Monkey Puzzle Streatham Common Day Nursery

Inclusion: Expected standard

Staff have a thorough understanding of each child's interests and objectives in their rooms. They establish clear communication with each other to be able to support children's individual needs. Leaders support staff to accurately check children's starting points and ongoing milestones through available tools. This helps staff to assess how children progress, identify any gaps in their learning and set appropriate targets.

Leaders and staff put additional strategies in place to ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities have the same level of access to daily learning experiences as other children. For example, leaders and staff create social stories to enable children to understand their routine at the setting better and use visual props to signal what happens next.

Leaders and staff collaborate closely with families to determine when children may need additional support. They use their professional knowledge to implement strategies and utilise their close links with the local authority to seek external help when it is necessary.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders evaluate their curriculum to systematically work on closing any gaps in teaching and improve the outcomes for all children. Staff offer a calm and nurturing environment for children so that they can feel secure and explore. For example, babies can practise their coordination as they walk and also balance play food on a tray.

Staff teach independence skills to children in each classroom. For example, preschool children take part in the daily tasks, such as setting up the table for mealtimes. They are confident at serving their own meals and dressing up for the garden. Children are physically active, both indoors and outdoors, to develop their motor skills.

Children learn new language skills through singing, storytelling and repetition. For example, staff integrate mathematical concepts such as quantities, shapes, heaviness and lightness into conversations with children. All children, including babies, begin to develop a love of reading. They bring books to their key persons to read for them and listen to them attentively. Staff support children's literary interests by linking a book to each of their activities.

Staff offer a variety of inviting activities where children have fun and learn as they play. However, in the toddler room, some large-group activities do not always capture the interest of all children. At these times, staff do not continuously recognise children's interests and learning needs.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children make appropriate progress from their starting points and achieve their individual next steps, including children who face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. Children gain relevant skills as they progress through the classrooms. For example, children become increasingly independent in recognising their water bottle, drinking from an open cup and serving their own water.

Children develop good language and communication skills through singing and reading. They have daily opportunities to speak with adults and peers at the setting. Therefore, children gradually begin to engage in lengthy conversations and become confident speakers. This supports them as they move on to the next stage in their learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Children have positive attitudes towards learning and trying new skills. Parents comment positively about children's development and their eagerness to attend the setting. Staff teach children how to become increasingly independent through routines. For example, older children independently set up the tables, serve their meals and help staff with tidying up at lunchtimes.

Staff are positive, kind and respectful role models who regularly set clear expectations for children's behaviour and praise them. As they read to children, staff encourage children to repeat storylines to resolve conflicts, and children hug themselves to say 'I love myself'. This supports children's confidence and social skills as they play collaboratively. Leaders put in place effective strategies to promote and track the daily attendance of children.

Leaders reflect on their current routines to make adjustments so that children's individual needs are well supported. Staff ensure that any changes in the routines are to facilitate effective learning opportunities for children with barriers to their learning. For example, they implement visual timetables and create individualised social stories to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders understand the importance of babies' attachments with key persons. Staff's warm and welcoming attitudes enable children to form good relationships. A well-thought-out 'buddy system' and sharing of information helps all staff to know each child well and supports them when the main key person is not present. As a result, children feel happy, secure and free to explore and learn in the nursery.

Leaders work towards helping children establish healthy eating habits. For example, children explore how vegetables grow and learn about the nutritional values of those vegetables. Additionally, staff teach children how to keep themselves safe from harm as they play and during their regular outings.

Children begin to develop an understanding of their emotions through discussions, activities and storytelling. They feel secure enough to express their thoughts and feelings with peers and adults, and staff are responsive to support children through these feelings.

There is a strong emphasis on keeping babies and children safe while they eat and sleep. Leaders have embedded an effective system to manage children's allergies with information place mats. This helps staff identify the children's dietary requirements quickly and teaches children to become independent in recognising their own needs.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders understand the strengths of the nursery, and they have a clear plan for further development. They work closely with staff and parents of the setting to continuously identify and improve standards in the best interests of children. This reflective practice has a positive outcome overall for children's learning and wellbeing. Leaders recognise that they are on a journey with embedding recent changes in their curriculum and practice. For example, they recently made changes in the layout of the baby room to enable more space for babies to crawl and pull themselves up so that babies can progress better in their physical development. Leaders focus on continuing to support staff in their skills and knowledge to embed all changes fully.

Staff speak positively about the professional support and learning opportunities they receive from the leaders and express their contentment working at the setting. Leaders create a welcoming and collaborative environment for families so that they can raise their questions and concerns directly with those who can make a difference. Additionally, they establish strong partnerships with external professionals and seek their advice to support children's individual needs, including for children who face barriers to their learning.