Orchard Day Nursery

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders with responsibility to oversee the provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have made strides in helping staff understand specific children's gaps in their learning. They know individual children and their families well and understand their needs and backgrounds. Those responsible for children with SEND understand their role and responsibilities. For example, they help staff identify emerging needs in a timely manner. In addition, they coordinate and monitor inclusive practice to help these children access learning and help narrow gaps. For instance, for those children who need to improve their concentration and focus, targeted interventions take place daily, as well as personalised guidance during their play.

Staff keenly work with external professionals and families, completing relevant training to shape children's focused support. The collaboration with specialists ensures that each child with SEND has clearly identified next steps and interventions are reviewed regularly. Staff's practise is generally effective at ensuring children who face barriers to their learning make steady progress in preparation for the next stage in their education. Additional funding is used effectively, for instance, to provide extra resources, enrichment opportunities and one-to-one adult support.

Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention

There are inconsistencies in the quality of teaching of the curriculum. This is evident when some staff do not know when to use their interactions to extend children's learning as they play. Staff in the older children's room do encourage more confident ones to share what they already know and can do. However, they do not always ask questions to extend children's thinking beyond their existing knowledge. Consequently, at times, staff are not able to support children achieve to the best of their abilities. Leaders have created a curriculum that focuses on building children's knowledge and skills over time. However, this has not yet been shared with staff effectively enough. This has led to staff's variable understanding of the curriculum. Key persons use their assessments and observations to help them to decide what they need to teach next. However, during interactions in real time, some staff are not confident in taking children to the next level.

The outdoor curriculum supports children's physical skills, natural curiosity and imaginations. Staff plan and set up open-ended activities that children enjoy, such as exploring in the mud kitchen, building obstacle courses and creating sand models. Key persons responsible for those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities know that some of them prefer to learn outdoors in the fresh air. Typically, these staff play alongside these children with enthusiasm, helping to build their stamina and coordination, such as with obstacle courses.

Achievement: Needs attention

Children do not make the best possible progress as staff's understanding of the curriculum intention is variable across the curriculum areas. For example, younger children fascinated by cause and effect when exploring are not supported to extend their ideas and vocabulary. Nonetheless, there are moments where some competent talkers engage in meaningful back-and-forth conversations with staff and each other. For instance, during role play children share their own ideas from a holiday to France to talk about French words and foods they know.

Children take on roles of responsibilities with enthusiasm. For instance, older children readily take on responsibility to work out how many plates, cups and cutlery is needed for lunchtimes. They take pride in using their mathematical language to ask staff for 'one more' or 'one less' plate or cup.

All children, including those who face barriers to their learning, become increasingly confident at managing their self-care. They demonstrate security as they quickly adapt to familiar routines. Children's achievements are celebrated by staff, which helps children feel immensely proud of their accomplishments.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders and staff have created a safe, calm and respectful environment with shared expectations for children's positive behaviour. Staff quickly establish warm and genuine bonds with children in their care. This helps children develop a sense of belonging and feel valued. Staff offer gentle guidance and advice as children take appropriate risks, such as when younger ones navigate going up and down the outdoor ramp in their wellington boots. In this way, children begin to recognise that the rules and boundaries in place help to keep them safe.

Generally, the positive messages from staff help children to understand what is expected of them. Staff role model positive behaviours well and adapt their approach to the age and developmental stages of children they care for. For instance, the secure relationships built with younger children helps support their emotional security. Equally, staff support older children to make positive choices and recognise their feelings, as well as those of others. They encourage children to be kind and respectful towards each other and readily praise acts of kindness shown, such as taking turns or sharing a popular toy.

Leaders help parents to recognise the benefits of regular attendance and punctuality. Through established routines, children build resilience, learn acceptable behaviours and develop their self-confidence.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders ensure that children readily develop positive attachments with their key person. Babies seek out their key person when they need reassurance and older children remember their key person's instructions as they get changed in the bathrooms to protect their privacy. Staff work in partnership with parents to follow routines from home, such as for sleeping and feeding. In this way, children feel secure and safe.

Staff encourage children, including those who face barriers to their learning, to become independent when looking after themselves as they transition through the rooms. For instance, younger children develop good hand-eye coordination when they learn to feed themselves and drink from open cups. Staff readily support older children to use the toilet confidently, pour their own drinks and self-serve their meals. As children get older, staff help children to recognise, express and manage their emotions appropriately.

Staff support children to lead healthy lifestyles, such as washing their hands before mealtimes, wiping their noses and covering their mouths if they cough. Children also point out the ingredients in the nutritious meals the chef makes for them and staff talk to children about how certain foods benefit them. This helps children to understand how to take care of their bodies.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Leaders demonstrate that they lack precision in ensuring appropriate action is taken to bring about ongoing improvements in staff's understanding and implementation of the curriculum. Nevertheless, they show that they have capacity to improve and have successfully addressed some actions from the last inspection, such as embedding better room transition procedures. However, this does not include effectively sharing leader's knowledge of a recently created sequenced curriculum to staff or how to consistently deliver this over time to raise the quality of teaching. As a result, children do not achieve to the best of their abilities.

The newly appointed leadership team share management responsibilities. They have welcomed support from early years consultants, who have delivered training around specific strategies to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, leaders' monitoring of teaching and limited coaching and mentoring for individual staff is not yet effective to bring about positive change. Despite this, children with SEND are benefitting from leaders who are responsible for these children. In this area, leaders and staff are developing positive relationships with parents and other professionals. This provides consistent support and shared understanding, which helps these children make steady progress.

All leaders possess a genuine regard for their staff team, who report high levels of morale, wellbeing and manageable workloads.