Muddy Boots Childcare

Inclusion: Expected standard

Staff monitor children's progress effectively. Leaders and staff know children and their families well. Leaders focus on supporting staff to develop strong bonds with their key children. These promote all children's sense of belonging. Children show their contentment. They are happy and feel safe and secure with staff. When children start at the setting, leaders and staff gain a thorough understanding of children's backgrounds, interests and needs. Staff work effectively with parents to identify barriers to learning and put support in place to promote children's progress. Support strategies are used to support children's wellbeing, but the impact of these varies.

Staff responsible for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) understand their role and responsibility. Training is targeted to develop their skills and confidence in helping all children to achieve. Staff feel confident seeking support and guidance from those who specialise in supporting children with SEND. This supports staff to develop their understanding of needs and barriers to learning and gives them confidence to try a range of targeted support strategies with children.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have devised a curriculum that is broad and balanced and prepares children for future learning. Learning experiences focus on supporting children to develop physical, personal, social and emotional skills. Staff offer encouragement and praise to babies as they play. Language and social skills of babies are well supported. Staff model turn taking and respect for others. Staff know babies well, and babies clearly feel happy and settled in the setting. Babies enjoy an environment that is inviting. Staff support babies' emotional regulation as they provide nurturing cuddles and read stories with them.

Toddlers experience an environment that is full of language. Staff promote safety as children play. They remind children to be careful with the sand so it does not go in their eyes or their friends' eyes. Staff promote respect and an awareness of others. As children create sandcastles, a staff member says, 'Oh, I don't think your friend wants their castle squashed. He looks sad. Can we make your friend another one?' Children excitedly do so. As children play, staff interact frequently with children.

In preschool children are happy and settled. They show particular joy when explaining their feelings in Spanish. Children can recall prior knowledge of how to greet their friends, and many can confidently state if they are feeling happy, sad or tired. Staff have built close bonds with children, and these support progress. Staff do not, however, consistently tailor teaching approaches to best support all children to be able to engage in activities and access learning.

Staff demonstrate a sound understanding of how to build on the skills and knowledge children already have. They narrate children's play and introduce children to new vocabulary, repeating it often so children develop confidence and familiarity with it. For example, as older children enjoy learning about the different kinds of dinosaurs, they quickly adopt the new vocabulary modelled by staff into their play. They excitedly create a world of roaming dinosaurs and enjoy informing visitors about herbivores and carnivores. Children show high levels of confidence in their play.

Achievement: Expected standard

Babies are developing age- and stage-appropriate knowledge and skills in the prime areas of learning. Babies make steady progress in their physical development. They relish the opportunities provided for them to develop their balance and coordination as they practise their walking skills. Older children experience a broad and balanced curriculum that builds well on what they already know and can do. Children are typically achieving well from their starting points. This helps prepare them for the next stage of their learning. Children develop into confident, inquisitive learners able to make choices in their play, and they work well with others.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders and staff create a learning environment that is positive and inclusive. Staff have high expectations of all children and give clear and consistent expectations for children's behaviour. They teach children about rules and support them to share and take turns with their friends and have confidence to ask for help when required. Staff support children's personal and emotional development well. Relationships between staff and children are nurturing and help children of all ages to feel safe, secure and happy.

Leaders understand the importance of children attending regularly. They prioritise this. They understand the positive impact this has on the care, learning and development, and wellbeing of children.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders and staff create a safe, welcoming environment. Children separate well from parents when coming into the setting. There is a comprehensive handover between families and staff, and this promotes consistency in care. Children's physical and emotional health are supported, and all staff are responsive and are swift to meet young children's needs.

Staff in the baby room demonstrate a sound understanding of safe sleep practices. They consistently promote these. Staff regularly physically check babies as they nap. In the toddler room, staff encourage children to notice their own self-care needs. For example, staff speak with children about their need to blow their nose or recognise signs that they need the toilet.

Children enjoy nutritious meals that form part of a broad and balanced menu. Meals are prepared on site. Children eagerly try new foods such as broccoli. Staff sit with children for meals and model conversations. Children excitedly chat with each other as they enjoy a sociable eating experience.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leadership is organised and comprehensive and promotes high-quality curriculum oversight. Leaders support all staff to provide children with quality learning and development opportunities that are well sequenced and build on what babies and children already know and can do. Staff support families as a whole and not only the child attending. Leaders are reflective and carry out regular, robust evaluations of strengths and development areas and are swift to adapt aspects of their offering to best support staff, children and wider families. Leaders have developed open, honest relationships with families and provide support when they experience challenges in life. This supports consistency in care for children and helps them thrive. Leaders value families' contributions and opinions, regularly seek these and ensure parent partnerships best support children attending.

Leaders carry out regular supervision sessions for staff, and these support high-quality provision. Staff comment on how well they are supported in the setting. Leaders provide relevant and appropriate professional development opportunities for staff to keep skills and knowledge current. Leaders have constructed a management structure that clearly supports staff to know who to seek guidance from on best supporting children in their care. Leaders should further support staff with oversight responsibilities to manage their roles and responsibilities so that they can best promote the progress of all children.