Offord Day Nursery & Skoolz Out

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders identify children's needs swiftly and accurately. This helps them to identify where children may need extra support. Leaders work in a timely way with external professionals, such as speech and language therapists to seek advice and implement strategies to support individual children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). For example, staff understand how to give children extra processing time or smaller step instructions.

Staff engage with parents to help them navigate external guidance and regularly review children's individual support plans. They implement appropriate strategies to help children understand what is coming next, such as visual cues. Typically, the support that leaders and staff provide reduces barriers to children's learning and wellbeing so that they are able to make steady progress from their starting points. Leaders allocate additional funding appropriately with children's needs in mind, including for extra staff, to help ensure that children can learn effectively. Staff work well together, sharing their experience that promotes inclusion for all children, including those children with SEND.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Children's physical and emotional development is a priority from the start. Staff quickly establish warm relationships with babies and are attentive to their needs. During an outside sand activity, staff interact positively with babies to develop their mark-making skills and introduce words to help them understand and develop communication skills. Staff understand the steps in children's learning to help build their physical skills and emotional development so that they achieve well. This includes an inclusive curriculum and teaching approach, where staff adapt their practice to meet children's individual stage of development, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Staff describe what children are doing, incorporating new words to help strengthen children's understanding of early mathematical concepts and language. Staff plan suitable engaging activities they know children will enjoy. As children explore and taste a mixture of fruits in a tray activity, staff weave number and counting language to help embed early mathematical concepts. Staff introduce new words to describe different textures as children play. This helps to support children's communication and language skills. Children use a range of tools that help them gain increasing small-muscle control. Children are typically well engaged in their learning. They develop a love of books, enjoying the carefully chosen stories that reflect their interests and what they are learning about. However, with some activities, staff are not always clear about what they want children to learn during planned adult-led activities. As a result, teaching is not of consistently high quality. Leaders have an overall understanding of the quality of the curriculum and are developing an action plan to bring about further improvement, however, this is not consistently focused in developing breadth in children's knowledge and skills.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children typically achieve well from their individual starting points and are suitably prepared for their next stage of learning. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who face other barriers to their learning join in group activities and daily routines effectively. For example, children gain strength in their physical movement, such as when they balance on a low-level beam, or climb over a frame. They gain increasing levels of self-esteem as their contributions are valued and encouraged.

Children develop in confidence and demonstrate positive engagement and attention skills during imaginative play. They acquire age-appropriate communication and language skills, develop a love of stories and frequently choose to look at books. Children gain some mathematical skills, such as they count reliably to 10 and compare the size of different fruit seeds. Children engage well and show sustained attention during planned activities. This contributes to children being ready for school. However, children are not consistently supported to develop their thinking skills so that they are able to independently solve problems.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

All children, including babies, develop meaningful and warm relationships with their key persons, which helps children feel safe and secure. Any minor unwanted behaviours are effectively and sensitively managed by staff so that children understand the impact of their behaviour for their friends. Staff act as positive role models for children. They treat everyone with respect and children show kindness towards each other, enabling them to form close friendships. This helps children identify what is expected of them and supports positive relationships. For example, when using the outdoor kitchen, staff reassure children when it will be their turn, which helps manage children's emotions. As a result, children play and interact collaboratively with others and there is a harmonious environment. During the fruit tray activity, children show real curiosity about the different seeds when they explored fruit. Children gain positive attitudes to learning.

Staff have high expectations of children and have clearly embedded routines. Children show that they know what comes next as they typically help with tidying up. Staff encourage children to manage their personal needs, for example children independently use the toilet, where possible, and wash their hands before snack time. As a result, children adopt positive hygiene practices. Leaders work closely with parents to support any individual behaviour needs and ensure that children consistently attend the setting. Leaders swiftly identify any patterns of non-attendance, finding ways to support parents and children's individual needs.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Children thrive at the setting. Leaders consistently prioritise children's welfare and wellbeing. Children show through their body language and engagement that they feel safe, secure and emotionally supported. For example, staff greet them warmly on arrival and engage in meaningful conversations about their day. This helps children to settle quickly, reinforcing a secure sense of belonging. Children develop long-lasting healthy habits as a result of staff teaching them about healthy choices, in addition to well-structured, embedded routines that motivate children to consistently make their own healthy choices.

Mealtimes are well supervised. Staff model positive social interactions during mealtimes and sit alongside children to encourage safe eating and engage in meaningful conversations. Staff encourage children to manage their personal care routines, such as independently using the toilet, where possible, and washing their hands before snack time. These opportunities contribute to children developing a sense of responsibility, build on their confidence and enhance their self-care skills over time. As a result, children adopt positive hygiene practices. Children explore and taste a mixture of fruits in a tray activity, which develops their curiosity and confidence to try new things.

Key-person arrangements are highly effective, where staff have a comprehensive understanding of children in the setting, and are highly responsive to individual needs. Staff help children risk assess what they are capable of doing during physical play and also tailor care practices, such as small-step instructions to meet individual needs. This includes those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who are known to children's social care and those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders are reflective and know what they need to do to improve, however, actions identified are not ambitious to bring about enough sustained improvement to develop truly high-quality provision for all children. Leaders monitor staff workload and wellbeing through regular support, supervision and mentoring. Staff say they feel valued and motivated in their roles. Staff reflect on their own and others' practice, however, the arrangements for supervision do not consistently support staff to achieve high-quality teaching. Those responsible for governance and leadership place children's best interests at the heart of the setting to ensure that children are safe, supported and able to thrive.

Partnerships with parents are effective and support children's education and care. For example, some parents participate in stay-and-play sessions, which helps support parental relationships, enabling staff to get to know children and their families even further. Parents value the strong relationships between staff, children and families, as well as clear and open communication. This helps ensure that children's individual needs, routines and medical requirements are understood and supported. Staff undertake regular training to support their professional learning, however, this is not yet precisely focused to improve the quality of teaching to the highest level.