N Family Club Walthamstow

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders and staff consistently make a positive and impactful difference on the experiences and learning outcomes for all children, including those with special educational needs and/ or disabilities (SEND) and those with barriers to learning. Staff work closely with one another and external agencies to ensure a consistent and appropriate approach is used for every child to ensure they are learning and thriving. For example, staff carefully plan and create specific assessment and techniques to support children with SEND.

Leaders and staff have relevant ongoing training and professional development opportunities, and they work effectively with parents, the local authority and external agencies to ensure the individual needs of every child are met. This includes children that have access to additional funding either through the local authority, or the provider's excellent bursary scheme. Staff are highly skilful at adapting activities so all children, including those with SEND and barriers to learning, have access to the curriculum and opportunity to learn. For example, during a baking activity a staff member shows children pictures of the products they will be using and how the texture needs to look to create the desired item, in this case mashed banana for a flapjack. Leaders and all staff consistently demonstrate an open and welcoming environment for all family types, cultural backgrounds and individual characteristics. As a result of this, parents praise the team for their positive and inclusive approach, and children are celebrated as individuals, which supports confidence and wellbeing.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders and staff create and follow an ambitious curriculum that supports high-quality learning and development for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those with barriers to learning. Staff swiftly adapt learning experiences to ensure all children, including those with SEND, develop in all areas of learning. Leaders identify, due to staffing arrangements, additional support is needed to ensure the curriculum and high quality of education is still effective. Using the providers internal 'development team', highly trained and skilled staff are deployed into the rooms to support the permanent staffing to ensure the curriculum is implemented. However, all staff do not yet consistently build on what children already know and can do.

Staff promote the independence of children across all age groups, and this is a consistent and fully embedded approach. For example, younger children are encouraged to scrape their plates and clean their lunch area, and then older children are encouraged to wash their plate in soapy water before it is taken to the kitchen.

The curriculum also has a focus on communication and language development. Throughout all rooms, staff engage positively with children and create opportunities for children to use their language skills. Leaders identify communication and language as an important aspect of the curriculum, and they have embedded systems to support and guide staff to deliver this area of learning. For example, the development team have created a discussion box that has a range of mixed items inside, and staff are encouraged to use this box to create dialogue and topics for discussion. Other areas of learning are well considered in this curriculum, for example mathematics is sequenced from the baby room through to pre-school in everyday counting, positional language and shape play.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning, such as those who speak English as an additional language, make secure progress and achieve in all areas of learning. For example, children who speak English as an additional language gain effective communication and language skills. They are able to form longer sentences and demonstrate wider understanding as they enjoy interacting with others. Children are confident and show enthusiasm to learn, demonstrating past knowledge and celebrating their achievements. For example, older children engaged in a literacy activity are able to read out the letters in their name and proudly share this moment with the staff. Overall, children gain the confidence, independence and skills they need to move on in their education, including starting to attend school when the time comes.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Children across all ages have a positive attitude to learning and they show pride in their achievements. Parents comment that they have noticed significant progress in their child's learning, behaviour, concentration and overall development. Staff show kindness and respect to one another and, as a result, the children mirror this and are respectful, calm and show interest in the feelings of others. For example, younger children are observed to be getting their friends a tissue or turning the taps on for them. Staff use a well-planned behavioural approach, which ensures children are treated with respect but also reminded of the boundaries and expectations that are age and stage appropriate. Staff set behavioural expectations from a young age and, as a result of this, children play well together and older children are able to solve conflict and practise good social skills, such as sharing and turn-taking. Leaders have embedded a practice and expectation for parents to understand the importance of attendance and, as a result of this, children's attendance is typically good. Parents are swift at notifying the setting of any absences. Leaders identify that embedding a secure routine has been a priority and area of focus, with parents and staff commenting that the routine has supported children's positive behaviour, engagement and, overall, has had an impressive impact on the children.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Staff create an inclusive, safe, nurturing and engaging environment, where every child is listened to, cared for and respected. Staff understand the children in their care very well and, as a result, children are confident, happy and celebrated as an individual. Staff create learning opportunities to discuss healthy habits throughout the day and through everyday interactions. For example, after being outdoors in the sun for a while, staff encourage children to drink water and explain hydration to them. Staff also encourage children to to serve themselves at mealtimes and take what they feel is enough. As a result of this, children serve portions well and then take seconds if needed, which limits food waste and ensures children are eating enough.

Outdoors, staff promote a range of physical activities that support the children in gross movement and everyday skills, such as balancing, climbing and rolling. Staff support children to recognise their feelings and emotions and to share their thoughts. This approach encourages emotional regulation, confidence and validation. Leaders work with external agencies to ensure all children's welfare and wellbeing are well supported, which then enables children to be focused, safe and well cared for. Key people really know the children, and they form strong and caring bonds that helps children to feel safe and valued, including adapting to individual care needs, such as sleep time and feeding routines.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders have a secure and effective understanding of the setting and its strengths and areas for improvement. Leaders identify staffing as an area for priority, but they have put effective and well-planned strategies in place to support the setting, such as having their development team specialists based in the rooms to oversee and support high-quality care and education. Leaders supervise staff well and prioritise training, continuous development and ongoing support to ensure staff's wellbeing is considered and staff are well equipped to teach and care for children. For example, leaders offer staff flexible working patterns to support study and personal circumstances.

Leaders have a high expectation for staff conduct and professionalism, and these values are consistently embedded across the setting. Leaders have created an environment, where everyone is valued, and positive engagement is a key priority. As a result of this, parents comment on the leadership and overall staffing team as being a key factor for their choice in nursery and some parents comment that they feel a part of a community and well supported. Leaders are extremely passionate about inclusive practice and believe all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to their learning, are entitled to high-quality care and education. For example, leaders support oral health by providing toothpaste and brushes, they offer specially selected bursary places for disadvantaged children and children they have identified as requiring support. They partake in annual Christmas gifting to ensure all children receive a gift.