Lodge Farm Nursery School

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders take comprehensive action to identify potential barriers early, drawing on whole family support and strong partnerships with local charities and specialist agencies. Leaders work consistently to explore every possible avenue of support, ensuring that children's needs, whether linked to disadvantage, special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or involvement with social care, are met swiftly and effectively.

Staff know children very well as individuals. They quickly spot changes, such as when a child adjusts to a change at home, and put tailored support in place that makes a tangible difference. Leaders track these children's progress meticulously. They review interventions regularly to ensure that they remain purposeful. For example, targeted physical development support led to rapid improvements within 6 weeks. This reflects leaders' commitment to early identification and action, ensuring children are well prepared for their next steps.

Leaders prioritise high-quality professional development and SEND training for all, including staff development opportunities with specialist providers. This empowers staff to meet children's needs confidently and consistently. Leaders provide extensive, effective support for families. They help with attendance, provide essential items, such as food bank tokens, and work closely with external partners to secure additional help. This approach ensures that children facing potential barriers to learning experience stability and sustain progress.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders typically have a clear understanding of the curriculum and how well it is taught. They monitor practice closely and use this insight to prioritise staff development. Staff plan a broad range of experiences that meet all areas of learning and respond to children's interests. They adapt provision to ensure fair access for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face additional barriers.

Leaders generally ensure that teaching is purposeful. Babies show an emerging love of literacy as they choose books and share them with staff, who model key words and build early communication. Staff narrate children's play confidently, but they do not always use enough open questioning. This limits opportunities for children to deepen their thinking and develop richer language.

Staff weave mathematical learning naturally through activities, such as matching wooden shapes or comparing quantities in forest school. They prioritise physical development, with children strengthening fine motor skills using small pipettes and water-spraying activities. Staff use observations to inform planning and respond to children's starting points. They use assessment information to identify what children know and can do, although this is not always used consistently to deepen learning. At times, children move quickly between activities, which means they do not always develop depth in their learning.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children show secure, age-appropriate skills across the 7 areas of learning. They communicate with growing confidence, making eye contact and sharing their thoughts with one another. Their early language development is evident as babies babble purposefully and older children describe what they notice. Children demonstrate curiosity and interest in the world around them. They look closely at what they see, such as when using binoculars to hunt for birds in forest school. They experiment confidently with physical play, ranging from sliding in different ways to building sandcastles and filling moulds.

Those who experience disadvantage or face barriers to learning make appropriate progress from their starting points. They develop increasing independence as they move through the setting, selecting resources and managing tasks for themselves, such as cutting their food. Children are suitably prepared for their next stage of learning, including school. They understand their emotions, express their ideas and approach new experiences with confidence.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders have created a highly positive environment where expectations for children's behaviour are clear, consistent and understood by all. As a result, children behave well across the setting. They show kindness, cooperation and respect, often helping one another without prompting. For example, they spray water so friends can rinse their hands or pass cutlery around the table. These everyday moments reflect an overall culture of care and collaboration shaped by leaders' focus on emotional understanding and shared routines. Staff use tailored approaches, such as personalised emotional support resources to help children understand and manage their feelings effectively.

Children form warm, trusting relationships with staff, which helps them feel secure and confident. They work together successfully, learning to take turns in the baby room, experimenting with water play as a team, and supporting each other during mealtimes. Their growing independence is evident as they serve themselves food and use their cutlery with increasing skill. The children wait patiently for others, demonstrating their developing manners and consideration.

Leaders promote attendance and punctuality well, working closely with families to establish consistent routines. This ensures that all children, regardless of needs or circumstances, are able to participate fully and thrive in the setting's calm, purposeful atmosphere.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Needs attention

Children form secure, trusting attachments with their key persons. Staff take time to understand each child's routines, preferences and home lives. Babies settle well because induction arrangements are thoughtful and responsive, and they consistently seek comfort and interaction from familiar adults. This reflects leaders' commitment to supporting children's early emotional wellbeing.

Children benefit from healthy meals and snacks and show enjoyment at mealtimes. As they move through the setting, they develop increasing independence, such as serving themselves food, using cutlery with growing skill and showing positive social behaviours at the table. They also gain an understanding of healthy lifestyles through regular outdoor play and familiar routines such as washing hands before lunch. Staff teach the children how to stay safe. For example, staff remind children to walk when indoors. Children sleep well in safe, comfortable sleep rooms where they are closely supervised.

However, some care practices need more attention. Children's personal needs are not always met promptly. For example, runny noses sometimes go unnoticed, and handwashing is not consistently thorough. This means children do not always learn to manage their self-care as well as they could. In addition, leaders' expectations for safe supervision at mealtimes are not yet applied consistently, which affects how well children are kept safe while eating.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders demonstrate a commitment to providing high-quality education and care, and they have taken prompt, effective action to meet the requirements from the previous inspection. As a result, safeguarding practice is now secure, with staff and leaders showing confident, comprehensive knowledge of their responsibilities. Leaders prioritise staff wellbeing, and staff consistently report feeling valued and well supported. This reflects leaders' thoughtful approach to workload and team culture.

Leaders place significant emphasis on professional development. Staff benefit from a comprehensive training programme that strengthens their practices, and many speak positively about the impact of this support. Leaders identify areas for improvement and take appropriate action. However, monitoring is not yet fully effective in ensuring that policies and procedures are consistently embedded in practice. For example, expectations for supervision at mealtimes are not applied consistently, which impacts on children's safety and wellbeing. The nominated individual provides clear oversight and drives the wider vision for the setting. Leaders are mindful of staff workload and wellbeing, which contributes to a positive and supportive team culture.

Leaders engage closely with parents and professionals, helping children settle quickly and preparing them well for transitions. Initiatives such as developing a lending library demonstrate leaders' commitment to enriching children's experiences and strengthening home learning. Parents value the support that they receive from the setting and feel well informed about their children's progress.