Peter Pan Nursery and Forest School Partnership

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders foster a culture of inclusion that supports every child. They gather extensive information to ensure the right support is in place. For example, they visit children in their homes and have extensive induction procedures, which includes adapting settling in periods to suit the needs of each child and their families. This means staff have detailed information about what children know and can do and any barriers to their learning. Staff are highly skilled in recognising children's individual needs through meticulous early identification and assessment procedures. Leaders act quickly to make appropriate referrals. They consistently work in close partnerships with parents and carers, and external professionals to ensure the right level support. Children's progress is carefully tracked and reviewed, which makes sure targeted intervention is tailored highly effectively. This supports children to make rapid progress, particularly for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing barriers to learning (SEND).

Staff training in supporting children in regulating their emotions has had a particular impact on children with SEND. Leaders use additional funding remarkably well to provide targeted support. For example, they ensure disadvantaged children have the equipment they need for forest school and ensure a higher ratio of staff to support those children with SEND. This ensures all children have the same experiences as their peers. Leaders regularly evaluate the impact of their spending on children's outcomes. All children benefit from a well-coordinated approach that enables every child to flourish.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders have created a rich and ambitious curriculum that encourages children to be curious and explore their environment. Staff build learning experiences around children's interests and place an emphasis on developing skills that prepare them well for everyday life. Children benefit from daily opportunities to investigate the natural world. They form positive relationships with their peers and talk confidently about their emotions. All children, including disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make secure progress in this nurturing nursery. Staff deliver consistently high-quality interactions and learning experiences that effectively support all children. Key person's carefully track children's progress and accurately identify the next steps in their learning. They share this information to ensure all staff have the knowledge to consistently adapt strategies to meet children's developmental needs.

Staff plan projects, such as building a dragon, around children's interests. They use visual aids and books to help all children fully understand what they are creating. Children strengthen the muscles in their hands and fingers as they tape objects together. They have the freedom to express their thoughts and ideas with their friends, which supports the development of positive relationships. Staff introduce new words, such as 'sculpture', which helps to build children's vocabulary. They also introduce mathematical language, such as 'longer' and 'shorter', as children predict the length of the dragon's tail, for example. Staff foster children's curiosity. For example, during forest school, when children find a hole in the ground and exclaim that it is a reindeer footprint, staff use this as an opportunity to extend their learning. Staff skilfully encourage children to examine the bugs in the hole, discuss what they can see, and search for clues about where the reindeer might be. This supports children's language and communication skills highly effectively.

Achievement: Strong standard

All children, including disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make excellent progress over time from their starting points. Children develop their physical skills effectively. They confidently, yet carefully, climb ladders and pretend to fix a hole in the shed roof. Younger peers build their stamina as they transport stones and water and use words, such as 'heavy'. Children are independent. They find and put on their boots and outdoor clothing ready for outdoor play. Children demonstrate a secure awareness of curiosity about the world around them. They make their way across a stream, use language in context, such as 'shallow water', and delight in exploring wildlife on the small island. Children are excellent communicators and demonstrate growing mathematical language. They make predictions and learn new vocabulary as they tie ropes and make a crocodile trap for example. All children consistently achieve at a high level and are well prepared for their next stage of learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Staff provide a warm, nurturing environment where clear expectations help children understand routines and behaviour boundaries. They listen carefully to children and support the development of empathy and emotional understanding. For example, following recent training, they have introduced strategies, such as an emotions board, which supports all children in discussing how they are feeling. Interactions are calm, responsive and thoughtfully adapted for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This supports children during transitions and promotes positive attitudes to learning.

Staff teach children about safety boundaries at forest school. They supervise them vigilantly and allow them to take safe risks as they carefully make their way across log bridges. Staff praise children for their achievements, which boosts their self-esteem. Children consistently show kindness to others. They help each other transport water from the stream and find natural resources and tools to explore cause and effect. Staff foster teamwork, which positively impacts children. For instance, children coordinate their efforts to negotiate obstacles, and help one another bring the forest school trolley and equipment back to the nursery. Leaders recognise the importance of regular attendance. They work closely with parents and offer support where required. This helps children to benefit fully from the nursery's routines and learning experiences.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders carefully plan highly supportive settling-in processes for each child. This enables all children to settle quickly and gain confidence in the nursery. Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), leave their parents confidently at the gate. Guided sensitively by staff, they make their way to the forest school cabin or nursery. Children demonstrate an excellent understanding of routines and settle promptly for their morning group sessions. Staff working with children attending forest school use visual aids to explain the route they are taking and what will happen during the session, which particularly supports children with SEND. They strengthen this further with strategies, such as a 'now and next' board, to support communication.

Staff build warm and nurturing relationships with all children, particularly their key children. They use their expertise effectively to help children manage their emotions and develop resilience. For instance, children use the emotion board throughout the day to express how they are feeling. They use words such as 'sad' and 'happy' and explain to staff the reasons why. All children thrive in a calm, safe and nurturing environment. Staff support children's independence, health and wellbeing remarkably well. Children help to prepare snacks and find suitable chairs for the table. Staff use effective strategies to support children who experience difficulties with eating. They teach children about balanced foods, and children demonstrate their understanding as they select and serve their own snacks.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders have a secure knowledge of the nursery's strengths and maintain a clear vision for ongoing improvement. They value their staff team and consistently provide them with clear guidance, direction and support. Leaders invest effectively in staff development and provide access to training opportunities that benefit children. For example, recent training on embedding mathematical understanding into children's play has had a positive impact on staff teaching and children's outcomes. Staff feel valued and well supported through regular supervision, team and planning meetings. These opportunities enable staff to discuss their professional development and wellbeing. In addition, staff discuss children's progress with colleagues to ensure consistent and targeted intervention.

Staff consistently adapt planning to reflect children's interests and individual needs, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged children. This ensures that all children participate fully and make secure progress. Leaders monitor practice across the nursery and observe interactions to ensure children receive appropriate support. Leaders and staff work closely with parents, carers and other professionals to reduce barriers to learning. Parents say that staff have made a significant difference to their children's lives and their children blossom at this nursery.