Pink Elephants Nursery

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders use reliable assessments for all children on entry to the setting and identify any children with barriers to their learning. Leaders support staff in the planning of activities that takes the needs of individual children into consideration. For example, staff encourage children with limited language to use longer sentences through modelling. This allows the children to make progress in their language development for the next stage in their development. Leaders support disadvantaged children and their families through their use of funding. Funding is used to provide resources that support further learning at home and through outings. Regular trips are organised for the children in the setting, and families are included. This allows all children to have the same experiences and to feel included.

Leaders ensure all children are supported to take part in activities and to follow the setting's expectations. Staff model how to use resources and promote language development through shared stories and everyday interactions. This allows children to engage more in the activities and make good progress. However, information is not consistently shared between home and the setting. This means that helpful strategies used at home or in the provision are not always known by everyone involved.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

The curriculum has been carefully constructed to support all children to develop the skills and knowledge they need for when they eventually start school. Leaders have designed this curriculum so that it is rooted in children's interests and review it regularly to ensure it remains ambitious. They have a clear understanding of what they want children to learn and have shaped the curriculum so that it supports children to build knowledge over time. Leaders and staff complete a baseline assessment on children during the first 6 weeks of their settling period so they can support them to build on what they already know and can do from the start. Typically, timely targeted support is put in place so that all children are able to make good progress. Staff understand how to implement this. For example, they introduce a frozen paint colour-mixing activity and talk with children about the colours they are using and the new colours they create. Through this interaction, staff help children to learn colour names and build their vocabulary.

To support children's fine motor development, staff plan activities such as printing with different types of transport and encourage children to have a go independently. They adapt their guidance so that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, or those who have other barriers to their learning, are included and able to take part successfully. Through this support, children build strength and control in their hands and fingers. Staff also plan counting activities using blocks where children match quantities to numerals, and they provide additional guidance for children who have barriers to their learning so they can participate meaningfully.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children use blocks to build and count, which develops early number sense and mathematical language and builds confidence with problem-solving. Children practise mark making with whiteboards and pens in the toddler room to strengthen fine motor skills. Children who receive extra support take part in targeted activities and typically make measurable progress in their identified areas. Children who are learning to walk use push toys and other equipment to practise steps and build leg strength, which promotes mobility and independence. Children take part in planned activities and circle times that teach turn-taking and sharing. They receive gentle encouragement to help them cooperate and manage social interactions. Children access a wide range of books that are rotated regularly. They listen to stories that widen their vocabularies and support their language development and communication skills. Overall, children develop the skills and confidence they need to move on to their next stage of learning confidently, including starting school.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders set high expectations for behaviour in the setting. When incidents of negative behaviour arise, leaders monitor situations carefully in order to understand any underlying reasons. They put appropriate support and adaptations in place. Overall, staff help children to understand and follow clear behaviour expectations and routines that support children to feel confident and secure. Leaders promote attendance. They use an app to register children daily and contact parents if children do not arrive for their sessions. Parents are encouraged to use the app to report absences, enabling staff and leaders to track children's attendance effectively. However, some information is not shared between home and the setting, meaning that children do not always receive consistent messages.

Leaders understand the individual needs of children, including those who are disadvantaged, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those known to children's social care. Leaders ensure resources and activities are adapted so all children can take part, for example by offering alternative materials or different ways of using resources to reduce barriers and promote engagement.

Leaders recognise the importance of children working collaboratively and support them to share resources with one another. For example, as children independently go up steps of the slide, staff encourage them to wait for their friends before coming down. Leaders ensure new children spend time with their key persons in order to develop positive relationships and feel comfortable in the setting. This ensures that children feel safe and happy during their settling-in period. Children demonstrate confidence and positive attitudes to their learning. They are happy to complete activities and confidently move from one activity to another.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Overall, leaders have created a welcoming environment for the children who attend and their parents. Children arrive at the setting and are warmly greeted by leaders or their key persons. They confidently enter and feel comfortable being handed to staff, which shows the secure relationships between children and adults.

Leaders consider when it is best to change nappies during the day to meet individual needs and afford children privacy. Typically, older children use the toilet whenever they need it and parents are supported with toilet training when their child is ready. However, some information is not readily shared between home and the setting, which impacts on how consistent children's support is. Leaders ensure children develop healthy handwashing habits. They display clear handwashing posters in the bathrooms to remind children to wash before lunchtime and after garden time, which supports the development of healthy routines. Staff encourage children to wash their hands independently and, as a result, children establish secure routines that promote their health and self-care.

Leaders have created healthy lunch menus and ensure the snacks on offer are a mixture of fruit and savoury items to help promote oral health. All children, including those with barriers to their learning, sit safely at mealtimes with their peers and have the opportunity to try a range of different foods. Leaders have organised sports activities to develop positive attitudes to exercise and ensure they are accessible to all children, including children with barriers to their learning.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders prioritise continuous improvement and regularly review the curriculum to ensure it is ambitious for the children who attend. Leaders prioritise supporting their staff and put things in place to promote their wellbeing, such as having dedicated people to talk to if they need support. They encourage staff to develop professionally by providing access to training so they have opportunities to progress and strengthen their knowledge and understanding of child development.

Leaders know parents and carers well and regularly share information to support children's learning and development, including those with barriers to learning. However, staff do not consistently gather information from parents to best support children to make sustained progress. Communication is a two-way process, and leaders work with outside agencies to support children who have been identified as needing additional help.

Leaders liaise and share information with local schools when children are ready to move to the next stage in their development. They work closely with families when children join the setting to learn more about children's likes and dislikes so that transitions into the setting are as effective as possible.