Nest Marco Polo

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders and staff have attended training on supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They typically support children's individual needs. Staff use ongoing assessment to identify potential gaps in learning. They work in partnership with parents and carers and other agencies. Children with SEND are well supported. Staff create individual achievable plans to support their next steps in learning and development. Staff use a range of strategies, such as delivering specific activities, to support children with SEND.

Staff liaise with other professionals to provide effective and timely support. Leaders have effective working relationships with external professionals and make timely referrals. They invite professionals into the setting to provide advice and guidance on how to best support children's progress and learning. This means children receive prompt support while awaiting specialist interventions. For example, children's speech and language skills benefit from targeted small-group work while they await formal specialist support. Leaders understand that some children's progress is better measured in smaller steps.

Leaders implement actions to reduce barriers to children's wellbeing. For example, they continually review and make changes to the learning environment to support children's needs. Leaders have used funding to further enhance a sensory space to support children to regulate their emotions. Staff support children's transitions in their routines and smaller group activities.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have typically developed a broad and inclusive curriculum. In the main, they support and guide staff to ensure the curriculum is implemented across the setting. Children's learning is carefully organised around clear developmental milestones for younger and older children. This ensures that children make progress. Staff adapt their strategies to support children to learn. For example, they use visual cards and words in other languages to support children who speak English as an additional language.

Staff provide regular opportunities for children to develop their literacy skills. Children have access to books in all areas of learning. For example, staff read stories to children and share books with them throughout the day. This helps children to develop their interest in reading. Children develop deep bonds with staff during these shared experiences. However, staff sometimes do not typically use strategies to engage quieter and less confident children in their learning. This does not fully support their communication skills at the same rate as their peers. Overall, children demonstrate positive levels of self-esteem and show a sense of belonging within the setting. Staff support children's mathematical development effectively. Children learn about size, shape, numbers, weight and dimensions.

Staff ensure that children have opportunities for enhancing their physical development, such as during outside play and going on local trips. Staff plan and deliver a range of ambitious activities that generally engage children well. They help children to develop curiosity in activities, such as creating and flying kites outside. There are, however, slight inconsistencies in the quality of support for children to extend their ideas and understanding. However, children's overall enjoyment and involvement during activities is positive.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children make encouraging progress across the areas of learning. They respond well to activities generally suited to their different ages and stages of development. Typically, children are confident to ask for help when needed and express their ideas. However, due to weaknesses in some staff's practice, some children, especially quieter and less confident children, do not extend their communication skills further.

Children move confidently around the setting and manage familiar routines well. They build on what they already know and can do as they access the range of experiences on offer. Children benefit from outings in the local area, where they learn more about their community. They show an increasing awareness and value that people are different. Children demonstrate kindness and consideration towards others. For example, they include their friends in their play and wait patiently for their turn. These positive interactions support children to develop secure social and emotional skills.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Children have very positive relationships with their nurturing key persons. Staff explore different rules with children, helping them to think about and understand why they are important. For example, children know how to use the tunnel and steps safely in the garden, so they do not hurt themselves or their friends. These skills help children to independently explore the environment in a safe and engaging way. Staff model kindness, respect and positive behaviour. They support children to regulate their emotions by getting down to their level, using calm voices and offering comfort. Staff reinforce vocabulary around children's emotions to help them to recognise and name their feelings.

Staff use everyday practice as purposeful teaching moments to ensure very positive behaviour. This contributes to an extremely calm and positive atmosphere. Children play very well together. Staff praise children when they listen and follow instructions. This helps children to understand expectations and feel proud. Children have consistently positive attitudes to learning. They join activities with curiosity. They take pride in their work and approach tasks with care.

Children can increasingly manage their own feelings and behaviour. They show care and positive attitudes to each other. For example, when outdoors in the mud kitchen, children kindly indicate politely to their peers to manoeuvre out of the way so they do not get dirty. During the mixing of the mud, they take turns to use the utensils. Leaders continue to promote children's ongoing attendance to parents and carers. They follow up absences quickly and support parents to remove barriers to attending. Children are therefore able to attend regularly and benefit from their time at the setting.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Children feel safe, secure and nurtured within the setting. Staff provide a warm welcome and help them to settle quickly. This positive relationship strengthens children's sense of belonging. Children form very positive attachments to staff and friendships with peers. They cooperate in their play and take turns together. Staff give careful consideration to settling new children. They stay close to them and make every effort to give them a calm and positive early experience. Staff promote children's physical health through regular outdoor play. They plan the outdoor area to offer space for imaginative play, climbing and turn-taking.

Leaders ensure that policies, procedure and practice are rigorously reviewed, strategically adapted and effectively amended. Staff follow procedures to support children's dietary requirements. They implement effective eating procedures for children with allergies and appropriate food preferences. Leaders encourage healthy eating through planned balanced menus and consistent hygiene routines. Children consistently make their own healthy choices and decisions. Children pour their own drinks and use tongs to collect a variety of fruit slices during snack time. This develops their fine motor control skills. Children manage their personal care routines. For example, they wash their hands before eating. Children also help to tidy up, such as by wiping the tables. This contributes to children developing a sense of responsibility.

Staff are highly responsive to the varying needs and changing circumstances of individual children and families. Staff work with parents and carers and, when required, seek advice from external services. They nurture children's emotional wellbeing through calm and positive interactions. Leaders ensure their key-person approach is embedded. Leaders enhance children's experiences by embedding opportunities that widen their horizons and strengthen their sense of belonging. Children are introduced to different languages, including Spanish and Mandarin, in an engaging and playful way, supporting children's confidence and communication skills.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders know their families, children and local community well. They have a clear and well-defined vision for the setting. Leaders regularly review their curriculum and have an accurate understanding of their strengths and areas for development. For example, they have implemented planning books for staff. These books provide examples of activities, breaking down next steps in children's key skills, such as fine motor development. The management team has also refined procedures for transitioning children around the nursery. These improvements strengthen supervision of children and contribute to maintaining their safety.

Leaders work collaboratively with other agencies, including the local authority, to bring about effective change. They also share their strategies for supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and activities with other local settings, supporting wider professional development in the community.

There is a positive focus on staff's wellbeing and workload. Leaders engage in open dialogue with staff through supervision sessions and team meetings. New staff benefit from a detailed induction and understand their roles and responsibilities. Staff feel well equipped to carry out their roles. However, leaders have not consistently enhanced all staff's expertise in supporting children's conversational language. This does not enable children to articulate their ideas more fully and in greater depth.