Peapods Early Learning Centre

Inclusion: Strong standard

Inclusive practice is at the heart of this setting. The setting serves a very high population of children who speak English as an additional language. Staff use their expertise to ensure early intervention is key in their approach so that all children and families feel included, supported and valued within the setting. Staff use their professional skills to identify children's individual needs from close observation and work collaboratively with parents and external agencies where needed to help overcome barriers to children's learning, education and wellbeing. The setting uses multilingual resources, such as welcome buttons and books in different languages. Leaders ensure they match key persons to children who speak the same language where possible to support children who speak English as an additional language. This ensures children feel valued and included and develop their confidence in speaking with their peers and staff in the setting.

The setting carries out home visits before children start the setting, holds coffee mornings and is flexible for any changes where possible to help children settle quickly, feel valued and have a sense of belonging. As a result, children, including those who speak English as an additional language, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who face other barriers to their learning and wellbeing, make clear progress from their starting points and take part in activities across all areas of learning.

The setting adapts its curriculum well to ensure that children with SEND can learn, participate and thrive alongside their peers. For example, children with SEND are provided with support through different strategies, such as through smaller group activities, specialist external advice and training, and use of lanyard microphones to support their communication, language and interaction with others.

Leaders have effective partnerships with parents, and they go above and beyond to ensure that any barriers of disadvantage that families face are supported sensitively. For example, where children do not have access to a hot evening meal, the nursery ensures that this is provided at home time to ensure that children have access to a warm evening meal.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders have high expectations for all children and ensure that they adapt the curriculum as necessary to ensure staff use effective strategies to support children, including those who speak English as an additional language, children who are disadvantaged and those who need additional support to make clear progress from their starting points. Staff assess, identify and provide individualised support to ensure that all children achieve their full potential. Staff plan activities to support children in all areas of learning, but specifically communication, language and mathematical development are key areas of focus. Staff take children's interests into account when planning activities. For example, after listening to the story 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears', staff prepare a follow-up activity including porridge play where children confidently recall vocabulary previously heard during activities and apply mathematical language, such as litres, heavy and more. Staff ask key questions and model language to further support children's curiosity, thinking and communication skills during activities. Children remain highly engaged during activities and are supported to freely share their thoughts and ideas and are given time to solve problems and respond to questions. This supports children's confidence, language and critical thinking skills and helps them become confident and motivated learners. Younger children enjoy rhymes, songs and actions that support their early language development, engagement and interaction with others in a group. However, occasionally there are moments where the most able children need support to ensure their full engagement.

Achievement: Strong standard

All children make remarkable progress from their own starting points and demonstrate confidence in their learning. Children develop communication and listening skills through attention building activities such as magic time, where they listen carefully, respond and are introduced to new vocabulary, such as twist, spin and shake. Staff are excellent in supporting children during activities to ignite their curiosity. Children also support one another by modelling how to use resources.

Children are supported well with their early mathematical and problem-solving skills. For example, toddlers identify small and big circles and are able to confidently make links in finding other objects relating to the shape around them.

Children's physical skills are also supported by highly attentive staff. For example, through access to the outdoor space, children can move in a range of different ways to support their gross motor skills. Babies are encouraged to develop movement through the use of walkers and having the opportunity to pull themselves up to stand. They also develop their gross motor skills through the use of mark making with large sheets of paper.

Older children are equipped well for the next stage in their learning. They talk about their new school, accessing resources such as their new school uniforms, which are displayed in the room. Children excitedly comment, 'I'm going to big school. I'm going to this school.' This helps children develop their confidence and independence for the next stage in their learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders work hard in creating a nurturing setting to support a calm and responsive atmosphere for all children across all the rooms. Children are settled, secure and happy. They demonstrate confidence in expressing their needs, thoughts and feelings. Staff are highly attentive to their needs. For instance, during circle time, babies lie down on the floor, and staff respond sensitively by adapting the activity and asking if they would like to sing the 'Sleeping Bunnies' song to support the children's engagement and wellbeing. Leaders ensure that children's attendance is monitored daily.

Children behave well. They respond positively to staff's high expectations of them and remain focused during activities. Children follow the transitions from activities to mealtimes where they sit down and wait patiently for their food. Children's independence is encouraged during snack and mealtimes where staff encourage children to safely cut fruits and serve meals.

Staff support children to form positive relationships with one another. During activities, children take turns appropriately, share resources and engage well in smaller group activities. Staff use calm and consistent strategies, such as now and next cards to support children's understanding of what is coming next, helping children feel secure and confident within routines. Children know and respond well to these consistent routines that staff have embedded.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Staff ensure children feel safe, happy and cared for at the setting. Children's independence is promoted through the daily routines such as toileting, handwashing, cutting fruits and serving their own meals. Staff always maintain good hygiene practice during the day to support children's health and wellbeing.

Children's individual needs are understood well by staff. For example, staff know and follow children's specific dietary and medical needs. This supports the health needs of every child.

Healthy lifestyles are promoted within the setting through discussions about healthy eating, oral health, dental role-play activities, exercise and daily access to fresh fruits and water. Staff are aware of and follow safer sleep practice. Staff supervise sleeping babies and monitor their sleep routines.

Staff support children to identify and manage their emotions by talking about how they feel. Through calm quiet periods, while the babies are sleeping, the older children enjoy a quiet period with meditative soft music to support their emotional wellbeing and help them feel settled and calm.

Staff gather detailed information about children before they start. This includes home visits that help children settle in quickly. They also observe the adult that children lean to and use this to choose their key person. They also consider staff who speak the children's home language when choosing the key person. This provides a sense of belonging when the child first starts.

Children form strong friendships with their peers, and the more confident children support the shy children during activities, giving them instructions and modelling how to do things.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders in this setting place the needs of children and their families' wellbeing at the centre of any decisions they make. They understand the importance of forming close relationships with children and families from the very start. Staff carry out home visits before every child starts the setting. Leaders have built effective partnerships with parents through their open-door policy, coffee mornings, and newsletters available in different languages to support families who speak English as an additional language.

Leaders prioritise areas for development and provide staff with opportunities to build on their skills and apply this in practice. For example, staff have completed mathematics development training, which leaders had previously identified as a priority area. This new knowledge is now consistently implemented in everyday practice. Leaders also carry out supervisions with staff to discuss strengths, areas for development and provide necessary courses and training opportunities for professional development. This ensures that staff knowledge is relevant.

Leaders prioritise staff wellbeing and morale. They have strategies in place such as Monday mantras, wellbeing packages, lunch vouchers and a shout-out board to help staff feel appreciated and supported at work. Staff really value the leadership approach. Leaders and staff work collaboratively to identify children's individual needs to reduce barriers to learning. Every single child makes great progress from their starting points. Leaders ensure that children have joyful learning experiences in a calm and supportive learning environment.