staff. Routines of attendance are fully integrated, with 'first day' absence contact prioritised.

Children play together and display enjoyment and fun. They can negotiate between themselves and work collaboratively with sustained concentration and a shared goal. For example, when acting as shop keeper at the ice cream stand, they display patience with each other and shared enjoyment.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Children build warm, trusting and meaningful relationships with their key person. They converse with ease, sharing their ideas and experiences as well as probing for answers. They listen carefully and engage fully. Children benefit from the set routines within the setting and respond very well to cues. For example, when the musical triangle is gently sounded, the children stop what they are doing and listen for instruction. They work together to achieve shared goals, for example tidying up together when they hear the tidy-up song.

Generally, leaders have created a safe, welcoming place where children can play and learn. Children enjoy each other's company and form strong bonds with their friends and staff. They have daily access to the outside play area, where they are encouraged to run, jump, climb and balance. During this time, children are taught to be aware of space and other children around them, helping them to avoid accidents. Practitioners actively promote children's physical wellbeing.

Leaders and staff have established clear routines around personal hygiene. Children are encouraged to meet their personal needs with independence while also being reminded of clear hygiene habits. Healthy food is served for snack, and children are praised for eating the healthy food items in their lunch box.

Emotional health is well supported. Children's feelings are recognised and acknowledged. Children with additional emotional needs are comforted with cuddles and reassurance. Strong emotional bonds between children and staff are evident. Establishing clearer changeover routines will ensure that children stay away from the door when children who attend in the afternoon are arriving and those who attend in the morning are leaving.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders experienced a difficult start when opening this pre-school. The original manager ended their employment very shortly after opening. This created great difficulty for leaders. However, they have since successfully built a well-qualified, experienced and committed staff team. Staff speak of feeling well supported in their professional development, as well as in their personal wellbeing. They enjoy working in the pre-school and express pride and enjoyment for their work.

Leaders are clear in their vision to create a calm setting where children feel valued, secure and happy. Children are placed at the heart of decision-making and choices. They equip staff to achieve this through robust inductions, regular meetings, purposeful supervisions and some training opportunities. Leaders are proud of their child-centred approach and are keen to continue to build on this.

Policies and procedures are embedded in practices at the setting, including the recording and monitoring of all accidents and incidents. This is used to adjust risk assessments where necessary. Leaders ensure that there is daily contact with parents and/or carers and know their families well. They are actively working towards improving interactions with external professionals and acknowledge that this will further improve their provision, with particular focus on those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or other barriers to learning. Training is not always matched specifically to children's needs. Leaders do not always gather information from other early years settings children attend and are not persistent in engaging with other professionals to support children's learning more effectively.