Pegswood Day Nursery

Inclusion: Strong standard

Inclusion is a strength of the nursery. Staff work well with parents to understand children's individual needs when they first start. They act swiftly when they identify any barriers to children's learning. For example, they change children's sessions to ensure children get the most from their time in the nursery. Staff identify adaptations that they can make to help children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to make the progress of which they are capable. Examples of this include altering the environment and the deployment of staff so that children can access the full curriculum.

Knowledgeable leaders provide highly effective support to children and their families to ensure children get the help they need. They quickly seek advice from other professionals to provide targeted support. They implement highly inclusive strategies to help support all children, for example in communication. They monitor the impact of their interventions to ensure that children make sustained progress over time.

Children who are disadvantaged are equally well supported. Staff use any additional funding extremely effectively to help children to benefit from the routines and expectations. This includes providing extra sessions during school holidays to support children and families. They work exceptionally well with professionals from children's social care, and staff in the school, to provide a supportive team to help children and families who are known or have previously been known to children's social care.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders plan a curriculum that is focused on the skills children need to learn over time and the order in which they develop these skills. Staff focus precisely on what children need to learn next. For instance, they plan activities to develop children's core strength to give them more confidence in walking and climbing.

Staff working with babies focus on developing their personal and social skills as well as their communication and language. They plan activities to support children's next steps in learning. For example, as babies explore paint in bubble wrap, they use the word 'pop' repeatedly. Children are highly focused and by the end of the activity, some toddlers start to repeat these words.

Staff encourage children to develop a love of books, and children are keen to pick books for staff to read. However, sometimes, staff provide too wide a choice of books and some of these are too hard for some children. When children pick these books to read, staff lack confidence in how they can make these sessions highly engaging and children sometimes lose focus.

Staff plan deliberate communication and ensure their interactions are of a high quality. They adapt their language appropriately when talking to children. For example, they speak in simple phrase to toddlers. Staff speak clearly, repeating and extending what children say to develop their language further.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children achieve well in the nursery overall and develop a broad range of skills, which prepares them for the next stage in their learning. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make rapid progress in all areas of learning, particularly their personal and social skills and communication and language.

Children develop their communication skills. Babies acquire words rapidly as they copy the key words that staff use. For example, they copy the word 'pop' as they explore paint and bubble wrap on a tray. From a young age, children are highly engaged in their learning. Babies explore the paint colours as they mix under the bubble wrap. Toddlers are engrossed as they play with trains and move them around the tracks in circles. They begin to use numbers in their play as they talk about the number of carriages on the train. Children generally develop a love of books. However, on occasions they lose interest when the books they select to read are to hard or too long for them.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders and staff have clear expectations which they consistently reinforce. For example, they remind children to roll balls inside rather than throw them. When children throw balls to other staff, they too reinforce these expectations. This helps all children to understand and follow staff's expectations. Older children learn that they must line up at the barrier to go outside. Leaders support children to play alongside other children. When minor disagreements do occur, staff deal with these patiently, encouraging children to use their words to ask for things. Children develop effective relationships with children and staff.

Staff typically encourage children to tidy up at various points of the day, such as before snack or after lunch. Sometimes, staff do not reinforce key messages to children about tidying up after themselves. For example, staff do not consistently remind children to tidy up before they go outside. This means children do not get clear and consistent messages regarding this. Staff have been well trained in how to manage children's behaviour, including their emotional regulation. Leaders encourage children's positive attitudes and ensure that children enjoy their learning.

Staff work with parents and other professionals to support children and their families with any barriers to attendance that exist.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders place a high priority on children's welfare and wellbeing. They provide a highly inclusive environment for all children. They ensure that all children, including those who face barriers to their learning, benefit from their time in nursery. Staff encourage children to talk about their feelings. They take time to explore different emotions and what makes children happy and sad.

Babies are happy and settled. Staff are attentive to their individual needs. For example, staff notice and respond when children show signs of tiredness. Staff find out detailed information about children's needs when they first start at the nursery. This includes information about children's learning and care needs, such as allergies, as well their likes and dislikes. Staff working with babies also find out about children's routines and information about weaning and bottle feeding.

Parents value the support that staff give them to manage key aspects of their child's development, including toilet training. Parents comment that they feel lucky to have found the nursery.

Staff teach children about the different food groups and discuss why these foods are good for us. They provide a range of detailed information to parents about balanced diets and their policies regarding healthy packed lunches. However, parents of children who attend the holiday club do not always receive timely reminders of these policies before children return to the club each school holiday. This occasionally results in differences in the content of lunchboxes, which can be confusing for younger children. Children enjoy plenty of fresh air and exercise. They play in the garden regularly and participate in of active play opportunities.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders have a clear understanding of the nursery's strengths and areas for development. They work particularly well with staff from the on-site school to develop the curriculum further. In partnership, they identify the skills they want children to learn in nursery as well as school.

Staff share a wealth of information with parents about children's learning and the policies of the nursery. Parents enjoy looking at pictures of their child's day. However, staff do not always ensure that parents get key information at appropriate times. Sometimes, staff share too much information with parents and key messages, such as children's next steps in learning, are not always clear to parents. In addition, staff do not consistently remind parents of key policies before children return to the holiday club. This does not consistently support a coherent approach to children's care and learning.

Staff benefit from a regular programme of professional development that is carefully planned to support children's learning and development. For example, staff attend training from different educational services to help them support children's behaviour and development. Staff reflect on key messages from training and make adaptations that they feel will enhance the setting further. For example, staff working with babies have reflected on the routines for nappy changing. This includes adapting routines around nappy changing for babies under 12 months to give them a greater sense of safety and security.

Leaders plan the deployment of staff carefully to ensure that they maintain high ratios to provide the optimum support to children. Strategies such as these also support staff's wellbeing and workload.