Little Owls Scunthorpe Ltd

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders create a strongly inclusive culture within the setting and the wider community. Staff know all the children in their care well. They build strong bonds with babies and children and accurately assess their needs and achievements. Staff swiftly identify any gaps in children's learning at an early stage and work closely with parents and senior staff to identify and plan for the next steps in the children's development. Leaders are rigorous in ensuring that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), disadvantaged and vulnerable children receive the prompt support they need to achieve their potential overall. For example, they support staff to access high-quality specific training and guidance from other educational and medical professionals. They carefully consider the use of additional funding, such as early years pupil premium funding, to improve outcomes and raise children's achievement, for example through providing toys closely matched to personal interests and sensory activities that reduce gaps in children's experiences.

Leaders have strategically reviewed all aspects of the provision to make sure that the environment supports a fully inclusive setting. For example, they have created a high-quality safe and quiet place for children, including those with SEND, who sometimes find larger classroom spaces challenging.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have established an imaginative and systematic curriculum that supports children to build on earlier learning from their individual starting points. Staff make effective use of assessment to meet children's needs, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged children. Leaders have effective induction procedures to support staff, several of whom are new to the nursery, to develop the knowledge and understanding to support children's learning and development overall. However, occasionally, some staff do not adjust their teaching sharply enough to fully embed new learning and deepen understanding. For example, sometimes, they do not vary their questions to check all children's understanding and occasionally resources are too complex or undemanding.

Staff in the baby room are well trained in early communication skills, safe sleeping, feeding and weaning to provide a secure foundation for future learning. Staff are knowledgeable and confident in building children's vocabulary and their knowledge of the world. For example, young children become inquisitive communicators as they handle different textures in their sensory play. Older children use zebra crossings and are aware of other vehicle uses in their physical role play.

Children's mathematical skills are systematically developed. For example, younger children learn to securely count and match quantities to 5. Older children use their strong knowledge of numbers to compare weights and balance scales with toy animals.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children make progress from their starting points and learn to express themselves clearly and with confidence. They benefit from regular opportunities to explore books and stories, which help them learn about the world around them. For instance, children learn about arctic conditions and the animals that live there through well-chosen stories. However, very occasionally, children do not make the very best progress they are capable of when teaching is not sharply matched to their needs, for example when the resources, such as flash cards or written numbers, are too difficult for children to understand and remember.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and other vulnerable learners make positive progress as they build their communication skills in small, manageable steps, including using Makaton and other communication strategies. They make progress that prepares them well for the next stage in their learning. Children benefit from support that helps them to build securely on what they already know and can do.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders and staff have high expectations for children's positive behaviour and attitudes throughout the nursery. Staff establish clear and consistent routines from the start that help to ensure babies and children learn to feel confident and assured in the nursery. Staff work closely with parents to reflect home routines, such as sleep and nappy changing procedures, to help babies and young children start their nursery life with confidence and security. Staff are consistently positive role models. They listen well to children, for example, and help children to make decisions about their play and learning. Children are very well behaved and show increasing awareness and care for others.

Staff plan systematically to help children who find it hard to recognise others' needs to share and take turns. For instance, babies learn to choose books together and understand that they cannot all be read at the same time. Older children take turns to mix and stir their sensory play buns outdoors. Staff work with parents to ensure that children attend regularly and are on time. There are well-established routines for staff and parents to communicate if there are any unexplained absences.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders establish an inclusive and caring ethos throughout the nursery. The support and care all children receive, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged and vulnerable children, is built on accurate assessments of their wellbeing needs. These processes precisely identify children's individual learning and development needs. Leaders ensure that the children's key workers and other staff receive carefully matched training to understand and support those who need additional help. All groups of children learn to be confident and happy as a result.

Staff strongly support and promote all aspects of children's welfare and wellbeing. For example, children's wellbeing is systematically enriched through regular dance and other physical activities that build children's strength and body control, nutritious snacks and healthy eating role play in the mud kitchen. Consequently, children learn the value of regular exercise and healthy food choices. They learn to wash their hands regularly before meals and after toileting. Staff provide guidance to parents to support many aspects of children's welfare, such as weaning, sleep and behaviour management. Staff make strong use of routines and rewards to help children achieve independence and self-awareness. Children know, for example, how to work together to leave their play area tidy before they start their next activity.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

The experienced and well-qualified leadership team has focused on creating a strongly inclusive, caring and engaging environment. Leaders have a clear understanding of the nursery's strengths and weaknesses. They have thoughtfully identified and started implementing a programme of professional development and support for newer members of staff. There are robust procedures to gather the views of parents, children and staff through, for instance, regular focused questionnaires and discussions to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of the nursery. Leaders and other senior staff work towards challenging actions, such as strengthening the good practice in inclusion and provision for babies, to have a sustained impact on children's achievement and wellbeing. They support this through strategic research, training and links with the local community. For example, they have developed increasingly sharply focused procedures based on high level training to monitor teaching and learning and increasingly address the identified inconsistencies and raise achievement to the highest standards for all staff.

Leaders value staff's wellbeing and welfare. They use staff's self-evaluation, induction procedures, regular supervision discussions, staff meetings and training days to support and motivate staff. As a result, staff morale is high, and they feel valued. The leadership has established good relationships with other agencies, such as educational psychological services and social services, to ensure all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged and looked after children, are prepared for their future learning.