Northumbria University Nursery Ltd

Inclusion: Strong standard

Staff identify children's individual needs quickly through rigorous assessment and highly attentive observation. They gradually increase the support they offer as children's needs become clearer, and they know exactly when to seek external help so that children get the right help at the right time. Leaders guide and train staff extremely well, ensuring they can adjust their teaching and routines confidently so every child can take part fully.

Inclusive strategies run throughout the whole nursery. Staff use, for example, simple sign language and visual prompts universally so every child experiences the same high-quality access to learning. These approaches strengthen early communication, help children to understand routines and enable them to express their needs confidently.

Staff work very closely with parents to ensure that every child is included and supported as well as possible. For example, parents visit nursery to read traditional stories that reflect children's culture and languages used at home. They teach staff words in other languages that help them to strengthen interactions with children and meet their needs even more precisely. Menus reflect the foods and cultures children are familiar with. This helps them to feel recognised and valued.

Leaders use early years pupil premium funding thoughtfully to accelerate learning, for example through targeted resources and enriching experiences. They work with staff and other professionals to reduce barriers to learning wherever possible. For example, they invite external agencies into the setting for children's appointments to avoid unnecessary absences. They use external guidance alongside their own excellent knowledge to shape high-quality, personalised support. This helps to ensure that all children thrive, regardless of their background or previous experiences.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Staff talk through children's ideas with them, which helps them stay engrossed in their learning. They ask skilful questions, such as 'How could you make it go faster?' when children transport sand using a pulley system they have designed. Staff encourage children to try different ways to build a wall from small bricks. They use some opportunities to extend learning further, such as prompting children to consider how many more or fewer bricks they need. However, this is not yet consistent across the nursery, which occasionally limits the depth of children's mathematical learning.

Staff support babies' communication extremely well. Support for older children is developing rapidly. Strategies to support them to develop a richer vocabulary are still being embedded. Staff give babies regular opportunities to be barefoot, acknowledging the impact this has on brain development, balance and coordination. They encourage older children to paint on high and low surfaces, using their big and small muscles in various ways. Staff consistently support children to take turns and share. They encourage cooperation, for example, when designing a poster for the wall.

The curriculum is designed well to cover all aspects of children's learning. Staff monitor children's progress carefully and know that children sometimes need variation from the curriculum to meet their needs more precisely. Leaders have introduced 'support and extend' plans and monitor their use closely. While this approach is already highly successful for children who have barriers to their learning, leaders recognise that further refinement is needed to ensure the curriculum is consistently of the highest quality for all children across all areas of learning. Leaders rigorously review staff's teaching and the impact the curriculum has. They are highly aware of the strengths and the areas that need more time to become fully embedded.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children communicate confidently and use language well to share their ideas. Staff place consistent emphasis on communication and language, although leaders recognise that further work to enrich older children's vocabulary will strengthen this area even more. Many children show secure early writing skills. They are eager to write independently and show remarkable pencil control when writing 'notes' for their friends. Children approach learning with determination and show confidence when tackling new challenges. For example, they tell staff, 'I've got this.'

Children's mathematical knowledge is developing well. Young children learn number names and older children count accurately beyond 10. Some children would benefit from more support to secure deeper mathematical understanding, for example, to make predictions and attempt simple calculations with increasing confidence.

All children, including those who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make steady and secure progress from their starting points and are ready for the next stage in their learning. Children with SEND achieve beyond what professionals, staff and parents expect. Greater consistency in breadth and depth in some areas of the curriculum would strengthen these foundations even further.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders maintain a consistently supportive and nurturing environment where staff model kindness, courtesy and respect in every interaction. Children reflect this in the way they play and talk with one another. They develop friends and play together harmoniously. Relationships between staff and children are warm and trusting, giving children the confidence and motivation to explore and learn happily.

Routines are extremely well established. Familiar songs, visual cues and calmly organised movement between parts of the day help children to understand what will happen next. Behaviour expectations build seamlessly as children move through the rooms. Staff support children to recognise and manage their feelings, giving full consideration to their age, stage of development and individual circumstances. Children respond very positively to reminders from 'Lenny the Lion', a favourite soft toy that staff use to share consistent boundaries and promote positive behaviours. Children know the rules in nursery, follow them diligently and are very eager to please others.

When children need support with their emotions or behaviour, staff take a highly personalised approach. They create individual plans that take account of children's preferences, sensitivities and the circumstances that unsettle them. This tailored support helps children to very quickly learn ways to talk about and manage their feelings and frustrations.

Leaders promote the importance of regular attendance and work closely with parents so they understand how this supports children's learning and sense of security. They offer thoughtful, practical help where needed, such as providing later breakfasts or ensuring children have what they need for the day, which reduces pressure on families during busy mornings and helps them to arrive on time.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Staff know children extremely well and meet their care needs with precision. This includes children who require support with medical procedures. Arrangements for keeping children safe are meticulous. Staff assess risks thoroughly, supervise children closely and create an environment where children feel very secure and confident.

Children develop a clear understanding of how to keep themselves healthy and safe. They know when and why they should wash their hands. They make thoughtful choices about food, for example when they talk about good nutrition while choosing what should be on the menu. Children build a remarkable awareness of the importance of physical activity and exercise. For example, when playing team games, they notice how their hearts beat faster and discuss how their muscles become stronger. Staff teach them ways to assure their own safety, for example by riding and climbing with care in the garden.

Relationships between staff, babies and children are warm, responsive and deeply respectful. Attachments are extremely secure. Children seek comfort and reassurance from trusted adults who know exactly how to support them. Routines such as sleep times and mealtimes flow seamlessly. Staff's extra diligence at these times further assures children's safety and comfort.

Leaders and staff are highly aware that not all children have the same life experiences. They work closely with families and professionals to ensure children who face barriers or disadvantage receive the support they need to thrive.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders are acutely aware of the nursery's strengths and the areas that still need a little refinement. They describe significant challenges since the last inspection, including changes in leadership, governance and the staff team, yet they have secured stability across the team in the face of these pressures. They monitor practice with rigour and provide focused support and supervision that continually strengthens practice and maintains a consistently high standard of teaching.

Sharply focused professional development is having a significantly positive impact on the quality of teaching, and this learning is now being cascaded across the whole team. With more time, leaders are confident that this will lead to consistently strong standards of teaching for all children. They recognise the need to develop more depth in some areas of the curriculum. This remains a priority, and they continue to refine practice to achieve this as quickly as possible.

Staff report feeling valued and speak confidently about their rapid progression in knowledge and skills due to the guidance of the leadership team. Those with governance bring a wealth of expertise to the setting, and leaders in the nursery manage with great care and a deep commitment. They hold very high expectations for themselves, staff and children, and they want the very best for every family. They demonstrate excellent capacity for ongoing enhancements to the already high-quality provision and work tirelessly to strengthen outcomes for all children.