Medua Bilingual Nursery

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders and staff work with parents from the start. They seek information which helps them to get to know children well and understand their needs. Staff use observations and ongoing assessments to track children's progress, including completing the progress check between the ages of two and three years. Staff swiftly identify any gaps in learning and address these to ensure children can continue to make the best possible progress.

Leaders work in partnership with other professionals and make timely referrals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those known (or previously known) to children's social care and those who face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. They keep parents updated with their children's progress and share ideas to continue learning at home.

Staff support children's communication and language development, and run targeted support sessions developed from training with the local authority. This encourages children to work with staff in small groups and focus on their communication. Leaders acknowledge this support is helping children to make progress. Additional funding is used to purchase resources that meet and reflect on children's individual needs. This helps to reduce any barriers to their learning.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders and staff have high expectations for all children. They plan and provide a broad curriculum which builds on children's prior knowledge and experiences. Staff show their understanding of child development. They know what they want children to know and learn, to prepare them for future learning and subsequent move to school. Staff use observations and identify children's next steps in learning. They plan activities to give children time to practise their skills and knowledge before moving them on. This ensures all children have a solid foundation to their learning.

Staff place a high emphasis on supporting children's communication and language development. They engage children in conversations, provide commentary and introduce new vocabulary. Staff adapt their teaching and support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities effectively. For example, they use visual clues, repeat words and support pronunciation to help their language skills. This supports children's emotional wellbeing. Children develop their physical and social skills as they ride bikes, build using bricks with their peers and draw with chalk. Staff encourage children to count as they play to extend their understanding of number. However, mathematics is not fully embedded throughout the curriculum to consolidate or extend children's learning further.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or with barriers to their learning, are making secure progress from their starting points. For example, children are extending their vocabulary and joining words together to talk in short sentences. This has supported children to develop their friendships and social interactions with their peers.

Children demonstrate their self-help skills as they wash their hands and put on their shoes. They engage in craft activities and master cutting with scissors, which strengthens their fine motor skills. Children proudly show their work and receive praise for their efforts, which builds on their self-esteem. Older children are confident to support their younger peers.

However, children are not consistently challenged or encouraged to problem solve before being supported or given the time to answer questions. This limits their opportunities them to develop the skills and build resilience to face new challenges independently.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders and staff have worked hard to address their previous actions from their last inspection regarding managing children's behaviour. All staff have worked with the local authority and completed training to increase their knowledge and develop their skills further. They have typically established a calm environment where staff deploy effectively to support children's learning across activities and the different areas. This ensures children are kept safe.

Staff develop positive relationships with children. They provide regular praise and encouragement and remind children of the nursery rules at a level of their understanding. This ensures children of all ages understand what is expected of them. All children behave well, they share resources, work with their peers and take turns. They listen to staff, use good manners and help with tasks like tidying away the toys. Children are supported to be independent with accessing their drinks, feeding themselves and peeling fruit at lunch time. Staff engage with children while they wait to come inside or queue for the bathroom. This ensures development continues during routines and supports children to have a positive attitude to their learning. Leaders and staff follow up on children's absences. They work with parents and other professionals to highlight the importance of punctuality and attendance to maximise children's learning and future success.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Staff place a high priority on children's welfare and wellbeing. They are generally attentive to children's individual needs and work with parents to stay updated on any changes. The effective key person system ensures children develop secure attachments, and feel safe and secure. Young children show they are confident to explore and return for cuddles or reassurance when needed. Staff teach children about different emotions and help them to understand the feelings of others.

Staff are proactive in supporting all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They position themselves to ensure children who need additional support can hear and understand. This enables all children to participate and take care of their personal needs with increased independence. Staff supervise children during mealtimes and while they are sleeping to keep them safe.

Staff promote the importance of following good hygiene routines and healthy eating. Children remember and talk about the nursery trip to the dentist and know why they need to maintain cleaning their teeth every day. Staff support children to learn about safety as they use scissors carefully. They guide children to be aware of others as they ride the bikes in the garden, helping them to avoid accidents.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Since the previous inspection leaders and staff have made significant improvements supported by the local authority. They have addressed the previous actions and recommendations to make improvements to their practice and in turn benefit the children. Staff have completed further training to support them in managing children's behaviour and policies are in place to ensure all staff deploy themselves effectively. This ensures children are kept safe and continue to learn through their play. Staff now promote a love of books and ensure they are kept in good condition for children to enjoy.

Leaders regularly monitor staff practice. Together with staff they reflect on their practice and the service they provide well overall. They generally identify areas of strengths and where further improvements can be addressed. All staff receive regular supervisions and set targets to make changes. They feel their wellbeing is supported and manage their workloads effectively. Leaders have established secure partnerships with parents and other professionals which supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those transitioning to school.