Little Plums Nursery Long Eaton

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders foster a caring and inclusive culture, where children's individual needs are identified promptly through observation, assessment and close partnership with families. Staff demonstrate a secure understanding of children's developmental starting points. They use this information to recognise children's emerging needs quickly, including those linked to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Individual support plans are used effectively, and the setting's approach to supporting additional needs is embedded well in practice.

Generally, staff adapt the curriculum appropriately and break children's learning into small, achievable steps so that children can access activities successfully and make steady progress in their development. Visual resources and cues are used effectively to help children understand routines, know what is happening now and what will happen next, and support emotional regulation and independence.

Leaders and staff work closely with external professionals to seek advice, guidance and additional support where needed. They ensure that strategies are informed by specialist input and tailored to individual children. Leaders use funding appropriately to provide additional resources and adaptations that support children's access, inclusion and development. Children known to social care and those experiencing difficulties at home receive sensitive and responsive support. Leaders demonstrate professional curiosity and effective partnership working with safeguarding agencies.

Staff plan children's transitions to school well. They give children opportunities to talk about their feelings, develop familiarity with routines and expectations, and ask questions about moving on. Staff work effectively with receiving schools to share relevant information and promote continuity in children's learning and care.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have established clear intentions of what they would like each age group to achieve as they move through the nursery. These demonstrate how the curriculum is sequenced towards the end goal of developing independent, curious and articulate children, who are ready for their move to school. The curriculum is generally planned around this intent, with play-based experiences and activities that reflect children's interests and developmental needs.

Staff generally implement the curriculum well, planning engaging opportunities that build on what children already know and can do. Assessment is used appropriately to identify children's emerging needs, and staff demonstrate a secure understanding of children's individual next steps, enabling them to adapt activities and experiences to support progression. Staff know the children well and use this knowledge to provide a broad range of learning experiences across all areas of learning. Children's personal, social, emotional and physical development are prioritised effectively through nurturing routines, practical experiences and opportunities for exploration.

Adaptations are made to support children with additional needs, enabling them to access learning alongside their peers. Children enjoy looking at books independently and sharing stories together. When staff read, they do so with confidence and animation, capturing children's interest effectively. Children benefit from access to a lending library that promotes reading at home. However, books and stories are not yet used strategically enough across the curriculum to consistently build children's vocabulary, deepen understanding and strengthen links between texts and wider learning experiences. This requires a sharper focus.

Children enjoy positive relationships with staff and show they are happy and feel secure within the environment. However, adult interactions do not consistently maximise opportunities to extend children's communication and language development. At times, staff do not routinely narrate play or model language to support children's understanding, and questioning is not always purposeful enough to deepen children's thinking or extend their vocabulary.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children make steady progress across the curriculum from their individual starting points and develop the knowledge and skills needed for later learning. Babies make progress in their physical development as they learn to pull themselves up, cruise around furniture and explore their environment with increasing confidence. They begin to develop early communication skills as they babble during songs, respond to rhythm and use gestures to communicate their needs.

Toddlers build their independence and problem-solving skills as they explore activities, such as filling, pouring, transporting and engaging in sensory play. They learn to take turns, share resources and begin to develop friendships through supported play experiences.

Pre-school children develop increasing confidence in expressing their ideas, managing routines and engaging in imaginative play, for example, when creating play dough pizzas with toppings of their choice. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing barriers to learning make steady progress because staff adapt experiences and provide targeted support to meet their needs. Children develop the personal, social, emotional and practical skills needed for their next stage of learning and are ready for their transition to school, when the time comes.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders have established a calm and nurturing environment, where expectations for behaviour are clear and appropriate for children's ages and stages of development. Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure, showing positive attitudes to learning and confidence in exploring the environment. Warm and caring relationships between staff and children are evident across the setting, with children seeking comfort and reassurance from familiar adults, when needed, particularly in the baby room where children confidently snuggle with staff if unsure of visitors.

Staff support children to learn how to take turns, share resources and play cooperatively with one another. For example, during sand play, toddlers are supported to take turns using scoops and containers, with staff modelling sharing and encouraging children to wait while others complete their turn. Children with additional needs are supported well through adapted strategies, including the use of visual cues to help them understand expectations, routines and transitions throughout the day.

Leaders and staff work effectively with families to support behaviour and establish routines, where additional support is needed. Attendance is monitored closely, and leaders take proactive steps to work with families where concerns arise, including adapting session times to improve attendance and engagement for individual children where appropriate. As a result, children develop increasing independence, confidence and the personal skills needed to manage routines and prepare for future learning.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Children's welfare and wellbeing are securely promoted across the setting. Leaders have created a calm, inclusive environment, where children are supported to feel safe and emotionally secure. Staff build positive relationships with children, and key persons provide consistent care that supports children's developing sense of belonging and confidence.

In the baby room, highly nurturing interactions and a rich sensory environment support secure attachments and emotional wellbeing. Babies show clear signs of trust in familiar adults, often seeking comfort and reassurance. Care routines are responsive and well matched to individual needs, helping babies feel safe, settled and emotionally secure throughout the day.

Children access a broad range of engaging activities that support exploration, physical development and healthy lifestyles. They confidently use the outdoor environment, running in the garden, climbing steps, sliding, crawling through tunnels and walking across balance beams and stepping stones. These experiences promote coordination, balance and resilience effectively. Children are also beginning to develop an understanding of healthy lifestyles and food production, showing delight when talking about growing vegetables that they will later eat.

Children are supported to begin to recognise and express their emotions, with practitioners providing calm and reassuring interactions that help them regulate feelings and build confidence. Relationships across the setting are supportive of children's wellbeing. Parents report very positive relationships with staff and feel well informed about their children's care and development, contributing to a shared understanding of children's needs and progress.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders have a clear and accurate understanding of the setting's strengths and areas for development. They have successfully designed and implemented an ambitious curriculum that staff know and generally understand well. Recent changes within a relatively new staff team have been well managed, with a strong focus on safer recruitment and the completion of mandatory training, helping to establish a secure and compliant foundation for practice. Professional development is in place but is not yet sufficiently targeted to refine specific aspects of practice, such as the quality of adult-child interactions. Leaders are aware that this is an area for further development and are beginning to focus improvement planning more precisely on the quality of teaching and learning.

Leaders take appropriate decisions in the best interests of all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and additional vulnerabilities, ensuring that effective support is in place where needed. They also demonstrate consideration of staff wellbeing and workload, particularly in the context of a developing team.

Partnership working with parents is positive, with leaders maintaining open communication and accessible relationships. Leaders show commitment, reflective capacity and ambition to continue improving outcomes for all children.