Muddy Boots Fordingbridge Limited

Inclusion: Expected standard

Children, including those who face barriers to learning, are supported well at this provision and there are high expectations for all. Staff typically use assessment to quickly identify any emerging needs. They regularly review and implement any strategies needed to ensure all children can fully participate in activities. Staff and leaders work hard to remove any potential barriers to a child's learning or wellbeing. For example, they work with parents to offer session times that meet the needs of the child and enable them to attend the provision.

Leaders work in partnership with parents to offer support to the family as a whole, not just the child. Leaders also ensure that additional funding is used appropriately. For example, leaders use funding to ensure children have all the essentials they need to attend the provision, such as spare clothing.

Leaders work closely with external agencies, such as speech and language therapy services. They implement strategies suggested by external agencies to help support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities further. This uniform approach helps children to make steady progress in their learning and development.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have an accurate understanding of the quality of the curriculum and teaching at the provision. Changes to the structure of the nursery and the age ranges that staff are working with are new and are not yet fully embedded. This means that, sometimes, staff do not consistently stretch and extend children's learning further.

Overall, staff understand the aims for learning and what they want children to be able to do. There is a key focus on children's personal, social and emotional development. Staff ensure children feel safe and secure within the provision and that they build secure attachments with staff right from the beginning. Staff know their children well with regard to the progress they have made in their learning and development, as well as children's personal likes and dislikes. This helps to tailor the curriculum to meet the specific needs of the cohort.

Children's communication and language are supported well across the provision. There is a sharp focus on developing children's language skills. For example, staff develop babies' understanding of holding conversations as they learn that communication goes back and forth, and older children develop their vocabulary as staff build on their specific interests. For instance, they learn words such as 'continents' when exploring where dinosaurs come from. Children also regularly sing stories and beam in delight as they listen to stories, including the youngest children.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children make typical and steady progress in their development, including children who face barriers to learning. They are supported as they gain age- and stage-appropriate skills as they transition to their next stage of learning. For example, older children develop their listening and attention skills in preparation for the transition to school by taking part in music and movement classes.

Children build on what they know and can do as they progress through the nursery. For example, babies learn to pull themselves up and over small climbing frames. This learning then supports them as older children as they learn how to use climbing walls. Children make steady progress in their communication skills as they progress from babbling to 3- and 4-word sentences as they move through the provision. Children begin to develop their independence skills through everyday routines. For example, children learn to scoop their own yoghurt onto their plates during snack time.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

There are warm, trusting and respectful relationships between staff and children. Children demonstrate they feel safe and secure with staff. For example, babies check in with their key person for reassurance as they explore. Overall, children understand the high expectations for their behaviour, which are consistent and adapted as needed for children who face barriers to learning.

Staff act as positive role models for children as they teach children to treat each other with kindness and care. They regularly praise children for their efforts, who beam in delight in response. Generally, staff support children as they begin to learn how to solve minor conflicts, such as over favourite toys. Children learn to play collaboratively. For example, children include each other as they role play going to the shops together.

Leaders work closely with families to promote the importance of attendance and punctuality. They follow up on any unexplained absences to ensure the family's wellbeing, and they put strategies in place where needed to support children's attendance.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Children, including those who face barriers to their learning, demonstrate they feel safe and secure with staff who know them well. For example, when children are unsure about leaving their parents, staff immediately offer support, reassurance and encouragement to join in with a favourite activity, such as reading stories. As a result, children very quickly settle into the provision and show delight at reading stories together.

Staff promote healthy eating and work in partnership with parents to develop their understanding and support for this. For example, staff share examples of different lunch ideas with parents that meet the nutritional guidelines. Staff generally teach children healthy habits through their everyday play. For example, staff share examples of different food as they role play in the mud kitchen with children.

Staff support children as they learn to recognise, express and manage their emotions. They support children as they learn to take turns and empathise with children, acknowledging that it is tricky to wait for a favourite toy. This validates children's emotions and helps them to manage the situation.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders have a clear understanding of the provision's strengths and general areas for development. They are passionate about the provision and consistently strive to progress and develop further. Leaders are constantly reflecting, reviewing and adapting to ensure the provision meets the needs of the current cohort. For example, they have recently changed the structure of the rooms to ensure all children fully benefit from the provision.

Leaders ensure that staff wellbeing is supported and workload is manageable. They ensure that any adaptations needed to meet staff's needs are implemented as quickly as possible, ensuring they act inclusively towards the staff as well as the children. Staff feel they benefit from regular training and supervision and that their wellbeing is a key priority for leaders. Leaders act quickly when staff suggest areas for their professional development. For example, staff have recently attended training on supporting behaviour and have started to implement different strategies within the provision. However, leaders do not yet consistently use training and coaching to precisely strengthen the areas for development for staff, as the focus is on developing and reviewing the provision as a whole.