Partou Barnwood Day Nursery & Pre-School

Inclusion: Expected standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are fully included in this welcoming nursery. Leaders and staff know the children well. They assess their progress, and this supports them to identify any gaps in children's learning. Children have their individual needs catered for and are well supported to join in group activities with their friends. They spend prolonged periods engaged in activities and play alongside their friends, learning to share and be involved. Leaders and staff use the knowledge and skills that they have gathered from recent training to help them to target support well for children's needs. They work in partnership with external professionals and parents to target support for children's individual needs. Leaders have identified that the support in place for children with SEND is in the early stages and have not previously been consistent. They will continue to access support and training to fully embed their processes.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

There have been recent changes to the leadership team. The team has taken the time to get to know the staff team well and assess the quality of the interactions between staff and children. Leaders and staff have a shared focus on helping children to achieve, and this is delivered through their curriculum that runs throughout the nursery. Staff provide children with lots of opportunities to listen to stories and be involved in singing. Staff use what they know about children to help engage them in play and extend their learning, focusing on supporting children's communication and language, confidence, self-esteem and physical development. Staff are skilled at supporting children's creativity, particularly their imaginative play. For instance, children excitedly make potions and pretend to turn staff into butterflies and dragons. Children play hide and seek and count the time until they have to find their friends. This supports children's physical skills as they run around the garden, and children begin to use mathematical language in their play as they count with confidence. Overall, the curriculum is delivered typically well. More targeted intervention when working with younger children will ensure that all children have the support that they need consistently, by all staff.

Achievement: Expected standard

Leaders ensure targeted support, interactions and engagements with children help them to gain the skills that they need for the next stage in their learning and in preparation for starting school. Leaders and staff place a high focus on supporting children's communication and language skills. Staff engage children in sharing stories and joining in with songs. The youngest children learn to confidently explore, through the strong attachments that they form with staff. Toddlers learn to be independent in managing their own needs, such as through feeding themselves and hanging their coats on their pegs. The older children learn to communicate their needs and consider the feelings of others as they learn to share with the support of staff. Leaders are providing staff with support to help them to ensure children of all ages can gain the skills that they need to make the best possible progress.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders and staff set clear and consistent routines and boundaries to help children to understand their day and to help them to keep themselves safe. Children respond well to the routines and understand the expectations in place for behaviour. Children know that they must not run indoors. They demonstrate good listening skills, and they are kind and respectful towards their peers. Staff praise the children for their achievements, such as when they share the toys and when younger children show that they can take their own coats and shoes off. Leaders and staff help children who struggle to manage their feelings and behaviour. Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities have additional plans and risk assessments if needed to ensure that they are given the targeted support needed to help them to process and manage their feelings appropriately.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

The key-person system is well embedded, and children have good attachments with the adults who care for them. Staff know the children's routines and have a good understanding about children's families and home life. This helps them to support children and understand their behaviours. Children are offered healthy snacks, and staff are very aware of, and meet, children's dietary needs. Staff sit with the children and supervise them well during mealtimes, and they encourage children to try foods and keep themselves hydrated. This helps keep children safe and healthy. Staff ensure that children have suitable areas for sleeping and that they are well supervised during this time. They make sure the environment is safe and that children have the rest that they need by working with parents to follow children's individual needs. Children have lots of opportunities to develop their physical skills. They enjoy playing in the garden and using the different equipment to test their skills.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

The new leadership team has already begun to build good relationships with the staff team. Leaders have an accurate oversight of what is being provided for children and their families. Leaders recognise their strengths and the areas where they need to develop. They are aware that they could use their partnership working with parents more effectively to help parents to learn how to support their children's learning at home. Although parents say that the staff share information about their children's time at the nursery, they do not know how they can support their children's learning at home. Leaders have been getting to know the children and their families to allow them to know how to ensure that they are inclusive and support the diverse families that attend.

Leaders provide staff with training and coaching to help them to develop their skills and knowledge further. For example, leaders encourage staff to support the less-experienced staff through role modelling. Staff say they feel well supported by leaders in the nursery. They report that the training they have experienced has helped them to understand their roles and responsibilities. Staff know their targets for improvement, and this helps them to improve their practice.