N Family Club Barnet

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders have an embedded, inclusive approach. They identify children's emerging needs early. Leaders ensure that staff adapt activities, routines, communication and the environment to reduce barriers to children's learning and participation. They work closely with key persons, parents and carers, and external professionals to develop a clear understanding of children's strengths, needs and progress. This ensures that support is timely, appropriate and individualised for children.

Children's voices, interests and abilities are central to provision. This enables children to participate fully and make meaningful progress. Leaders provide children with targeted communication and behaviour support. They proactively work with the receiving school by arranging teacher visits and sharing children's needs, triggers and successful strategies. This consistent approach contributes significantly to children's progress, such as from having no speech to communicating using sentences.

Leaders work sensitively with parents when they identify children's emerging needs. Even following difficult conversations with parents, leaders maintain open, honest and sensitive communication. They help parents to develop a greater understanding of their children's emerging needs and the value of the support provided. Across the setting, leaders promote equitable access for children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and children who speak English as an additional language. For example, they use visuals and Makaton, provide home-language support and adapt routines and experiences. Leaders maintain a clear oversight of strategies to support children with SEND. They regularly review their impact and work collaboratively with families and professionals to secure appropriate support.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Children benefit from leaders and staff who share a consistent approach to the curriculum and teaching. They experience clear expectations and continuity as leaders work closely with curriculum and education leads to support teaching across the setting. Children access a thoughtfully designed curriculum that reflects their developmental stages. They will also benefit from plans for an additional room, creating more focused opportunities to develop mathematics, communication and language.

Children experience teaching and interactions throughout the day. They develop communication and language through books, songs, Makaton, visuals, effective questioning and sustained conversations. Children strengthen their physical development through opportunities for cruising, walking, movement and outdoor experiences. They engage in purposeful play as staff follow their interests and extend their learning through responsive interactions. Children benefit from weekly meetings where leaders review priorities, agree actions and keep the team informed. They also benefit from regular room visits and professional discussions, where leaders review activities and identify improvements, ensuring they meet children's ages, stages and individual needs. Through the lending library and home-learning kits, staff support parents and carers to help children revisit key learning, practise new skills and strengthen their understanding through repeated experiences at home.

Children access an inclusive curriculum where staff adapt resources, routines, activities and teaching approaches to meet individual developmental needs. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, children who speak English as an additional language and children at different stages of development receive appropriate support to participate and achieve. Children's progress, interests and individual needs guide teaching and planning. Staff thread an agreed approach throughout the setting. This helps them to review what works, identify next steps and consistently adapt teaching to support children's learning and development.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children make progress from their individual starting points and develop confidence, communication, independence and skills across the areas of learning. They communicate increasingly well, using language to express their ideas, needs and interests. Children enjoy learning Spanish and confidently recall and use familiar words, including colour names, in everyday experiences. They recognise and respond to familiar Spanish vocabulary, showing that they can retain and apply new language. Children demonstrate growing confidence by putting up their hands, joining in with clapping and taking part in group experiences.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, children who speak English as an additional language and children who face other barriers to learning develop skills from their starting points. Children who initially communicate without speech develop their ability to use words and sentences to express themselves. They develop physical skills and increasing independence as they become more confident in moving, making choices and managing everyday tasks.

Children develop early mathematical understanding through counting, sorting and recognising colours in their play. They use problem-solving skills when completing block constructions, working out how to build and balance structures. Children develop creativity and imagination through art, creative activities with natural resources, role play, construction and sensory experiences. They become increasingly independent as they make choices, use spoons, serve themselves and manage familiar self-care tasks.

Children recognise the letters in their names and identify their own belongings, helping them manage their personal items independently. They find what they need and complete familiar tasks with increasing confidence, developing the self-care skills needed for their move to school. Children demonstrate increasing readiness for their next stage of learning and show the skills and confidence needed to move on. Their achievements are recognised and celebrated, helping them to develop a positive sense of themselves as learners.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders create a positive, calm and inclusive environment. Staff set clear expectations for behaviour, routines and respectful interactions. They manage mealtimes, group activities and transitions calmly and consistently. Staff build warm and trusting relationships with children. Children settle confidently with familiar staff, including when their key persons are absent. Regular attendance helps children to build secure relationships, develop confidence and become familiar with daily routines.

Staff help children to develop positive social skills. Children cooperate, take turns and share resources confidently. During mealtimes, they take responsibility for serving themselves and follow established routines. During play, children share resources and interact positively with their peers. Staff respond appropriately to children's individual needs and consider their ages and stages of development. They adapt activities and provide additional support when children become unsettled. This helps children to regulate their emotions and return to learning and play successfully. Leaders have clear systems for monitoring attendance, and staff understand their responsibilities. Staff follow up promptly on unexplained absences and seek leaders' support when needed. This ensures that concerns are identified and addressed quickly.

Staff listen to children and respect their views and choices. They respond positively to children's interests, and incorporate their ideas into activities where appropriate. Staff understand children's individual behaviour support strategies and use consistent approaches, including visual resources, emotional spaces and personalised strategies. Leaders work closely with parents and carers and other professionals to share information, strategies and progress. This supports consistency between home and the setting. These consistent approaches enable children to feel valued, manage their emotions successfully and engage positively.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Children receive attentive and responsive care that promotes their welfare and wellbeing. Staff know children well and adapt care to meet their individual needs. They use personalised communication and behaviour strategies to help children regulate their emotions, communicate effectively and take part positively in nursery life. Children develop warm, secure relationships with staff. Parents and carers speak highly of these relationships and describe the nursery as 'like a family' and homely. As a result, children feel safe, valued and emotionally secure.

Children develop a deep sense of security and belonging. They settle confidently with familiar staff and manage changes to their routines well. Staff listen to children and respect their views and choices. They use children's interests to shape activities and extend their learning. Children receive consistent support to cooperate, take turns and share resources. This helps children develop confidence, communication, thinking, problem-solving and positive relationships with others. Staff give children sufficient time to think, respond and share their ideas. They know what children already understand and use this knowledge to introduce new learning at an appropriate pace. This responsive approach helps children feel listened to and valued, builds their confidence and supports their emotional wellbeing.

Children receive care that reflects their individual needs and stages of development. Staff consider each child's age, developmental stage and individual circumstances when responding to their needs. They adapt routines and activities when children become unsettled, helping them to regulate their emotions and re-engage. Children develop independence through handwashing, self-feeding, serving themselves, movement and outdoor play. Parents and carers receive timely updates about their child's care and wellbeing. This enables children to develop secure relationships, healthy routines, independence and the confidence to thrive.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders have established a positive, calm and inclusive environment, where staff share clear expectations for behaviour, routines and respectful interactions. Staff build warm, secure and trusting relationships with children, helping them to feel safe, valued and confident. Leaders invest in staff development through relevant training linked to individual interests, strengths and career aspirations. This develops staff's knowledge, skills and confidence and enables them to take greater ownership of their professional growth.

The special educational needs coordinators, curriculum leads, designated safeguarding leads and room managers have clear responsibilities and provide direct guidance to staff. Staff know who to approach for curriculum, special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), safeguarding and operational support. Leaders consider staff workload and wellbeing through supervision sessions, wellbeing conversations, an open-door approach and flexible working arrangements. They consider reasonable adjustments for staff with individual needs, enabling staff to participate fully in their roles. Leaders also support apprentices and flexible staff to develop their skills and progress towards permanent roles. This supports staff retention and continuity for children.

Leaders work closely with parents and carers, external professionals, local schools and the wider community to support children with SEND. They share information, strategies and progress effectively, and support families to access appropriate services. Staff understand how to support children with SEND, and work consistently with families and professionals. Excellent transition arrangements ensure that receiving schools understand children's needs, strengths and successful strategies. Leaders follow up with schools after children move on. Leaders are also developing future projects to strengthen community engagement and extend children's experiences beyond the nursery. As a result, children benefit from close partnerships, consistent support and meaningful opportunities to develop confidence and independence.