Monkey Puzzle Welling

Inclusion: Expected standard

Overall, leaders and staff demonstrate a commitment to making sure that children thrive during their time at the setting. Leaders and staff swiftly identify children's emerging needs, taking immediate action when they identify children who may experience barriers to their learning. For example, when children show signs of being delayed in their speech, staff use more descriptive language and singing to increase children's exposure to words. When barriers to children's learning do not reduce swiftly through initial interventions, leaders forge collaborative relationships with other professionals, such as speech and language therapists, to provide further support. This results in all children making continued progress throughout their time at the setting.

Staff who lead on inclusion are passionate about their roles and have a notable impact on children's experiences during their time at the setting. They support colleagues to understand the referral processes for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, help to create targeted plans and model practice. The valuable guidance and ongoing advice they provide help all staff to meet children's unique needs.

Leaders and staff celebrate each child's individuality, working closely with families to build a clear understanding of every child's background and individual needs. This includes celebrating significant events, such as Diwali and Christmas, helping children to overcome any cultural barriers and understand traditions, songs and rhymes from cultures different to their own.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have designed a broad, balanced curriculum that is centred on the essential skills that children need to develop in the earliest years of their lives. For example, children are inspired to be creative, curious and inquisitive learners as they turn a cardboard box into a cave and act out a favourite story, 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt'. On occasion, staff do not take into account the needs of all children when they plan adult-led activities. For instance, staff do not always consider the interests and abilities of children who have just transitioned to the room. Consequently, teaching is not consistently impactful for all children, preventing them from making the best possible progress.

The curriculum prioritises physical, communication and personal, social and emotional development, weaving these core areas throughout children's daily routines. Staff adapt their interactions with children who may experience barriers to their learning, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They ensure that children with SEND can participate in meaningful experiences alongside their peers through these thoughtful adaptations.

Staff skilfully use observations to identify children's next steps in learning. They also use their findings to inform future practice, maintaining a reflective approach to continuously improve their teaching. Children typically engage well with the range of activities available and show enjoyment in their learning. Leaders focus on supporting children's independence and confidence across all rooms, which helps to strengthen practice further.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make steady progress from their starting points in most areas of learning. Children develop a secure understanding of mathematics. For example, younger children explore early mathematics through the number songs they sing. Older children grasp the concepts of 'more than' and 'less than' as they count their friends in the garden. The adapted interactions that staff have with children who may experience barriers to their learning allow all children to progress well.

Children make steady progress in their communication and language skills as they engage in conversations with their peers, asserting their own views. Children explore different ways to move their bodies, such as when they crawl, slide and jump around the garden. Children typically enjoy varied learning experiences and build important skills, ready for their future learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders and staff cultivate a welcoming environment where children's individual needs are met. Staff demonstrate a deeply kind and nurturing approach towards children, such as when they reinforce their expectations. For example, when children begin playfully pushing each other, staff politely remind them of the rules. This helps children to understand how the rules keep them safe, before staff guide their attention back to an activity that interests them. This contributes to the caring, respectful way that children generally speak to staff and their friends. Older children have many opportunities for collaborative play. For example, they learn the concept of turn taking as they let their friends have a turn to play with much-loved toys. Staff also support children to use resources together, helping them begin to understand the concept of sharing. Children typically behave well and demonstrate positive attitudes towards their learning. They are interested in, and happily engage with, the various resources available.

Routines are meticulously planned and followed, although they are not always adapted to take into account the emerging needs of all children. For instance, staff do not adapt their expectations or the length of routines for younger children who have recently transitioned into the room. This results in children becoming less engaged and beginning to wander around the room, particularly during more-structured parts of the day, such as mealtimes.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Staff support children to begin to manage their personal hygiene routines, such as encouraging them to wash their hands before and after mealtimes. This promotes children's independence. Children generally learn about the benefits of nutrition, such as why the meals they are eating are healthy, allowing them to develop an emerging understanding of what it means to live a healthy lifestyle. Children enjoy social mealtimes, discussing their day, likes and dislikes with staff. Staff supervise children closely when they are eating and sleeping in order to promote their safety.

Staff gather detailed information from parents and carers to learn about children's individual needs when they start at the setting. They use this information to plan and provide appropriate routines for children from the outset. This results in children showing high levels of emotional resilience.

Children benefit from daily access to fresh air, such as when they see how fast they can go on the slide and push toy trucks around the garden. Staff are responsive to children's needs and can generally recognise when children may need extra support. Children seek comfort when needed, and staff validate their feelings. This allows children to have their voices truly heard.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

The setting is run by an experienced, dedicated leadership team. They are passionate about ensuring the continued development of the nursery to benefit children, their families and the staff team. Overall, leaders make accurate assessments of the nursery's strengths and proactively identify some steps for future development. Leaders meet regularly to evaluate the provision and priorities for the setting, planning a clear implementation strategy. For example, leaders recognise the need to strengthen practice at mealtimes and have developed a plan of action to address this.

Staff report positive levels of wellbeing at work and feel their workloads are manageable due to systems that leaders have put in place. For instance, staff are supported through termly supervision meetings and regular observations throughout the year, which effectively aid them in developing their practice. Staff feel confident in approaching leaders with their concerns, knowing they will be acted upon promptly. This supportive environment empowers staff to perform well in their roles.

Leaders are committed to building secure partnerships with families, external professionals and their local authority. They strategically allocate their budget to enhance the learning experiences for children. Leaders understand children's prior experiences when they start at the setting. They use this knowledge to plan the additional opportunities needed for their next educational stage. Leaders closely track the impact of their spending to ensure that it achieves the intended results.