Nurture and Grow Nursery Limited

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders recognise the importance of creating an inclusive setting. They ensure that all children, including disadvantaged children, benefit from a curriculum that is tailored to their needs. Staff, including the special educational needs coordinators, are knowledgeable and understand their roles well. Staff know who to approach for support and are confident in using targeted plans, smaller steps and an approach to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders and staff know children and families well. They work sensitively with parents and carers, including engaging outside agencies where appropriate.

Leaders use additional funding effectively to provide wider experiences and targeted support for children and families. This includes offering additional sessions and enrichment opportunities. Children with SEND make positive progress from their starting points, particularly in their communication and language development.

However, there are some inconsistencies in the procedures to support children who speak English as an additional language. For example, staff are not always clear about children's home languages on entry, which impacts on the accuracy of their initial assessment and support. Leaders recognise the need to strengthen procedures to ensure more consistent baseline information and targeted support for children who speak English as an additional language from the start.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Communication and language are a clear strength across the setting. Staff consistently promote this with children in all rooms. They understand what they want children to know and be able to do as they move through the setting. Staff place a focus on children's independence, real-life skills and preparation for school. Leaders plan a curriculum that is well sequenced and builds children's skills over time. For example, young babies use their hands and small spoons to scoop and pour gloop, pasta and cereal in a tray. Toddlers use bigger scoops and small jugs to fill and pour fruit-infused water. Pre-school children confidently pour water from jugs accurately into cups while pretending to make their friends 'lemonade' in the outdoor role-play area.

Children engage in exciting activities that staff provide for them. These are based on children's interests and the skills that they need to learn next. Overall, staff plan appropriately for children's learning and development across the 7 areas of learning. However, there are some inconsistencies in teaching practice. While some staff confidently extend children's learning, others are still developing the skills and confidence to do this consistently. As a result, opportunities to deepen children's knowledge and learning are not consistent. For example, staff do not consistently give children time to problem-solve, such as when pouring water into a container with holes in it. Leaders are aware of these inconsistencies. They have implemented plans to support staff development and strengthen the quality of teaching across the setting.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and other barriers to learning, make steady progress from their individual starting points. Children enjoy stories, songs and rhymes, helping to support their communication and language development.

Children develop their physical skills well. For example, they use scoops and jugs to fill and pour water into different containers indoors. Children then build on this outdoors by creating a 'lemonade' stand to practise the skills of pouring water with increasing accuracy. Older children enjoy practising climbing skills on suitable outdoor climbing equipment.

Children develop their personal, social and emotional skills well. They form positive attachments with staff. Children receive support to play alongside others. They learn to recognise and understand how they are feeling and ways to deal with their emotions positively. Children are prepared for their next stage of learning, with older children developing increasing independence and positive social skills in readiness for school. However, due to minor inconsistencies in teaching, some children do not make consistent progress in all areas of learning. They do not benefit from consistent opportunities to deepen and extend their learning across the full breadth of the curriculum.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders and staff know children and their families exceptionally well. They respond sensitively to their changing needs. This enables leaders to provide targeted support and make adaptations to provision. Leaders ensure children can access routines and learning experiences that best support their development and wellbeing. They promote the importance of regular attendance to families. Leaders work closely to identify any barriers families may face. They support parents and carers, especially those of disadvantaged children, to establish a positive routine that improves regular attendance.

Children build deep and secure bonds with their key person. Younger children enjoy cuddles before nap time. Children who are transitioning rooms receive support through carefully planned transition sessions. These build each child's confidence and support their wellbeing.

Children are polite and are consistently supported to use positive manners. They build positive relationships with all staff. Children speak to each other with kindness, share resources and take turns. For example, older children offer jugs of fruit water to their friends so that they can join in making each other 'lemonade'. They receive praise from staff in a meaningful way that promotes their wellbeing. Routines are clear and effective. Staff help children to understand what happens next, using visual prompts to support all children's understanding. Staff help children to recognise and manage their emotions. Through the use of books, stories and props, they support children in developing an understanding of different emotions and how their own actions can affect the feelings of others. This helps to promote positive behaviour and respectful relationships. Where concerns arise around children's behaviour, staff respond appropriately and support children to make positive changes.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Children's wellbeing and welfare are at the heart of the setting's practice and are a clear strength of the provision. Leaders place a high priority on ensuring that children feel safe, secure and valued. As a result, children settle quickly and form trusting relationships with all staff throughout the setting, not only with their key person. This helps children to feel confident and emotionally secure in their environment. Leaders know their children and families well, especially those who are disadvantaged or face other barriers to learning. They provide targeted support for these families to ensure they have access to the resources needed to thrive, for example, by providing oral health kits and guidance on healthy eating.

Staff support children exceptionally well to develop healthy lifestyles and positive self-care habits. Children gain a secure understanding of healthy eating and participate enthusiastically in daily routines, such as toothbrushing, which helps them to understand the importance of maintaining positive oral health. Well-planned opportunities, including emotional regulation sessions and discussions about feelings, enable children to recognise, express and manage their emotions effectively. This promotes their positive mental health and emotional wellbeing.

Children benefit from continuous access to fresh drinking water and a range of nutritious, freshly prepared home-cooked meals throughout the day. They demonstrate an excellent understanding of healthy food choices, confidently discussing the meals they eat and identifying a variety of vegetables on their plates. Children explain why fruits and vegetables are important for keeping their bodies healthy. This reflects the embedded culture of health and wellbeing within the setting.

Children are supported effectively to follow daily routines through the consistent use of visual timetables, visual cues and clear staff guidance. As a result, they demonstrate confidence, independence and a secure understanding of what will happen next throughout the day. These well-established routines help children to feel safe, settled and emotionally secure within the setting.

Staff are highly responsive to the individual needs of babies and young children. They sensitively support children to recognise signs of tiredness and ensure that appropriate opportunities for rest and sleep are provided. Safe sleeping practices are implemented consistently, creating a calm and nurturing environment. This promotes children's wellbeing and supports their physical development.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders know their children and families well and ensure that support is tailored to meet their individual needs. They work closely with parents and carers to identify where children may benefit from additional help, including those who are disadvantaged or receiving additional funding. Leaders use this information effectively to ensure children access appropriate support and make progress from their starting points. Leaders work collaboratively with other professionals to secure support for children when needed. They regularly review the impact of interventions and adapt approaches where necessary to ensure they continue to promote children's development, wellbeing and positive outcomes.

Leaders actively support families by providing practical resources and guidance that promote children's health, learning and development. For example, families can access oral health resources, information about healthy lifestyles, a lending library to encourage shared reading at home, and signposting to additional services within the local community. Leaders have a clear and ambitious vision for the setting that places children's wellbeing, learning and development at its heart. They are committed to creating a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment where all children feel valued and can thrive. Leaders have a secure understanding of the setting's strengths and priorities for development. They use self-evaluation effectively to identify areas for improvement and drive continuous development.

Leaders foster a positive culture in which staff feel valued, respected and supported. Regular supervision sessions, monitoring and professional discussions help leaders to identify staff strengths and areas for development. This enables them to provide targeted coaching, mentoring and training opportunities, particularly for those who are less experienced. Staff are encouraged to extend their professional knowledge and skills through ongoing professional development, including areas of personal interest and current early years research. Parents and carers speak positively about the setting. They value the positive communication, inclusive practice and support provided by leaders and staff. Families report that they feel listened to and supported, particularly during challenging circumstances.