Nurtured @ Tunstall

Inclusion: Needs attention

Leaders do not ensure that support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who face barriers to learning is implemented with sufficient precision. Arrangements are not reviewed rigorously when progress slows. Children's individual needs are identified, and external advice is sought appropriately. However, strategies are not consistently adapted to reflect children's developmental stage or changing needs. Support for communication, physical development and emotional wellbeing is often generic rather than effectively tailored when children encounter developmental delay. As a result, some children with SEND and those experiencing disadvantage do not receive well-sequenced, targeted provision that accelerates their progress.

Assessment systems are in place, and staff gather useful information about children's development. Leaders use additional funding to provide resources and experiences that benefit the children it is intended for. Leaders share progress updates with parents and work collaboratively to exchange information about children's needs, routines and experiences at home. However, leaders do not consistently monitor how effectively agreed strategies are embedded in daily practice or evaluate the impact of additional support and funding. Consequently, the provision lacks the rigour required to secure sustained and measurable progress for all children who require additional support.

Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention

Leaders do not ensure that the curriculum is implemented with sufficient precision or consistency by staff across all rooms. Although broad intentions are outlined, teaching is frequently over-directed. This includes extended whole-group sessions that rely heavily on recall and rote responses, rather than building securely on what children already know and can do. Staff expectations are not consistently matched to children's developmental stage, particularly for younger children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Assessment systems are in place, and staff identify next steps appropriately. However, these are not consistently reflected in the delivery of activities and interactions of staff. There is inconsistency in the quality of the support for children to develop their language and communication. Where this is more successful, such as during child-initiated play, practitioners support language development through role play, discussion and shared reading. Staff encourage children to use vocabulary linked to their play, such as when exploring weight and comparison using balances. Some staff successfully model descriptive language to support thinking.

Leaders make positive use of the local park and community to promote real-life experiences and physical development. The indoor environment is attractively presented, with resources that children enjoy exploring independently, including lots of natural materials.

Achievement: Needs attention

Children's progress is variable. Some children develop secure personal, social and emotional skills and show growing independence in routines, such as managing self-care and joining in group activities. However, progress in communication and language is inconsistent, and not all children build vocabulary or secure understanding as quickly as they should. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who face barriers to learning do not consistently make sustained gains from their starting points, particularly where learning requires small, carefully sequenced steps.

Children enjoy some purposeful play and develop emerging mathematical and early literacy knowledge. However, their learning is not always embedded deeply enough to secure firm foundations for later learning. As a result, although some children are prepared appropriately for the next stage of their education, others are not. This includes children with SEND, who do not receive consistently effective support to make the progress they are capable of.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders establish clear and consistent expectations for behaviour. Children understand daily routines, including registration, mealtimes and transitions, and generally respond well to reminders and praise. Relationships between practitioners and children are positive, and children seek reassurance from familiar adults. Staff support children to take turns, share resources and play alongside one another, particularly during role-play and small-group activities. Children develop a growing sense of responsibility, such as helping to tidy away resources and care for their environment.

Leaders and staff share a clear aim to enthuse children to develop positive attitudes to learning. However, inconsistencies in the quality of teaching result in occasions when there is an over-reliance on adult-led teaching. For example, older children are sometimes expected to sit and listen for longer than is appropriate for their ages and stages of development. While children comply with expectations, this does not fully encourage them to become active, independent learners.

Leaders promote attendance appropriately and follow up concerns with families. Children arrive punctually and settle quickly into familiar routines. Practitioners consider children's age and stage when guiding behaviour. Staff encourage children to make simple choices, such as deciding when to access snack, which helps develop self-awareness and emerging self-regulation.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Needs attention

Staff care practices are not consistently responsive to children's individual circumstances. While children are generally settled and routines are secure, staff do not always act swiftly enough to prioritise children's immediate comfort and emotional needs. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those experiencing additional vulnerabilities. Agreed strategies to support children experiencing emotional distress are not consistently implemented in practice. Similarly, staff do not always respond promptly to ensure children's physical comfort when needs arise. As a result, some children's wellbeing is not consistently promoted.

Babies and young children seek reassurance from familiar adults. Staff follow appropriate sleep procedures and children enjoy healthy meals. Children learn about hygiene through handwashing routines and are encouraged to make healthy choices at snack and mealtimes. Staff support children to recognise basic emotions through discussion and visual prompts.

Leaders do not monitor the consistency of care practices closely enough to ensure that agreed approaches are embedded across the day. This variability means that although children are safe and generally cared for appropriately, their emotional security and physical comfort are not consistently prioritised with sufficient urgency.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Leaders demonstrate some awareness of the quality of education and care provided, and there are elements of self-evaluation in place. However, this does not identify key inconsistencies in curriculum implementation, inclusion or welfare practices. Leaders' monitoring of teaching and care does not effectively focus on evaluating the impact on children's learning and wellbeing. As a result, weaknesses in adaptations for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning have not been addressed swiftly enough. Staffing and key-person decisions do not always prioritise the needs of the most vulnerable children.

Leaders provide staff with professional development opportunities and consider their wellbeing and workload. However, they do not evaluate the impact of training or monitoring rigorously enough to drive sustained improvement. Consequently, leaders do not secure consistently high-quality practice across the setting. Leaders have recently focused on strengthening parent partnerships, enhancing communication through regular updates, stay-and-play sessions and opportunities for shared discussion about children's progress. Families report feeling listened to and involved in their children's experiences. Leaders have also enhanced the learning environment and developed community links, demonstrating the ability to influence improvement.