Little Men and Misses Children's Day Nursery @ Frankley Beeches

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders and staff use their detailed knowledge and breadth of experience to expertly identify children's needs and barriers to learning early on. They know children and their families extremely well. They use information from what they know about individual children alongside their in-depth knowledge of child development to prioritise and enable sharply focused additional support where needed. Reasonable adjustments and sensitive adaptations are implemented promptly. This means that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities as well as where there are barriers to learning, fully access learning opportunities and make substantial progress from their individual starting points.

Leaders and staff effectively establish close relationships with families and professional links with external experts. They make timely referrals and access funding and specialist advice swiftly wherever they need it. This enables staff to provide appropriate interventions and adapt practice to meet children's changing needs. Leaders have a deep understanding of the wider barriers that some children face. They know and understand that not all children have, for example, access to outdoor spaces or a wide range of experiences beyond the nursery. They work sensitively with parents and carers to ensure consistent attendance, which has a direct impact on children's development.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders and staff use their extensive knowledge of the children and their understanding of how young children learn to create a well-designed and progressive curriculum. They intuitively change the routine, expectations and the curriculum to successfully acknowledge children's individual needs and stages of development. As a result, children make excellent progress in their development across all areas of learning. Staff skilfully adapt their communication and interactions to fully support the individual needs of the children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Children make strong and, in some cases, rapid progress from their starting points. This is because staff use their extensive child development knowledge to make informed and focused decisions about what children need to do next. This can be very much in the moment or as part of an established, thorough assessment process. Meaningful and sharply focused next steps are prioritised for each child.

Leaders and practitioners place great emphasis on children's communication and language. They expertly develop children's language skills and their love for reading. For example, practitioners immerse children in an environment that is rich in communication-friendly spaces, stories, rhymes and high-quality conversations. Children, including children with SEND, choose their favourite books to share with their friends.

Children's physical development is of high priority and is supported through a range of activities, both indoors and outdoors. Children challenge themselves as they try to balance across low-level beams placed across tyres in the garden. They concentrate and really focus on fixing 2 or more wooden pieces together using play dough as the 'glue'. Younger children confidently paint a picture using different-sized brushes dipped into paint.

Achievement: Strong standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those where there are barriers to learning, are very well prepared for their next stage of learning. They make consistent, secure and on occasion rapid progress from their starting points in all 7 areas of learning. All children are extremely motivated and show an eagerness and enthusiasm for learning. Their communication develops very well as they enjoy favourite stories and talk confidently with their friends and adults.

Children build on their knowledge and skills because they confidently access a wide range of carefully considered, effectively planned and stimulating learning experiences. For example, where children show an interest in using small wooden shapes to build structures, their thinking and problem-solving skills are nurtured because staff promptly make other materials available to help them fix pieces together. This helps children's mathematical understanding and development. Children constantly make decisions and choices about what they do and enhance their independence skills at every opportunity. For example, all children serve themselves their lunch and pour their own drinks throughout the day. This means that children are very well prepared for their transition to school.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Children behave extremely well. They know and understand the simple and straightforward routines of the nursery. This helps form the foundation of a community where leaders, staff and children are respectful, listen to and care for each other. Staff create a harmonious and respectful culture in this nursery where children manage their own feelings and behaviour successfully. Children are intuitively caring and kind towards others. They are fully supported by staff who provide high-quality teaching and have a respectful acknowledgement that children learn best through play and exploration. This helps children have a consistently positive and meaningful attitude to learning. This successful and well-thought-out approach benefits all children, including those who may be disadvantaged.

Children are eager to learn and play, as they arrive at nursery keen and interested, greeting staff and their friends with big smiles. They develop considerate, trusting friendships and play collaboratively together to solve a problem. Staff provide them with lots of opportunities to become deeply involved in their play and learning, and this helps them make sense of the world around them. Children have high levels of self-esteem and confidence.

Leaders and staff carefully monitor children's attendance. They work collaboratively with parents and carers to identify any issues and resolve barriers to regular attendance. They emphasise the importance of attending the nursery consistently. This helps to significantly improve children's attendance in preparation for starting school.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders and staff very successfully create a warm, welcoming and inclusive environment for children that fully reflects the family values ethos of the nursery. Leaders and staff are expert at acknowledging the individual needs, circumstances and uniqueness of every child and their families. Every adult knows every child very well, and this means that children are celebrated as individuals. Children have warm and caring relationships with their key person and other staff. This helps to ensure that they are confident to explore and investigate their environment.

Leaders reflect on their provision frequently to best support the children and families attending. For example, staff think carefully about transition markers for individual children so that they move to the next room at a time that is suitable for them. As a result of this continual reflection on children's wellbeing, children are happy, confident, settled and thriving.

Leaders and staff very successfully nurture and encourage children to be confidently independent throughout the day. Children are self-sufficient during mealtimes and enjoy a highly nutritious and balanced menu of meals and snacks. Any dietary requirements are carefully accommodated. Children relish their time in the outdoor space, where they have excellent access to fresh air and lots of space to enjoy physical play.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders are passionate about what they do. They take every opportunity to nurture and support all children. They are completely dedicated to improving outcomes for all children and have a deep understanding of what will benefit the provision. There is a sharp focus on securing excellence for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and where there are barriers to learning. Leaders successfully embed a culture of professionalism and high expectations, which all staff share.

Leaders' extensive oversight of the nursery provides them with clear information that they use to plan how they want the nursery to develop as part of the community. They know the area the nursery serves well and make sure that any information is known about and understood by all staff. There is a progressive ethos around promoting healthy lifestyles and sustainability. Leaders and staff work closely together to ensure these values are implemented through the curriculum and routine very effectively every day.

Leaders support their staff team extremely well through well-considered supervision and appraisal processes and extensive professional development opportunities. Staff say they feel completely valued and supported in their role. When staff need specific training, leaders provide bespoke training within the company or seek out training to meet their development needs. Apprentices and staff studying for higher level qualifications are afforded time and support.

Leaders and staff consolidate a strong partnership with parents and are making consistent efforts to engage with those who are harder to reach. This includes close attention to promoting secure attendance. Communication is extensive, open and honest, and this helps ensure children are expertly supported.