Plus Three Nurseries Ltd At Farley Wood

Inclusion: Expected standard

Children's individual needs are typically known and understood securely by staff. They identify focused next steps and targets to support children to move forwards in their learning and progress. Staff and leaders monitor all children's learning, including using required assessments. This helps them to recognise when to seek help or provide extra support to children. Leaders and staff take appropriate action to support children's needs, including referrals to outside professionals when needed. They typically take on board guidance from professionals when setting targets for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or other needs for support. Staff generally implement strategies to support children's needs, such as using pictures to help support children's communication and understanding. Staff provide 'bucket time' activities, which help children develop their understanding, listening skills and turn taking awareness. Leaders and staff typically use additional funding for children thoughtfully. Additional funding helps to provide extra staff and more training to help them meet children's individual needs. It is also used to offer children new extra-curricular experiences, such as dance classes.

Leaders and staff take careful account of children and families backgrounds and circumstances. They provide help and guidance to parents and when appropriate signpost them to local services available to support them. Leaders generally ensure that activities and resources reflect children's similarities and differences. They typically plan activities that incorporate special times of the year for children and their families. For instance, families are invited to share their cultural backgrounds, including traditional dress and food.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders and staff typically know and understand how they support children's learning, including adapting teaching to support those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or other needs. They know their key children well and identify their next steps in learning. Staff identify the intended learning for children from their activities and how this supports children. For example, staff recognise that their interactions during water plan encourages children's language and mathematical skills, such as learning to recognise quantities. At times, staff do not always organise activities or prepare children for learning as well as possible. This means that there are occasions when children wait for short periods of time while staff gather resources for an activity and so are not purposefully engaged at these times. At times, younger children do not always receive enough guidance from staff to help them follow expected routines to support their engagement in learning more effectively.

Staff typically use training well to support children and incorporate this into the curriculum, including teaching mathematics outdoors and preparing children for starting school. For instance, staff encourage younger children to count scoops of bark with them and identify the corresponding numeral. Leaders and staff have given careful thought to how to prepare children for moving onto school. For example, they provided smaller focused group activities to help children learn to sit, maintain attention and listen. Once these skills were achieved the numbers of children were increased. Children generally show they understand the expectations of this time and most listen and participate well. For example, they learn to put their hand up to speak, take their turn, and build confidence to speak in front of the group, such as to report on the day's weather.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or other barriers to their learning, typically make secure progress across all areas of learning. Some children steadily catch up from their initial starting points, particularly in their language and social skills. Children are suitably prepared for their next stage of learning, including the move to school. They generally concentrate, focus and listen well, for example during small-group activities. Older children sustain their interest well during activities that capture their curiosity. Children typically develop a secure understanding of number and counting, as these are woven effectively into activities and daily routines. Occasionally, activities are not organised and presented effectively to build on children's knowledge and skills. Nevertheless, children demonstrate that they can recall prior learning, such as remembering the ingredients needed to make play dough. Children are confident and increasingly independent, happily exploring and investigating a range of toys and resources. They learn and follow routines well, such as lining up to wash their hands before eating.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

All children enjoy their time at nursery and generally participate in activities with enthusiasm. For example, they confidently explore and investigate a range of sensory resources, including oats, dough, water and bark. Children typically engage well in their self-chosen activities and enjoy interacting with staff during these times. Leaders promote regular and punctual attendance. They have an attendance policy that includes closely monitoring children's attendance and responding appropriately to any concerns about non-attendance. Leaders also work with parents to emphasise the importance of establishing regular routines and attending sessions consistently to support children's learning and development.

Overall, staff support children's behaviour appropriately and take account of children's individual needs, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and other barriers to learning. Staff generally provide activities that help children learn to share and take turns. They are positive role models, demonstrating calm and respectful interactions. Staff help children develop self-regulation by teaching them strategies to manage their emotions and behaviour. However, routines do not always fully meet the needs of some children to support their engagement in learning. In addition, while staff generally promote behaviour expectations consistently, this is not always sustained throughout the session. For example, staff remind children to use their walking feet indoors consistently during the morning but do not always reinforce this expectation later in the day.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders and staff form caring positive relationships with children. Children feel at ease in their care and are typically confident to approach staff, such as to talk or ask questions. Younger children generally play alongside of each other easily. Older children build positive friendships with each other, and they typically play cooperatively with others. For example, they spend time exploring and investigating together, such as role play and construction resources.

Leaders and staff know children's individual needs well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those who need more support in their learning or wellbeing. They are aware of monitoring children's wellbeing and welfare and securely know the processes to follow should they have concerns.

Staff typically promote good hygiene routines, including handwashing at appropriate times, such as after using the toilet and before eating. Children show awareness of needing to wash their hands, such as when they have mud on them from playing in the mud kitchen. They have access to mirrors to check their faces are clean after eating. Staff and leaders are careful to promote children's privacy, such as when changing nappies. They follow a policy of not changing nappies in front of visitors, for example. They typically promote children's awareness of their own privacy such as explaining to them in simple terms about protecting their bodies.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders are keen to develop and improve the quality of the provision. Overall, they have made improvements since the last inspection. They have reviewed procedures and staff practice and have typically made changes to strengthen the overall quality of the provision. Leaders are hands on and they typically model expected practice to other staff. They have identified training and professional development to support and help develop staff practice. Generally, this has had a positive effect in developing the quality of staff practice and the overall quality of the provision. There are some areas which need some further work to help embed more consistent staff practice, such as approaches to managing children's behaviour.

Leaders ensure there are sufficient staff deployed to support children's care and learning needs. Staff typically feel supported in their work and wellbeing. They generally benefit from training opportunities to help them to build on their skills with some training focused on areas identified at the last inspection, including behaviour management. Staff complete mandatory training and some work towards gaining recognised early years qualifications.

Leaders and staff form positive partnerships with parents. They provide information to them about their children's learning and offer activity packs and books to support learning at home. Parents speak positively about the nursery and staff and the support they and their children receive. Leaders and staff understand their responsibilities to work with other professionals when required to support continuity in children's care and learning needs.