Penkett Day Nursery Limited

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders and staff work closely with families to understand their children's needs from the start and put support in place quickly. Staff know the children very well. Robust assessment, observations and close partnerships with parents and professionals ensure that early help is swiftly identified. Leaders offer flexible sessions, which help families and children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those with barriers to learning, to settle into nursery life. Parents and carers are extremely complimentary of such flexibility and comment how this has had a positive impact on the family as a whole. Additional support staff ensure that children access the full curriculum offer and are supported to make good progress in their development. Staff sensitively adapt activities and the environment so that all children can participate. Additional funding is spent appropriately to ensure that this has a positive impact on children. For instance, some children have their own resource box, which helps them feel secure in their learning environment.

Leaders support staff to undertake specialist training to help them learn new strategies to help children regulate their behaviour. Staff recognise the impact of their new learning, which is shared with parents to try at home.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Overall, leaders and staff deliver a varied and inclusive curriculum. Planning is typically informed through children's interests and what they need to learn next. For example, babies are provided with opportunities to develop their core strength through tummy time, and they reach out to staff who help them with their balance when learning to stand. Older children are provided with a wide range of tools and materials to help them develop early writing skills. However, teaching is not consistent across the setting. For example, during some adult-led activities, staff do not consolidate learning before they move on to the next activity. Furthermore, on occasion, staff do not always extend children's responses to deepen their thinking. This means that some children may miss out on important information.

Communication and language skills and mathematics are promoted effectively. Staff use clear age-appropriate language and engage children in meaningful conversations. Children are introduced to new vocabulary such as 'carnivore' and 'kiwi' as they play. Staff weave mathematical concepts through everyday routines such as counting when they line up outside. Children independently select books and familiar stories, which are read to them frequently. The lending library enables children to take books home to enjoy with their families. Staff use a range of communication strategies to help children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing other barriers to learning. All children are learning to communicate with confidence and are building their language and mathematical structures. Where children need more targeted support, leaders identify this through observation and put individualised plans in place, which staff review regularly with parents and carers.

Achievement: Expected standard

Overall, children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing barriers to learning, typically make steady progress from their starting points. Some children do not receive high-quality teaching interactions due to inconsistencies in the teaching of the curriculum. That said, children with identified communication needs make clear progress, moving from limited language skills to being able to communicate their needs through signs and pictures.

Children confidently manage their own self-care tasks such as toileting and washing their hands and faces after lunch. They complete tasks such as helping to tidy away their resources in readiness for the next part of their day. They explore their environment both indoors and outdoors with confidence. These skills help children prepare for the next stage in their learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders and staff set high expectations for children's behaviour, attitudes and routines. The calm, inclusive and harmonious atmosphere created by leaders and staff helps all children to feel safe and secure. Staff are positive role models who are kind and caring. Children have positive attitudes to learning and are keen to show off their achievements with pride. Babies and young children's routines are individualised. They are gently settled before being placed down to sleep, in line with safer-sleeping procedures. Nappy changes are unrushed and babies are softly spoken to. The calm and harmonious atmosphere created by leaders and staff helps all children to feel safe and secure. Leaders employ additional support staff who have close connections with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing barriers to learning. They offer encouragement and appropriate adaptations during such routines.

Leaders promote regular attendance through flexible attendance arrangements and effective monitoring. Parents and carers are extremely complimentary of the relationships they have with the staff, which has helped their children to flourish both in the setting and at home.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders establish effective policies and procedures to promote children's health and wellbeing in a busy but calm environment. Typically, children behave well and know what is expected of them through familiar routines. For example, children wait to be counted at the gate before they move into the garden. When outside, they instinctively put on their safety helmet before using the wheeled toys and are mindful of their friends as they whizz around. Leaders provide healthy nutritional food and ensure that children have access to fresh drinking water. Lunchtime is a real social occasion, full of chatter and conversations around the table. Children self-serve their food and drinks, having washed their hands before coming to the table. Safer-eating practices are embedded, and mealtimes are supervised carefully.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders and staff have high expectations for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing barriers to learning. Overall, they have an understanding of the setting's context, strengths and areas for development. They are reflective in their practice and strive to improve outcomes for children and families. Leaders seek external specialist advice, and practitioners receive appropriate training. For example, staff and children have undertaken a 6-week physical sensory course. Staff have implemented new learning, which has had a positive impact on supporting children's regulation during transition times. Staff feel valued and enjoy working at the setting. They appreciate the support and guidance provided by leaders through regular supervision and professional development opportunities. Leaders promote staff wellbeing and take appropriate steps to ensure that workloads remain manageable.

Leaders and staff have positive relationships with the families they serve. They support families to receive the funding they are entitled to, which is used effectively to help children make progress in their learning. For example, specialist sensory resources are purchased to provide children with designated quiet spaces. Additional support staff are employed to provide one-to-one care to enable all children to access the full curriculum offer. Parents and carers are extremely complimentary of the relationships they have with the staff, which has helped their children to flourish both in the setting and at home.