'Little Thinkers' at New Horizons Portsmouth

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders and staff are swift to identify and assess children's needs. This enables children to get the right support at the right time. For instance, the nursery works with many other professionals to ensure that children receive expertise in areas including speech and language. Leaders and staff ensure that they routinely implement strategies provided by other professionals so that children receive consistent high levels of intervention. This has a positive impact on the progress that children make. However, at times, staff do not consider the most appropriate space for early intervention sessions to take place, such as attention and listening activities. For example, movement through the environment during sessions can distract children and staff, reducing their effectiveness.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face other barriers to learning and/or wellbeing are supported well by highly trained and supportive staff. Leaders and staff work sensitively with parents to break down barriers to children's overall wellbeing and learning. For example, they make suitable adjustments to aid children coming into the setting and ensure that particular times of the day feel more manageable, such as mealtimes. This has a positive impact on how children settle and enables them to feel safe and secure. Staff are well supported by leaders. They receive tailored training so that they can successfully meet the needs of their key children. This empowers staff to teach confidently, which has a positive impact on children's experiences.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders consider the context of their setting and design a curriculum that supports all children well. Leaders and staff ensure that children have enriched learning experiences, all of which have a focus on children's vocabulary and communication and language. For instance, children join in with group games, where they are excited to pick objects out of a box that match familiar stories. Staff ensure that their range of books is inclusive and accessible for children to take home and share with their families. They provide dual language books so that all families can enjoy story times together. This helps children develop a love of books and supports their social interactions well.

Staff understand the development of the children they teach. They work with families to understand children's homes and backgrounds and use this information well to inform learning experiences they provide, including plenty of access to the outdoors. Those working with the youngest babies offer nurturing interactions that support children's personal, social and emotional development well. Children smile and enjoy back-and-forth communication as they explore water play, settle comfortably on staff's laps for stories and sing their favourite nursery rhymes. Staff provide regular movement and dancing opportunities that strengthen children's large muscles. Children make wide, sweeping arm movements as they join in, helping to build their upper body strength and coordination. This supports early literacy by improving large physical movement for confident mark-making. Typically, staff weave mathematical ideas into children's play. For example, older children confidently explore colours, counting and shapes during some activities. However, this practice is not yet consistent across the whole staff team, meaning children's exposure to early mathematical concepts varies.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children develop well across all areas of development. Children's foundational skills in physical development, communication and language, and personal and social development are a particular strength. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who face other barriers to learning are provided with the required support and interventions to ensure that they receive the right support at the right time. Children are active learners and show high levels of curiosity in their play. They demonstrate good independence skills. The youngest babies self-select toys, while older children self-serve during mealtimes. They develop healthy habits, including washing their hands before meals and maintaining good hydration throughout the day. Children behave well and demonstrate a secure understanding of rules and boundaries. They build age- and stage-appropriate friendships and seek friends to enjoy experiences.

Children are well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Children receive robust transitions from room to room and to school. This helps their learning to continue during times of change. Children with SEND receive tailored support through transitions as leaders and staff work closely with their local feeder school.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders and staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. Children are supported to develop positive attitudes to learning and thrive with the well-established routines. For example, they eagerly take part in the range of activities on offer, both indoors and outdoors. Staff use calm language and gentle reminders to guide children when required. Children that need additional support to regulate their emotions are supported well, which enables them to continue to participate in activities of interest. Children build warm and trusting relationships with their key persons and familiar adults, who are positive role models. Children demonstrate kindness to one another and show enjoyment in being around one another.

Children are treated with respect. Staff seek their consent and value their responses during nappy changing and sleep times. The youngest children are soothed to sleep with lullabies and the comfort of their familiar adults. Children play collaboratively with their peers and often invite staff into their play. They demonstrate they feel safe and secure.

Leaders are proactive with monitoring attendance to keep children safe. They support individual families to make adaptations to children's attendance patterns when required so that children continue to access their early years education. This helps break down barriers for families. Leaders and staff demonstrate a commitment to gathering information from other settings that children have attended prior to joining. However, this is not yet consistent practice. As a result, key persons do not always have a comprehensive understanding of children's prior learning to enable them to be fully prepared before children start.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders and staff consistently place children's welfare and wellbeing at the centre of their care and education. They maintain robust oversight of all children as individuals and tailor support, care and interventions to meet children's needs both within and beyond the setting. For example, leaders work closely with key persons to share information, provide appropriate challenge and monitor children's progress. Leaders and staff advocate for children well, which has a significantly positive impact on their overall wellbeing.

Leaders and staff are highly responsive to children and their families' circumstances and ensure that children consistently receive the support they need. For instance, they work with families to remove barriers for children claiming additional funding, which improves children's experiences. They rapidly share information with other professionals and proactively request information from professionals to ensure children's safety. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face other barriers to learning and/or wellbeing are well understood and show enjoyment in play. Staff provide children with well-structured predictable routines that help them feel safe and secure.

Leaders proactively review and adjust policies and procedures to ensure children's safety and wellbeing. They ensure that staff are well trained in any changes they make. For instance, they have recently enhanced their safe sleeping practices. Leaders ensure that all children receive healthy meals while in attendance and are taught manners and hygiene practices well during mealtimes. Leaders have strengthened key-person procedures to ensure that all children are supported by warm, trusted adults who know them well. These improvements positively impact children's sense of security and enable them to thrive in the welcoming learning environment.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders have made excellent improvements since the last inspection. Those responsible for governance have worked closely with leaders to proactively assess strengths and identify areas for further development. This has led to many improvements that have a highly positive impact on children and staff. For example, leaders have adapted how staff receive feedback to strengthen support and drive further improvement. They have also enhanced the key-person system to support children better in the absence of their main key person and during transitions between rooms. This helps children to feel safe and secure.

Leaders are committed to supporting staff wellbeing. For example, staff report that they feel comfortable talking with leaders and that their ideas are valued. Leaders invest in staff's professional development, with some staff completing training to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities as well as those who face other barriers to learning and wellbeing. This helps staff feel empowered and confident in supporting individual children and improving outcomes. Leaders are also undertaking qualifications and training to further support apprentices in their development. This commitment is inspiring and has a positive impact on staff morale.

Leaders are highly effective when engaging with parents, including those harder to reach. They break down barriers and form professional partnerships that support children's overall health and development. The welcoming and supportive relationships help children to have a sense of belonging and thrive. For instance, leaders support families when completing documentation for external support for children. They work sensitively with families that require additional help and guidance, and this support is hugely valued by families.