Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Tatsfield

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders and staff have established strong partnerships with parents, which have enabled them to ensure that they get to know all children very well. They further build on this secure knowledge of children through ongoing observations and highly effective partnerships with other agencies involved in children's care. Leaders and staff act promptly on any concerns they have about children's care or learning needs, ensuring that they implement any strategies that have been agreed with parents and other agencies. As such, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive consistent support in their development, which enables them to successfully close gaps in their learning.

Leaders sensitively consider any reasonable adaptations they can implement so that children's needs continue to be met. For example, they use lots of visual aids throughout the nursery. This includes 'now and next' boards for babies to develop an awareness of simple routines. They also use 'oops' cards when something unexpected happens. This is particularly helpful for children who struggle to deal with changes to their routine and supports them to manage these unforeseen events with increasing ease.

Leaders proactively anticipate factors in children's lives that may be a barrier to their learning, such as potty training and moving on to school. This includes creating home-learning bags with a variety of resources and equipment, including personalised books that children can read at home with their parents. This helps children to relate to the stories and activities, which has highly impactful and long-lasting results.

Leaders ensure that additional funding precisely targets gaps in children's development. For example, they consider ways to encourage children to develop a love of reading. This includes building on children's interests in outdoor learning to create an outside reading area. Children, including those who previously showed little interest in books, actively seek out this space and spend time looking through familiar stories. This ensures that children have opportunities to broaden their interests and skills, which helps to secure the best possible outcomes for their ongoing development.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders and staff implement a curriculum that overall supports all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to make secure progress. They carefully consider what children like, and their next steps in learning, to plan for their continued development. For example, they build on children's interests in potions to support them to develop a love of books. Children who previously showed little interest in literacy, actively seek out these stories and enjoy spending time looking at them independently. They learn to recall familiar parts of the story. This helps children to remain engaged and motivated to learn and builds on their range of skills.

Staff ensure that teaching is age and stage appropriate for the children they are supporting. For instance, they build on children's mathematical development through daily routines and play. This includes singing counting songs with younger children and encouraging older children to count the number of days in the month during group times. Staff generally recognise when children need a bit more help to embed or extend their learning. For example, they help children to develop confidence with number sequences. However, staff do not always check children's knowledge and understanding is secure, which means that they cannot be certain that children can recall what has been learned.

Achievement: Expected standard

Overall, all children make secure progress in their development and gaps in their knowledge and skills close quickly. This equips them well for the next stage of their learning, including their move to the next room within the nursery, and ultimately to school. Children are supported to practise and refine new skills with guidance from staff. For example, they spend time learning to assess and manage risks for themselves as they jump from a low platform. Children listen to instructions from staff, which supports them to show increasing control over their movements and begin to land safely on their feet.

Children build on their communication skills. For instance, when they are unable to express themselves verbally, they independently seek out visual cards to use with staff to show how they are feeling or if there is anything they need. Children join in with familiar words and actions during songs with staff. They hear staff pronounce words clearly, which further builds on their speaking skills.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders and staff typically support children to show positive behaviour and engage well in their learning. This includes establishing familiar routines, reminding children of the expectations for their behaviour and praising them when they do something well. Staff celebrate children's successes, such as when they give the correct answer during group activities. This helps them to develop a sense of pride in their achievements. However, at times, staff do not promptly step in to support children when their behaviour begins to escalate. For example, when children become overexcited, staff do not always consider ways to redirect their energy. This sometimes results in children taking longer to listen, and respond to staff instructions, when they ask them to focus on another activity. This does not fully support children to learn to regulate their behaviour.

Children are supported to identify and express how they are feeling. For instance, staff use visual cards so children can communicate their emotions. Staff also talk to children about different feelings, which helps them to develop an awareness of their own emotions and those of others. This promotes children's emotional wellbeing and supports them to develop positive relationships. Staff arrange the learning environment to support children to cooperate and play alongside their peers. For example, children work together during water play activities, sharing resources and contributing towards a common goal. This helps children to learn to work with others.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Overall, staff implement effective care practices that meet all children's needs, helping them to feel safe, secure and cared for. They supervise children well throughout the day, particularly during mealtimes and sleep times, which helps to keep children safe. Additionally, staff talk to children about keeping themselves healthy. This includes asking children to remember why and when they need to wash their hands. Children confidently share their thoughts and ideas, helping them to recall what they have previously learned. Staff also support children to learn to do things for themselves, such as serving their own meals and drinks. This helps children to develop their independence skills and learn how to care for their bodies. However, on occasion, staff do not consistently follow agreed procedures, such as when they support children to stand after a fall. At these times, staff practice is not in line with leaders expectations, which results in children's needs not being fully met.

Leaders work closely with families to promote good attendance and punctuality. They have implemented effective procedures to ensure that any concerns about children's attendance are addressed promptly. This supports children to benefit from consistent routines and experiences that contribute to their overall wellbeing and development.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders have notified Ofsted of a breach of requirements. Ofsted is satisfied with the action they have taken in response to this, and will not be taking any further action.

Overall, leaders provide staff with effective support to enable them to strengthen their knowledge and skills. This includes having regular meetings with staff and giving them feedback on their practice. Leaders also ensure that staff complete relevant training, such as professional qualifications and courses about building on partnerships with parents. This supports staff to strengthen their practice. However, at times, leaders do not always ensure that staff carry out their duties in line with the setting's policies and procedures, such as how to help children to stand up after they have fallen down. At these times, staff do not fully meet children's needs.

Leaders and managers strive to continuously improve. As such, they regularly evaluate the quality of the provision and consider ways to make further changes and improvements. For instance, they now have a forest school facility where children can benefit from further opportunities to learn about the world around them and learn a wealth of life skills to support their ongoing development.

Leaders ensure that partnerships with parents are secure. They work together to share relevant information to ensure that children receive effective support in their development. Leaders have created a variety of home-learning bags to support children's individual needs. They continually review these and consider other home learning that may be of benefit to children and their families.