Maggie's Day Nursery Polegate

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders and staff identify the needs of all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff routinely assess and monitor children's progress through observations, and plan appropriate activities to meet their individual needs. Staff complete relevant training, such as recognising the potential signs of autism. They seek advice from outside agencies to support children to achieve and reduce barriers to learning. For example, staff make use of suggestions from other professionals to support children with communication and language difficulties.

All staff have established positive links with families. There are consistent strategies used at home and in the nursery to support children, such as toilet training and the use of dummies. Regular use is made of visual prompt cards and time lines to support children with barriers to their learning.

Leaders use additional funding effectively. Resources are purchased to support children's interests in nature, allowing children to watch the growth and development of ladybirds, eventually releasing them into the garden. Other resources to encourage children's independence in managing their personal care have been bought.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have introduced a new planning format to ensure that the curriculum is embedded and gives equal weight to all areas of learning. Staff use assessments to ensure they plan suitable activities to support children's learning. Children are focused and engaged in their learning. However, at times, staff do not provide opportunities or additional resources for children to extend their learning, including their communication and language skills. Consequently, there are occasions when children do not effectively build on what they already know and can do.

All staff know the children well. Next steps are identified for each child and displayed so that all staff are aware of what children need to know next.

Overall, staff support children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to develop their communication and vocabulary skills. For example, staff work at the child's level to enable them to observe the movement of the mouth. Staff speak clearly, modelling correct pronunciation. The youngest children enjoy singing rhymes and simple songs with actions, which they participate in. Children benefit from the use of signing and visual prompts.

Staff support all children to develop skills to help prepare them for school. For example, children are encouraged to manage their feelings, take turns and follow routines.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children make expected progress from their starting points, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those in receipt of additional funding. Children are not consistently supported to make the best possible progress in every area of their learning because staff do not routinely extend and build on what children know and can do. For example, staff do not consistently provide additional resources for children to choose from to support their mark making in the sand. Younger children participate in the singing of rhymes, performing the actions with enthusiasm. Older children enjoy listening to stories but are not routinely given opportunities to discuss the characters and their actions to help to support their understanding and sequence of events.

Children develop skills to support them to be ready for their next stage of learning, such as school. For instance, children confidently communicate their thoughts and needs. Overall, children who need help with communication and language skills are supported to make progress in relation to their starting points. Children build towers with bricks, developing the mathematical language of comparison.

Children have a clear understanding of expectations in the nursery and at school. For example, children are cooperative, share and take turns without reminders. They have a clear understanding of routines and follow these.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

All staff are extremely positive role models and have high expectations of children's behaviour and attitudes. Children respond to these expectations without question. Children confidently inform adults about a sequence of activities; 'we wash our hands, have snacks and then go outside to play'. This is very clearly demonstrated when children independently form an orderly queue, without reminders, to wash their hands with no disruption or argument.

All children fully understand and follow the rules without question. For example, they know to put their plates and bowls in a designated place after eating. Older children provide good examples of the expectations for younger children. They willingly cooperate when tidying up, clearly understanding the routine. Outside, older children are careful and considerate around the younger children, taking care not to bump into or hurt them. They engage in ball games together, taking turns to throw and catch.

Children play well together and take pleasure in each other's company, as well as enjoying interacting with staff. They pass each other resources and take turns to add another sand castle to the tower. Relationships are warm and trusting between staff and children. They chat together amicably at mealtimes about their activities and experiences, both in and out of the nursery. Children happily go to adults for reassurance, hugs and to share their ideas. Leaders conduct monthly audits of absences and accidents to identify any patterns. They immediately follow up any unexplained absences.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

All children are happy and confident. Staff successfully create a safe and welcoming space, which helps to ensure that children feel secure and enables them to make progress in their learning. Staff ensure that all children are engaged in enjoyable activities. Modelling dough is a favourite of the children, hence, staff ensure it is available, providing opportunities for children to develop strength in their fingers in preparation for writing. The youngest children love to explore the different textures of the balls in the ball pit, such as smooth and furry.

All children have a key person, supporting them in feeling safe and secure. They explore emotions through the use of books, helping them to recognise and deal with feelings, such as anger. At mealtimes, children look at the pictures of the caterpillar and discuss which of the different foods the caterpillar eats are healthy. Children are clear that cakes and biscuits are not good for their teeth. Sleep and personal care routines are well managed throughout the setting. Staff work with parents to ensure consistency between home and nursery in terms of toilet training and weaning.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders are evaluative and reflective on practice. They identify areas they wish to develop, for instance the enhancing of provision for literacy. Leaders encourage all staff to share ideas as to how provision can be improved to meet the needs of all the children. They celebrate the changes they have made, such as the development of planning to ensure effective coverage of all areas of learning and next steps for children. This contributes to the steady progress children make in their learning. Children who attend another setting are settled, happy and make progress. Staff talk to the setting they attend and ensure a consistency of approach to children's learning and care.

Staff wellbeing is supported effectively and leaders ensure staff workload is manageable. Staff have access to training to support their own interests as well as enhancing their practice. They benefit from monthly meetings to discuss their practice, and how to improve, training and wellbeing needs. Leaders and staff successfully establish a positive partnership with parents. For example, they keep them fully informed of their children's learning and next steps through the online facility. Parents and staff work well together to establish a common approach to goals, such as toilet training and the use of dummies, eliminating confusion for the child.