Little Nippers Childcare Ltd

Inclusion: Expected standard

Children's needs are identified promptly and monitored regularly. Leaders and staff routinely review the support provided to ensure that it accurately reflects each child's current progress and next steps in learning. They know children well and work effectively with families and other professionals to ensure that each child receives the specific adaptations they need to make progress from their starting points. As a result, children with additional needs and those known or previously known to children's social care are provided with the tools and support required to access the wider curriculum, and typically make good progress. Leaders and staff maintain high expectations for all children and ensure that additional needs do not become a barrier to participating fully in the curriculum.

Leaders ensure that staff receive relevant and up-to-date training to meet the specific needs of the children they support. For example, staff have recently undertaken training in communication and language interventions, enabling them to better support children's individual communication and language needs.

Children benefit from one-to-one and small-group specialist support sessions. For example, children who require additional support with mathematical concepts access focused teaching in a carefully planned learning space. This helps to minimise distractions and enables staff to provide targeted support that meets children's individual learning needs.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have a clear and accurate oversight of the curriculum and the quality of teaching. They continually reflect on and refine the experiences they provide, ensuring that these are informed by current research and have a positive impact on children's learning and development. The curriculum is carefully sequenced so that children develop and build on their skills throughout their time at the setting. For example, babies develop an enjoyment of stories and songs, as staff regularly sing nursery rhymes and share books with them. As children grow older, they build on these early experiences, with pre-school children confidently retelling and acting out familiar stories.

Staff support children's language development through high-quality interactions. For example, staff narrate babies' play, helping them to hear and understand new vocabulary. As children move into the toddler room, staff extend single-word responses into longer sentences and model more complex language, supporting children to develop their communication skills over time.

However, opportunities to engage and extend the learning of quieter children during independent play are not always consistently maximised. As a result, occasions to further develop these children's thinking and learning are sometimes missed.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children, including those with additional needs, typically achieve well across all areas of the curriculum from their individual starting points. They demonstrate confidence when exploring new activities and draw on prior learning to help them succeed. For example, babies are introduced to a range of musical instruments and learn how to shake and tap them to create sounds. They quickly apply this learning independently and show great pride in their achievements. Babies smile, seek out familiar adults and respond positively to praise, demonstrating their growing confidence and sense of accomplishment.

Children are well prepared for their next stage of learning. They are supported to become confident communicators and independent learners, enabling them to approach new experiences with confidence and resilience. As a result, children develop the knowledge and skills they need for future learning. They confidently draw on what they already know, make links between their experiences and demonstrate a positive attitude towards learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders have created a positive and welcoming environment in which children feel safe, secure and valued. Children settle quickly and develop a strong sense of belonging within the setting. They form warm and secure relationships with staff, which helps them to develop confidence and engage positively in their learning. Leaders and staff are committed to inclusive practice and make appropriate adaptations to support children who may face barriers to their learning, helping them to access activities, build confidence and make progress from their starting points.

Staff typically have high expectations for children's behaviour and usually support them to understand routines and expectations. As a result, children behave well and are increasingly able to manage their own feelings and behaviour. They respond positively to gentle reminders from staff and show kindness, respect and consideration towards others. Children demonstrate positive attitudes towards their learning and engage well in the activities on offer. For example, toddlers confidently tidy away resources at transition times and eagerly join group activities, demonstrating that they understand and follow established routines. This helps children to develop independence and successfully manage everyday transitions throughout the day.

Leaders understand the importance of regular attendance and the positive impact this has on children's learning and development. They monitor attendance closely and work effectively with families to promote good attendance habits. As a result, children attend regularly and benefit from the consistency of routines, relationships and learning opportunities available to them.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders place a clear focus on promoting children's welfare and wellbeing. They have established care practices and routines that support children's emotional security, health and independence. These are implemented effectively by staff, who are respectful of children's individual needs and use care routines as valuable opportunities to build warm and secure relationships with children. For example, they smile, sing and interact gently with babies during care routines, helping them to feel safe and reassured. Staff also encourage older children to develop their independence. They model how to complete tasks, such as washing their hands, and provide visual prompts to help children follow care routines independently. Leaders and staff ensure that children with additional needs are supported effectively. Adaptations to care routines and the environment are carefully considered to meet children's individual needs, enabling them to participate comfortably and confidently in all aspects of the day.

Staff form very secure and positive relationships with children. They are responsive to children's individual needs and ensure that all children, including those with additional needs, feel valued, included and emotionally secure. Babies typically seek comfort from familiar adults and are quickly reassured when needed. Older children demonstrate high levels of confidence and emotional security, readily engaging with staff and their peers throughout the day. Children typically follow the routines of the day. However, transitions between mealtimes and learning experiences are not always sufficiently well organised. As a result, some children spend longer than necessary waiting between activities, which can affect their engagement and emotional wellbeing.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders have a clear vision for the setting. They regularly evaluate and reflect on the needs of children, ensuring that staff have the knowledge, training and resources required to meet their evolving needs effectively. Staff report that they are regularly provided with training opportunities and speak positively about the guidance and support they receive from leaders. Leaders accurately identify strengths and areas for development and take appropriate action to improve the quality of care and education. As a result, children benefit from a provision that continues to meet their needs.

Parents speak positively about the setting. They describe staff as friendly and approachable and report that they build strong relationships with children. Parents state that children's needs are identified quickly and that staff work in partnership with families to provide effective support and promote positive outcomes for children. Leaders and staff work in partnership with parents to promote consistency between home and the setting. They communicate regularly to ensure that routines and support strategies are aligned, helping children to feel secure and settled. Consequently, parents report that their children are safe and well cared for.