Little PAWS Nursery School

Inclusion: Expected standard

The nursery offers a fully inclusive environment where every child is welcomed and included. The provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is especially effective. The school staff with specific responsibility for children with SEND have the highest expectations for every child, regardless of their care and learning needs. They work closely with nursery staff to identify and assess individual children's needs quickly and accurately.

Leaders and nursery staff work closely with parents to clearly understand children's personal needs. Support strategies are put in place promptly so that children are not at risk of slipping behind. The staff with specific responsibility for children with SEND have established positive working relationships with the local authority and other professionals so that children's learning needs can be planned for effectively. Comprehensive support plans are now in place for every child who needs it.

Funding is used carefully to target the highest priority areas. Additional resources are obtained, which are matched to children's care, learning and play needs.

Leaders have a shared commitment towards providing every child with the best chance to succeed. Overall, teaching is matched appropriately to every child's needs. Leaders have challenging strategic plans in place to support the ongoing development of teaching so that it consistently meets the needs of the most disadvantaged children, and gaps in learning close even more rapidly. They recognise that high-quality teaching is not yet fully embedded.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have created an ambitious curriculum that enables all children to build secure foundations for future learning. High priority is placed on developing children's literacy and mathematical skills. The schemes of work followed by the school start in nursery. This means children's progress in these areas is carefully monitored and continues into school.

Teaching is appropriately adapted for every child, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Activities have clear learning intentions, matched precisely to every child's planned next steps. All areas of the curriculum are fully inclusive and accessible to every child.

Staff encourage children to be active, confident learners. They build children's independence and enable children to make their own choices. Physical development is a key feature of the nursery and is reflected in the learning that takes place outside within the school's woodland area. Staff are trained in specialist teaching areas. They provide activities, such as building dens and handling tools, that help to build children's core muscle strength.

Staff weave mathematical concepts into planned and unplanned activities. As part of the 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears' story play, staff help children to count to 3 and compare different sizes.

Leaders accurately recognise that the new staff team still needs development, at times, to ensure that highly effective teaching and interactions with children are fully embedded throughout the routine.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children, particularly those who are known to be more disadvantaged or face other barriers to their learning, are making progress in their learning. Since starting at nursery, some children have made significant progress from their individual starting points, and gaps in their learning are closing rapidly. It is not yet possible to measure longer-term impacts as the nursery has only been open for 5 months.

Children build the confidence, independence and effective communication skills they need to be successful learners. Older children ask questions. They demonstrate how curious and interested they are, as staff encourage children to think in detail and recall previous learning. Babies and younger children delight in exploring new things and working things out independently.

Children form positive relationships with adults and make friends within the nursery. During group play, children listen to one another, take turns and show kindness towards others. These skills support them well for future learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Overall, children behave well. Leaders and staff have high expectations of children. They set clear boundaries and simple rules that children mainly follow with ease. Staff adapt their expectations appropriately to take account of every child's care and learning needs. Leaders recognise that, very occasionally, routines do not always run as smoothly as they could, and this has an impact on some children's behaviour.

Children show kindness and respect for others. This is modelled effectively by staff, who interact with children positively and remind children how to share, take turns and listen to others. When younger children struggle with sharing, staff gently help to resolve any minor issues.

The leadership team is dedicated towards promoting a strong family ethos within the nursery. Every child and family are known and valued, so children develop a strong sense of belonging. Links with parents are being developed quickly, and staff have worked hard to create a very positive partnership. Parents speak highly of the nursery and the positive impact it has on their children's learning. They say children ask to go to nursery on days they do not attend.

Leaders help parents understand the benefits of children's regular attendance at nursery. Any unexplained absences are quickly followed up by leaders to make sure children and families are safe.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Children benefit from warm, caring relationships with staff. Staff work closely with parents to fully understand each child's care and learning needs. Babies and younger children follow consistent sleep and feeding patterns to help them feel safe and secure. The key-person system works effectively. Parents confirm how well staff know their child's individual needs and characteristics.

Staff are kind towards all children. They fully support children who may have additional care and learning needs and implement respectful routines that are personal to every child. Children's health and wellbeing are given high priority. Children benefit from plenty of opportunities to be outside each day and to take part in active, physical play. Babies and children learn to move in different ways to support their healthy development. Staff teach children the importance of keeping safe, including when crossing the roads near the school. During outings to the nearby castle and library, staff talk to children about possible dangers to help them stay safe.

Staff work closely with parents to help them understand the importance of children's oral hygiene. When children visit the dentist, they take the nursery's 'Percy Penguin' with them to help them feel calm.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

The nursery is highly regarded by the school's senior leadership team as being intrinsically linked into the school community. The nursery values align seamlessly with the school's focus on ensuring that every child achieves well and has the best possible start to their learning journey. Although the nursery has only been open for 5 months, considerable improvements are already being seen in the progress individual children make, especially those who are potentially more disadvantaged and/or at risk of falling behind. The provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is a strength of the nursery. Strategic leaders play an essential role in the precise assessment of children's individual needs. They work closely with parents and other professionals at a very early stage to identify the help and support that will be most beneficial to each child.

Leaders have strong oversight of the quality of provision and are realistic in recognising what is working well. They precisely know where ongoing development is needed to strengthen the quality of provision overall, and incisive plans are already in place to address these areas. This is particularly in relation to strengthening the quality of teaching and supporting staff through personalised programmes of professional development.