Playdays Nursery

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders are ambitious for all children, ensuring targeted, individual support is put into place as early as possible. Staff understand unique needs deeply and use learning plans with small, achievable targets that they check and update regularly. To support this, the team undertakes specific training from the local authority on autism awareness and utilises specialised tools to track communication and language. Staff assist families with education, health and care plans to secure long-term adjustments, while working closely with external professionals, including speech and language therapists, physiotherapists and portage.

This tailored approach consistently allows leaders and staff to closely monitor children's development, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who face barriers to their learning, and those known or previously known to children's social care. By breaking down milestones, staff quickly adapt rooms and play activities to remove any barriers to learning. Children in receipt of early years pupil premium funding benefit directly from this support. Leaders spend this funding on narrowing gaps in outcomes by buying resources that match personal interests, which quickly builds children's confidence for school.

Observations and assessments, such as the progress check for children at age 2, help staff monitor ongoing development. Sharing these reviews with health visitors and the local authority ensures a complete picture of each child's development. This joined-up approach means that if staff notice new concerns or if families miss health appointments, the team makes prompt contact to respond swiftly. As a result, all children receive the support they need through continuous, coordinated care.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders design a sequenced curriculum that builds on what children know and can do. Staff use daily observations, assessments and 'All About Me' forms to plan around children's personal interests, covering all areas of learning. They prioritise emotional wellbeing through play. For instance, toddlers manipulate play dough to process big feelings, while pre-school children explore emotions through storytelling. To develop physical skills, babies explore lower-level environments and post balls into boxes. Older children spot signs in the environment, understanding physical actions such as 'run' as they copy the action to show how fast they can go and navigate space with increasing skill.

Communication and language are typically woven into daily routines. At group time, children sing a 'hello' song to establish warm social connections, and they happily engage in nursery rhymes to build early language skills. Staff follow children's interests to introduce rich vocabulary, such as 'tambourine' and 'badger'. Resources are carefully adapted so children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are encouraged to join in, explore and make independent choices. Mathematics is taught naturally; children count aloud when lining up to go outdoors and play hopscotch to support number recognition.

However, the quality of teaching is not always consistent across the team. Staff do not always adapt activities to match children's emerging thinking and curiosity, occasionally missing key opportunities to build on their learning about mathematics and shape properties. Furthermore, high-quality interactions are not yet consistently embedded during mealtimes to fully support children's language and social skills, which could potentially limit the progress they make towards expected curriculum outcomes.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children make steady progress from their starting points. Babies rapidly build early communication skills, using mirrors to explore facial expressions and learning new vocabulary for textures, such as 'soft' and 'rough'. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who face barriers to learning, and those known or previously known to children's social care make progress in their language, personal and social development. They confidently use familiar sensory comfort items to successfully navigate changes in their daily routine and begin to use sentences to communicate. Similarly, children who speak English as an additional language generally gain vocabulary quickly, repeating new words and learning the names of their friends during play.

Children are happy and independent. Older children typically demonstrate clear early mathematical skills, confidently using wheel tracks to compare big and little lines in the sand tray. They use language effectively in their play, repeating and applying positional vocabulary such as 'front' and 'behind'. Children generally develop self-care skills, including cleaning their hands with flannels, accessing the toilet and putting on their own coats independently. As a result, children are prepared for the next stage of their education.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Children generally demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. Those who are new to the setting are settled and secure in the predictable routines. For example, babies know to sit down in chairs at lunchtime and follow this routine. When children ask when their parents are returning, staff gently reassure them and let them know what will happen next in their day. Older children respond well to familiar signals used by staff, such as a bell, which helps them transition between activities and participate in tidy-up times. Where children require additional support with routine changes, staff remain close at hand, using their deep knowledge of each child to offer reassurance or a personal item to help them regulate. Leaders work alongside parents to promote attendance, ensuring continuity for children's routines and learning.

Children's behaviour is appropriate for their stage of development, and they show an emerging awareness of boundaries. Staff manage behaviour with care and sensitivity, calmly reinforcing expectations such as keeping feet on the floor when children climb or using a 'kind hands' approach to support emotional regulation. Children typically demonstrate empathy and consideration for others. Babies show warmth towards their peers through gentle pats and affectionate gestures, which staff thoughtfully narrate to reinforce friendship. Older children show kindness during shared play, such as sweeping up or washing toys together. When minor conflicts over resources arise, children generally accept staff guidance to share and take turns. They are respectful of their wider environment. For example, older children know to lower their voices as they pass the baby room to access the outdoor area, ensuring a peaceful transition that does not disturb the younger children.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders establish a focus on supporting children's physical health and emotional wellbeing. Children develop an awareness of healthy lifestyles through daily routines, such as filling their own water bottles, enjoying hot meals and participating in fruit-tasting sessions. To support local oral hygiene priorities, leaders distribute toothbrushing kits for home use and regularly share healthy eating guidance and menus with families.

Children's safety and hygiene are typically supported appropriately across the setting. Staff follow safer sleep guidance and discuss weaning during settling-in visits to align with home routines. Embedded handwashing practices occur before meals, and staff vigilantly manage dietary requirements, using red plates to prevent cross-contamination. Outings into the local community also reinforce practical road safety lessons, such as stopping and listening for traffic.

However, staff do not consistently deepen children's understanding of health and safety during everyday interactions. When correcting behaviour, such as reminding children to sit down while eating or instructing them on hygiene routines, staff sometimes do not explain the reasons behind the rules. Consequently children are not fully supported to understand how these practices protect them from risks such as choking or prevent the spread of germs.

Transitions are managed with care to support children's emotional wellbeing. When children move between rooms, staff share information on children's interests and next steps, and key persons provide a reassuring presence. To prepare older children for school, staff introduce optional uniforms, use books to discuss new routines, invite schoolteachers into the setting and arrange transition visits. As a result, children feel safe and supported during times of change, ensuring their learning and development continue without disruption.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders establish a family culture that builds high staff morale. An open-door policy and an approachable leadership team ensure that staff receive timely support. New staff complete a structured induction process and dedicated shadowing sessions to familiarise themselves with policies and procedures, while the wider team completes essential training in safeguarding, first aid and food hygiene. Dedicated staff training days are used for team exercises to strengthen collaboration. Supervision sessions typically occur every 6 to 8 weeks, providing a regular opportunity for leaders to monitor practice, manage workloads and support staff wellbeing.

Leaders regularly review what the nursery needs to improve. They support staff who want to grow in their careers. Recently, leaders focused on improvements to the outdoor play area. The team participated in training, and plans are in place to enhance this space, ensuring it offers better opportunities for children to build their physical skills and stay active.

Partnerships with families remain a core priority. Regular parent and carer consultations and open communication via an app generally keep families informed and involved in their child's progress. Consequently, parents and carers value the staff, express complete confidence in the care provided and trust the team implicitly. This approach ensures that children are happy, thriving and fully included in all aspects of the provision.