Pool House Under 5's Nursery

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders make informed decisions about how best to spend additional funding that children are in receipt of, to support their next steps and progress. Parents are involved in these decisions. Leaders carefully monitor and review the impact of additional funding. Parents comment on how well the setting identifies and helps their children to receive the additional support they need. Parents have a good understanding of how targeted support plans are helping their children to progress in their development.

Staff receive help from leaders to support all children, particularly those who are disadvantaged, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to their learning and/or well-being. Appropriate and timely referrals to other agencies are made, when needed. Leaders work in partnership with parents and other professionals to secure support and interventions for children as required. There is a range of training and support to extend staff's knowledge and expertise so they can best support children with gaps in their learning and development.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

The well-sequenced curriculum is designed to teach all areas of learning. Leaders know and adapt teaching appropriately for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those with barriers to learning and/or well-being. Children's physical development is prioritised from the earliest age. Staff understand the steps to take to help build children's physical strength and skills. Leaders have identified areas in which the curriculum could be improved, such as in teaching children about how to look after their health and well-being, and these are at an early stage of implementation. The curriculum is designed so that staff know what they want children to know next and how they will teach them these things. This helps to ensure children are ready for their next stage of education, including school.

Children enjoy learning outdoors in the nursery woodland area. Staff use the environment well to teach children about number, habitats, materials and weather. Staff support children's communication and language well. They provide ongoing narration of children's play, introduce new vocabulary and encourage meaningful conversations. Children enjoy speaking in small groups about their families and what they have learned. Staff promote a love of stories, rhymes, songs and books throughout the day. They reflect on what children have learned securely and what their next steps are.

Staff use effective strategies to support children with communication needs. Staff ensure that the teaching and learning environment is carefully adapted to meet the needs of all children. They use approaches such as pictures, symbols, photographs and signs. This supports children with SEND to access the curriculum and understand simple instructions. Staff promote children's understanding of the world and other communities through stories, themed stay-and-play sessions and celebrations.

Achievement: Expected standard

Typically, children achieve well from their starting points. Gaps in all children's learning are closing consistently, in particular for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. All children gain skills that will prepare them for their move on to school. They develop their motor skills effectively, building their strength and coordination in a newly resourced outdoor environment. They practise using tools to mix dough and make marks using paints and chalks. Older children create patterns and shapes with increasing independence and control. Generally, children learn to express themselves and develop their communication and language well. Children of all ages develop their listening and attention skills effectively. They are interested and engage in the focused group activities that staff provide. Children develop their conversation skills chatting with their friends and staff. They enjoy selecting and looking at books independently, developing their literacy skills.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

The nursery is a very happy place. Children have warm, mutually respectful relationships with everyone in the setting. Children are able to recognise their feelings and manage them well. Children are consistently considerate and calm. A sense of kindness permeates as leaders have embedded a respectful culture in which children thrive.

Children benefit from a wide range of opportunities that develop their character. For example, looking after the outdoor allotment and being involved in organising stay-and-play sessions that celebrate differences. Staff take every opportunity to explore with the children the impact of their behaviour on themselves and others. As a result, children, including those new to the setting, show high levels of self-awareness and a real desire to focus on their learning. Children take pride in their achievements and the achievement of their friends. They are confident to share and celebrate their talents and interests from home. These interests are then extended through visitors into the setting, such as animals from a local farm, or by attending community events, such as firework displays. Children are motivated and interested learners.

Tailored adjustments for children who need support to understand their emotions have a demonstrable impact. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are involved in planning their day and choice of lunch. This means children are practising their communication and decision-making skills. Consequently, all children quickly develop a sense of belonging, learn to risk assess their own play and behave very well. Leaders work effectively with families to ensure they understand the importance of regular attendance. They take swift and thoughtful action if needed.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Relationships are respectful, warm and effective in promoting children's well-being and all children have a strong sense of belonging, including those who may face barriers to their learning and/or well-being. Care practices take into account the personal needs of children of all ages, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff teach children to become increasingly independent and help them to understand the risks of using technology and staying safe online. Key persons have an effective understanding of their role and help form secure attachments with children and their families.

Leaders and staff ensure children receive nutritious food and drink. They know how to promote children's emotional and physical well-being. Children enjoy daily outdoor play where staff provide support to help them develop their strength, balance and coordination. Staff are aware of the impact of children's poor oral health and there is a programme that supports oral hygiene at home and in nursery. However, this is not yet embedded and children's understanding of the importance of brushing their teeth is not secure. Staff encourage children to take appropriate risks and meet challenges as they play and learn, inside and outside.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders and those responsible for governance demonstrate consistently high standards to establish and sustain high-quality education for all the children at the setting. Since the last inspection, leaders have reviewed the curriculum. They have carefully considered what they expect children to know and remember in communication and language and mathematics. Mathematics is now taught explicitly, staff promote children's love of books and provide quality experiences for the children. Such improvements are celebrated and lead to deeper levels of thinking, learning and involvement from the children.

Leaders use their systems for monitoring and assessment to give staff quality feedback and inform children's next steps. This allows gaps in children's learning and development to be quickly identified and appropriate interventions put in place. Staff are supported through observations and supervision meetings to identify strengths and areas for development. A wide range of training is available to staff to develop knowledge and skills further.

The leadership team is ambitious for every child. The team regularly reflect on practice and evaluate how it can be enhanced. For example, the new, experienced manager has already identified weaknesses in the promotion of children's oral health. Leaders accurately monitor attendance and prioritise actions that address significant barriers to learning, working thoughtfully and closely with families, where needed. Those responsible for governance hold leaders to account and effectively support the provision for disadvantaged children, those known (or previously known) to children's social care and/or those who face other barriers to learning and/or well-being.