Portico at West End

Inclusion: Expected standard

Children with additional needs or barriers to learning are receiving extra support, and plans are in place to support their development. However, staff do not always recognise all children's potential in order for them to respond even more quickly. This means that, sometimes, help is not sought as quickly as possible to ensure that all children achieve to their potential. Leaders do, however, implement the strategies that are suggested from external professionals to help children catch up and keep up with their development. Typically, the support they provide is supportive and improves outcomes for all children.

Children's backgrounds are fully considered, valued and supported from the outset and throughout their attendance at the setting. Secure links with parents and families support children to continue to make progress in their home as well as in nursery. For instance, strategies such as reward charts are shared with parents to help consistent development towards children's goals in learning.

Staff help those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and any other barriers to learning, engage in nursery play. They use adapted strategies to help maintain children's emotional balance and help them to interact with activities. Furthermore, children remain engaged and make progress in their own learning targets.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Children make steady progress through the setting's curriculum and build on what they already know as they move through nursery. They learn and practise new skills, with increasing levels of challenge, as they move through the age groups, which helps them increase their knowledge and skills.

Leaders have a clear focus for children and have started to embed an action plan to help support the implementation and direction of the curriculum. Typically, children already have access to a range of activities and experiences that support their learning and development from the start. However, during the day, staff do not consistently deliver a broad and ambitious curriculum that supports all areas of learning, all of the time. For example, staff do not consistently teach early mathematics if it is not on their focused plans. Leaders have recognised that staff need support to consistently and naturally embed all 7 learning areas of the early years foundation stage.

Children engage with activities they enjoy. Babies choose songs and enjoy singing with staff. There is a clear focus on communication and language support from the start. Babies babble, toddlers chatter, and older children have meaningful conversations with their peers. Staff respond to children's interests and create activities and opportunities to extend learning. Children love imaginative play. They spend lengthy periods of time with staff making pretend food. They name food items and mix them together. Younger children enjoy splashing in the water tray and making lots of bubbles. Staff encourage children's creativity and self-expression.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children make expected progress from their starting points. They enjoy being around their peers and join in with games and activities. Children practise their physical skills as they manipulate and mould dough. Additionally, they use chalks outside to make marks and develop the small muscles in their hands.

Children are independent and enjoy taking charge of tasks. Furthermore, they enjoy helping their friends. For example, older children help younger children to fasten their coats. Children know how and when to wash their hands and are gaining the skills they need in preparation for their move to school. They can concentrate in groups, listen to instructions and show a positive attitude towards learning. This stands them in good stead for their next stages in education.

All children are motivated to play and learn. They choose where they wish to play and are excited to use the large outdoor space on offer to them. Children hunt for 'big puddles' and splash in their wellington boots.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Children follow consistent routines and know what is coming next, helping them feel secure in the nursery. Staff praise children and appreciate their efforts. For example, they thank children for being 'fantastic friends' and for 'good helping'. This helps children feel safe, respected and valued in the nursery.

Behaviour is well supported in the nursery, and staff are knowledgeable about how to help children who struggle to regulate their emotions. Staff use strategies such as traffic light systems, visual aids and reward charts to help improve children's understanding and respect for each other. As a result, children play well together and routines remain calm throughout the day.

Generally, staff are positive and reassure children who are upset. They help new starters and babies settle into the routine and, in the main, address their needs as quickly as they can. Staff model kindness, and babies replicate this when playing with dolls. They care for them and hold them gently.

Children and families are supported to maintain good attendance. Leaders provide further support for those children who have barriers to learning to help continuity of care. For example, they use additional funding to pay for extra sessions that enable children to consistently attend nursery throughout the summer holidays. This helps all children maintain good levels of engagement with their learning and supports emotional regulation.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Policies and procedures are in place that help support children's health and hygiene. Staff know how to keep the nursery safe and clean. Furthermore, they help children develop healthy personal care routines, such as handwashing and wiping noses. Children have access to safe spaces to sleep that meet the needs for their age and stage of development. Staff know how to monitor children when sleeping and how to maintain a safe sleep environment.

Children have the opportunity to explore the outdoor area daily and develop their physical skills in a range of ways. Equipment is safe and suitable for varying ages and stages in development. Babies learn to balance and pull themselves up to standing. Older children climb and run around, learning how to negotiate space.

Children enjoy a range of healthy foods and are supported to eat depending on their individual needs and progress in their feeding journey. For example, strategies for safe weaning and eating are built on, in agreement with parents, based on babies' individual abilities. Children are supervised and supported at all times when eating. They cut their own food up, put their coats on and wash their own hands. Babies are also encouraged to drink from a cup and have a go at eating using cutlery. This helps promote independence and confidence from a young age.

Children learn about emotions and express themselves with confidence. Generally, they know their needs will soon be met. This helps children settle and learn in a comfortable environment. Staff have built strong relationships with children, which helps children feel safe and valued.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Partnerships with parents are effective. Parents know what their children are learning at nursery and are supported to use shared strategies to help children continue in their development at home. Additionally, leaders understand where to use additional funding in order to help children and families who need this additional support the most. Leaders have a strong drive to fully implement their newly developed action plan for improvement and are working with staff to increase their support, addressing their individual learning needs. They recognise where some staff need more help and intend to focus on these areas swiftly in order to have a positive impact on children's learning and development.

Leaders support staff's wellbeing and ensure they are confident and happy in their roles. Staff comment on the amount of support they receive in their professional and personal lives. This leads to a consistent staff team that helps build consistency and security for children who attend the nursery.

Children are supported, through extremely close links with the neighbouring school, to develop the skills they need for their future and to make their transition into education seamless. This helps children feel confident to handle change.