Little Treasures Nursery

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders ensure that early baseline assessments are used to assess all children across the nursery. Children who are not making the progress expected are provided with timely interventions to ensure that support is implemented and shared with parents. Strategies are put in place to ensure that all children can communicate effectively. Staff regularly adapt their teaching, ensuring all children have access to the planned curriculum. Leaders use early years pupil premium funding resourcefully to support identified needs and to ensure that any adaptations are systematically and skilfully adjusted when needed. For example, leaders and staff spend time adapting the environment and purchasing equipment and resources that have a positive impact on children's inclusion and wellbeing.

Staff regularly receive advice from leaders to support all children, and particularly those who face barriers to their learning, to ensure their needs are met and they are making timely progress. Generally, individual plans are implemented and reviewed regularly in partnership with parents and external professionals, ensuring that children receive the support they need. The experienced and highly qualified staff share their expertise with staff and families continuously, rigorously monitoring whether the adaptations made are meeting the needs of individual children and revising this accordingly.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

The curriculum places a clear emphasis on supporting children's communication and language development, with an awareness that some children may have lower starting points when they enter the setting. Staff provide a range of songs, stories and conversations throughout the day to promote children's language development and foster an enjoyment of books. These experiences are embedded in the daily routines and interactions and take account of children's different starting points, including those who face barriers to learning and/or wellbeing.

Staff plan learning across the areas of development, including early mathematics and physical development, and provide opportunities for children to be active, both indoors and outdoors. Ongoing assessment is used to identify children's starting points and to help staff plan next steps in learning. However, less-experienced staff require further support to ensure that their teaching and interactions are consistently effective so that the curriculum intent is implemented consistently across the team. Leaders recognise this and continue to develop coaching, supervision and monitoring arrangements to strengthen consistency in curriculum delivery and teaching practice.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children benefit from a clear focus on the prime areas of learning and from positive relationships within the setting. Children have a wide range of daily opportunities to develop their physical skills and develop their communication and language. Babies smile and babble, toddlers join words together and older children talk confidently with adults and their friends. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning and/or wellbeing use a variety of strategies to support their communication. For example, children use 'now' and 'next' cards, which help them to understand and engage in routines throughout the day. Children make progress from their starting points, achieving small steps that build their confidence and self-esteem.

Children develop skills that help them for their next stage of learning, including transitions between rooms and moving on to school. Parents are engaged and supported with their child's next steps to school.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders contact families when children are late for nursery so that they understand why they have not arrived. They encourage families to bring children in even if they are late, so that their child does not miss out on the experiences available to them and access the full curriculum. Leaders monitor weekly attendance and use this information to adapt weekly routines for each cohort, allowing all children to get the most from their funded hours.

Staff speak to children calmly and firmly, highlighting clear behaviour expectations. Children follow the rules. For example, they know to line up at the door before going outside. Care practices, routines and positive relationships all contribute to an organised and happy nursery. Children play alongside each other, mostly cooperating and sharing resources, with the support of all adults. A visual timetable supports the older children to follow routines consistently. Skilled staff help children to focus their attention on what matters, for instance supporting young children to share a book together. During activities, staff use children's names to retain their attention. Staff support individual children to learn to manage their behaviour and are aware of the children who may find this difficult. Leaders have created a regulation room where children can go if they are finding the routines and behaviour expectations overwhelming.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Each child's key person knows their children very well and talks confidently about the progress they are making and what they need to learn next. Children demonstrate secure attachments through positive interactions, smiles and cuddles. Safe sleeping practices are observed, and staff check on children regularly. Parents provide packed lunches and drinks that are mainly healthy. Leaders ensure that parents can access information on the nursery website relating to portion sizes and nutritious meals for young children. However, these key messages do not yet support all parents. Leaders need to target children and families with positive messages about healthy lifestyles and diet so children can consistently make their own healthy choices.

Children's physical and emotional needs are securely met, with many opportunities for physical and active play. Staff respond promptly to meet children's individual emotional needs, working with each other to identify causes for upset, especially for children who may be disadvantaged. Leaders ensure that hygiene practices and children's care needs are meticulously and consistently met. Staff use personal care routines to interact effectively with individual children, singing rhymes and songs and explaining what they are doing. Staff support children to stay safe inside the nursery by clearly sharing rules and expectations. For example, children are asked not to run inside because they might bump into other children or fall and hurt themselves. Children respond positively to instructions and do as they have been asked.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Ofsted received a complaint that raised concerns about risk assessment and working in partnership with other professionals involved in children's care. We found the provider had failed to notify Ofsted of a significant event, which is a requirement of their registration. We found that following the incident, the provider took prompt action by completing an internal investigation and risk assessment. As a result, procedures were strengthened so the risk to children has been eliminated. We found that recent changes to the leadership team are having a positive impact on the setting's partnership working with other professionals and agencies, but this is not yet fully embedded. Leaders have since taken action to improve their knowledge of when to notify Ofsted. As a result, there will be no further action.

Leaders observe, support and coach staff to support the needs of the children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those with other barriers to their learning. However, this is not always targeted to support less-experienced staff. Leaders know their nursery well and talk about the strengths and areas they want to develop. They build positive relationships with families and communicate regularly with them, for example at the beginning and end of sessions. This supports parents and carers to know their child is happy and safe.

Staff feel valued, and their workload is manageable. Staff can contact leaders and each other for advice and support at any time. Leaders have temporarily adapted the days children can attend so all children are receiving their funded entitlement. This has had an impact on attendance and particularly supports children with SEND. Leaders work closely with local schools to support successful transitions for all children, which has a positive impact when they begin the next stage of their education. Leaders are generally very reflective and have made changes since their previous inspection. They now implement effective strategies to support children who speak English as an additional language and have introduced the Makaton communication method to further support children's early communication and language development.