New Beginnings At Penkhull

Inclusion: Expected standard

Children's individual needs and backgrounds are celebrated in the setting. Leaders and staff get to know families well and learn about how they can best support children's unique needs. Leaders develop a variety of resources to support children who speak English as an additional language. They work with parents to build a repertoire of words and phrases in the family's home language so that they are able to understand and meet children's immediate care needs.

Leaders work with families to share the setting's menu. They recognise that some foods on offer may differ from children's experiences of food. Leaders work with parents to promote children's confidence in trying new foods and ensure that some meals are familiar to them. This helps children to settle well and feel valued.

Leaders typically strive to ensure that those children with special education needs and/or disabilities and those who may face other barriers to their learning make progress in line with their peers. They recognise the value of working with parents to determine the best use of additional funding to meet children's needs. Leaders work with other agencies to support children's development. For instance, they liaise with speech and language therapists to find out ways that they can enhance children's communication skills.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have developed a curriculum that is focused on building on children's early experiences and interests. They use assessment to determine children's individual starting points and identify their next steps in learning. Communication and language are prioritised in the nursery. Leaders recognise that children learn through repetition and value the importance of reading familiar stories with the children. Story times are calm and communication rich. Children are offered the opportunity to choose between 2 familiar stories. They sit quietly and listen intently as adults read to them. Children tell adults the title of the story that they are reading. Older children develop confidence and begin to retell stories with their peers. Young children explore board books with adults. They develop their vocabulary as they repeat single words and locate familiar images in books. Staff ask children questions to identify their understanding of language.

Children's physical development is promoted throughout the nursery. Children enjoy singing 'Row, Row, Row Your Boat' with their friends as staff support them on the seesaw. Staff sit with children as they learn how to manipulate dough. Older children explore mathematical language while they count out how many cookies they have made. They talk to adults about how many more they need. This supports children's understanding of counting and the number system. However, at times, some children do not receive the same level of support and often lose interest.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children generally make progress from their starting points across all areas of learning. They develop their confidence and independence, which supports skills for later learning. Children are prepared for their next stage of learning. They demonstrate positive listening and attention skills and communicate effectively with their peers and members of the nursery team. Children are supported to develop their recognition of the sounds that letters in words make.

Overall, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those learning to speak English as an additional language and those facing other barriers to their learning make progress. This is because leaders work with families and other professionals to help children overcome barriers.

Children make effective progress and develop confidence in their physical development. They learn to pedal on a tricycle and climb up steps to go down the slide. Children develop strength in their hands as they explore dough and practise drawing on whiteboards.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Children confidently follow routines in the setting. They understand the rules and boundaries and listen carefully to instruction from staff. Children behave well. They learn to share and take turns with their peers. Staff respond swiftly when children struggle to play cooperatively. They teach children to understand and respect the needs of others.

Leaders and staff are positive role models. They teach children how to be respectful to others and demonstrate how to communicate positively. Children use good manners. They say 'please' and 'thank you' when they are being supported at a task.

Children develop positive relationships with their key person and other members of the nursery team. This contributes to children's positive behaviour and attitudes. Children are confident to share their feelings and reach out for comfort when they need it. Leaders promote the importance of attendance in building relationships and establishing positive routines. They monitor this carefully and communicate with families about the benefits of regular attendance.

Leaders and staff get to know children well. They ensure that children's experiences are typically tailored to their age and stage of development so that they are supported to meet the expectations of the setting. For instance, they recognise when children are tired or unhappy and generally take action to adapt activities or routines to meet their individual needs. Sometimes, children do not receive the same level of support during activities as others. This means that they lose interest and leave the activity.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Children typically build positive relationships with their key person and other staff in the setting. They are confident to reach out to staff for comfort when needed. Children are supported to recognise and express how they are feeling. Staff offer calming sleep times. They invite children to locate their sleep mat containing their own blankets. Children generally settle themselves to sleep, while staff remain close by to monitor their safety.

Children are learning how to live healthy lifestyles. Leaders recognise the importance of celebrating cultural diversity. They ensure that meals reflect different experiences of children, such as a variety of flavours from around the world. Staff teach them about portion control as they independently scoop out 2 spoons of vegetables onto their plate at lunchtime. Children eat a variety of nutritious meals that are provided for them. They collect their own plates and cutlery, before serving their own food and water at the table. Children learn how to use a metal knife and fork to eat their meals. They begin to recognise when they are full and scrape their plates after eating.

Staff teach children about positive hygiene routines. They show young children how to use a tissue to wipe their nose. Children wash their hands after playing outside. They wash them with soap and water with the support of staff and then dry their hands before returning to their room for story time.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Leadership and governance is not yet fully established in the setting. There have been a number of changes to the leadership system since the last inspection. There is not yet a full-time named manager that is responsible for the day-to-day running of the nursery. That said, current leaders are establishing effective routines in the setting and take steps to improve communication with parents. Parents say that they are happy with the setting and the level of communication that they receive about their children. They are pleased with the progress that their children make at this nursery.

Leaders recognise that they are beginning to make progress in the setting. They celebrate their successes in the achievements of the children that attend, including those who face barriers to their learning.

Systems for training and supervision are not yet robust. Staff receive some training opportunities that ensure that they have an adequate understanding of their roles and responsibilities. However, they are not always provided with training or mentoring to improve their practice for the benefit of children. Leaders and staff do not receive targeted feedback on their practice. This means that they are not yet fully aware of their specific targets for improvement.

Leaders failed to notify Ofsted of recent building work that took place to improve the layout of the nursery. However, risk assessments were implemented effectively to ensure that children could not come to harm during this time.