Puddleducks Day Nursery

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders and staff typically ensure that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or where there are barriers to learning, are fully included in the nursery. Thoughtful and generally well-considered adaptations are made and sympathetically accommodated so that children's individual needs are supported. Staff recognise the different ways young children learn and adapt their teaching to suit. Leaders and staff are generally thorough in their monitoring of children's ongoing development. This means that they promptly highlight where additional help is needed. They quickly put in place plans to support progress. They liaise closely with parents and carers, as well as other professionals, to ensure the individual needs of all children are met.

Leaders understand about the range of funding available to them. Through their prompt recognition of individual needs, they typically access funding in a timely way. This is used carefully to help support the individual progress of children with SEND. For example, intervention resources such as an 'attention bucket' have been put together for use to help with communication and interaction. Those children with barriers to learning are supported to attend regularly, and this helps to ensure that their ongoing development is nurtured.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders and staff establish and embed a positive, focused and ambitious curriculum that covers all areas of learning. They skilfully adapt the everyday learning opportunities and routines to meet the needs of the group of children attending at any given time. Leaders and staff make sure that the curriculum is structured to help children build on their skills and knowledge. Staff use ongoing observations and assessments well to identify children's progress and highlight relevant next steps. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are supported well. Leaders and staff make sensitive and appropriate adaptations to support individual children well. They use sharply focused intervention strategies very well to help all children make progress from their starting points.

Leaders and staff provide rich and meaningful learning opportunities indoors, and children are motivated, keen and interested to explore and investigate. The provision for outdoor learning does not offer the same richness in learning opportunities, and this limits children's interest and motivation when outside. While children enjoy climbing and running around, they do not consistently have enough opportunity to fully explore and play actively or develop their critical thinking. Staff's interactions typically support children's learning. They encourage children's language development, for example, as they tell stories with enthusiasm and excitement. They provide opportunities for children to explore mathematical ideas as they fill the containers with sand. However, children do not consistently hear enough mathematical language or a wide range of vocabulary as they play. This means that children do not consistently build upon what they already know.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children are generally making typical progress from their starting points. They play alongside their friends and are interested and motivated to explore the learning opportunities on offer to them. Children are confident learners and enjoy their play and learning at this nursery. Children listen carefully and with interest to instructions, for example as they have a go at drawing nature objects during an Autumn related activity. They chat with their friends, negotiate as they play alongside each other and share resources well. Babies are involved as they explore and investigate with their senses and develop their confidence with the dedicated support of their key person. Children hear staff singing songs and telling stories, and they listen with fascination.

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or other barriers to learning, are prepared for their next stage of learning. Children's transitions between rooms are thoughtfully considered, depending on the needs and personalities of individual children. This means children are happy and content. Older children enjoy activities that prepare them well for their move to school. However, they do not always have enough opportunity to fully develop their independence, particularly during mealtimes and with their personal hygiene.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who face barriers to learning, know and understand routines and expectations. Staff adapt routines very well when children need flexibility in the environment. Leaders and staff successfully nurture a happy and caring nursery. This supports positive behaviour and strong relationships, and children behave extremely well. Even the youngest children show care and consideration for others and play alongside each other harmoniously. This helps prepare them for school. However, children do not consistently have enough opportunities to become increasingly independent in personal care tasks and at mealtimes, for example. This means some children do not develop confidence in undertaking tasks for themselves.

Staff are positive role models as they help children to understand their feelings and emotions. Staff skilfully recognise when children need their own space or a change of activity to help self-regulation, and they quickly provide these opportunities. Children, including those with SEND and barriers to learning, typically join in with activities and enjoy their play. Leaders promote the importance of attending nursery regularly and punctuality to parents and carers. They know children and their family circumstances very well and are flexible in accommodating individual needs. This supports children's good attendance.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Babies and children are nurtured in this nursery. Staff build caring and secure relationships with them and support their individual needs well. This helps children feel secure, safe and ready to learn. Those caring for babies liaise closely with parents and carers to follow personalised care and sleep routines. This promotes consistency, even at this very young age. Babies are nurtured as they confidently explore the interesting and exciting baby room. They reach for favourite toys and resources and look to their key person for reassurance. They snuggle in with staff for a story. Children choose from a range of activities, but they do not always have the wide range of opportunities to do things for themselves. This is particularly evident at mealtimes and during personal care routines, which means some children do not develop their independence.

Children's physical health is supported as they run around in the fresh air in the garden. They notice how they get out of breath when they run from one end of the garden to the other as fast as they can. Babies confidently crawl from space to space or use furniture and soft play to pull themselves up to standing. They know the importance of washing their hands when they return inside and get ready for lunchtime.

Children thoroughly enjoy freshly prepared, home-cooked and nutritious meals. They understand about being healthy as they chat with staff about healthy vegetables and good things to eat. Staff sit with children during mealtimes to ensure their safety as they eat. Children sleep soundly because staff are attentive and follow the nursery safer sleep procedures.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders have a secure and knowledgeable oversight of the provision for children. They are passionate and reflective about ensuring a consistent and caring environment for them. They typically embed a curriculum that is appropriate and meaningful for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and where there are barriers to learning. This means that, overall, all children build on their knowledge and skills.

Leaders support staff well, and this helps to ensure their wellbeing. There is an open and honest culture of support, and all staff work very well together as a team. Overall, leaders provide a range of training and professional development opportunities for staff. This typically helps them develop their knowledge and understanding of their role and how to effectively support all children. New staff are supported in their role because leaders follow a comprehensive induction to ensure they understand their responsibilities from the start. Staff say they feel supported by leaders and value the open communication, which encourages discussion. Leaders develop and maintain effective partnerships with parents and carers. Leaders and staff communicate with parents every day, so they know what their children enjoy doing and what their development and progress looks like. Parents say that they are happy with the provision and say that the support they receive is excellent. They say their children are happy and their individual personalities and needs are recognised and valued.