Newlife Nursery and Preschool

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders recognise the different needs of children and families in their community and have high expectations for children's learning and development. They use individual inclusion funding to increase adult support and improve ratios because they understand how high-quality interactions benefit all children and particularly those that face barriers to their learning. They make effective use of other additional funding, such as disability access funding, to provide resources that support children at a targeted and individual level.

Leaders use clear assessment processes that help staff deepen their understanding of typical development and identify when a child is not making expected progress. They then work with staff to develop individual education plans that detail clear and achievable next steps in learning so that, typically, children achieve and thrive. However, as there have been recent changes in the staff team, there is some inconsistency across the nursery, and inclusive practise is not yet fully embedded. Leaders also work closely with a wide range of professionals and organisations. They ensure that staff access tailored training that reflects the needs of their community, strengthening their knowledge and expertise. For example, leaders and staff engage with local authority training designed to specifically support children of military families. In consultation with parents and other professionals, leaders engage with local schools to ensure that children have positive transitions to full-time education. This practice benefits all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing other barriers to their learning.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have an accurate understanding of the curriculum's quality and have improved staff interactions since the last inspection. This means that staff typically encourage children to express their thinking and solve problems. For example, older children talk about the characteristics of different animals while building houses for them, and staff help them to think about what different animals might need from their homes. However, the quality of staff interactions is not yet consistent across the nursery as leaders continue to build their staff team.

The curriculum is clearly sequenced and offers children opportunities to develop skills across all 7 areas of learning. For example, staff working with the youngest children use bubbles to support physical development. Children stretch, jump and clap their hands trying to pop the bubbles while squealing with delight. This activity helps children develop the balance and coordination skills they need to run and walk with confidence. There is a focus on developing children's communication and language. Staff generally adapt their language to meet the needs of different ages and stages, helping children make good progress in understanding and using vocabulary. Mathematics is both threaded through the curriculum, with staff taking opportunities to count and say number names in order, and taught explicitly through planned activities. Leaders and staff successfully adapt the curriculum for children who face barriers to learning, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This ensures that all children can play and learn alongside their peers.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children make steady progress from their starting points, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They build their knowledge step by step, drawing on what they already understand to make sense of new learning. Toddlers develop their listening and concentration skills as staff read stories and sing songs. This learning will be further strengthened as these young children learn the rhythms and routines of the setting. Children develop their motor skills effectively, building strength and coordination. For example, they throw beanbags into buckets and peddle cars in the outdoor area. Children use leaves to paint with and manipulate play dough with their fingers to develop their fine motor skills.

Children become confident communicators at this setting. They enjoy back-and-forth conversations with each other and the staff. They generally learn to regulate their behaviour and play alongside others. This means children, including those with SEND, typically participate in the full range of activities and experiences and learn and develop with their peers. Therefore, children are generally prepared for their next stage of learning, whether this is within the setting or when they transition to school.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Needs attention

Routines are not yet consistently organised or predictable across the nursery, and staff's expectations are not always clear. For example, in the toddler room, younger children struggle to manage transitions between free-flow play and group time, and staff do not adapt routines accordingly. This means that young children are not always given the age-appropriate support they need to understand what to do and how to be at nursery. This has a negative impact on their engagement and enjoyment.

Leaders monitor children's attendance and follow up absences appropriately, promoting the importance of regular attendance and punctuality. Staff generally consider children's ages and stages of development when setting expectations. However, during some whole-group activities, staff do not consistently match their expectations to children's attention spans or individual needs. Children typically share and cooperate during play, and staff take opportunities to develop collaborative problem-solving.

Children generally behave well and benefit from positive and respectful relationships with staff. Staff support all children sensitively, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to manage their emotions and resolve minor conflicts. They encourage children to develop independence and positive attitudes through daily food and hygiene routines. Leaders recognise that staff are caring and committed.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders greet children and their parents warmly when they arrive at the start of the session. Staff meet children's individual care needs well, and there are flexible settling-in procedures tailored to individual needs. Settle sessions are carefully planned. This means trusting relationships between staff, children and families develop swiftly. Staff in the baby room tailor routines well to meet the needs of younger children, managing babies' sleeping, feeding and hygiene sensitively and safely. When babies wake, staff respond warmly and give cuddles until they are ready to play.

Older children grow in independence as they wash their hands, select their own food and pour their own drinks, helping them build confidence and important self-care skills. Staff weave healthy habits into everyday routines and conversations, offering nutritious snacks and discussing what is healthy and what is not while eating lunch. They support children to understand oral health through supervised toothbrushing. Staff help children to recognise, express and manage their emotions through warm, responsive interactions and plenty of reassurance. Staff offer familiar, comforting resources, such as favourite stories, cars, trucks and sensory play. These reflect children's interests and help them feel calm and secure. As a result, children show developing emotional wellbeing and generally feel secure, valued and willing to explore their environment.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders know their staff, children and families well. They have a secure understanding of the setting context and how it serves the local community. They have an accurate assessment of the setting's strengths and areas for development and have sustained and built on improvements to the curriculum recognised at the last inspection.

Leaders are now rightly focused on building expertise within the staff team to ensure that there are consistent approaches to implementing routines across the whole nursery. They know that children flourish with clear boundaries and routines and recognise the negative impact on children's engagement and enjoyment at nursery when these are not in place. Leaders are taking action to address this. However, the impact of these actions is not yet evident.

Leaders have robust systems in place for staff wellbeing, including regular supervision and professional development opportunities. Staff comment positively about working in the setting.

Leaders have high expectations for all children, particularly those who are disadvantaged or have special educational needs and/or disabilities. These children are often at the heart of decision-making, and this ensures that they succeed and thrive alongside their peers.

Communication with parents is effective. Leaders have implemented systems for sharing information that ensure that children's learning and development are prioritised and celebrated in the setting and at home. Generally, parents comment positively about the nursery. Many of them have seen older children flourish and thrive at this setting, and they say that they could not imagine their children going anywhere else. This reflects the successful partnerships that have been built between children, their families and the whole nursery team.