Puffins in the City

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders build effective partnerships that generally support children with barriers to their learning and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to thrive and achieve. Leaders are proactive in contacting and working with external professionals to enhance outcomes for all children. This partnership working enables children's progress to be monitored and reviewed regularly, and adaptations to be put in place to support the learning and development of children with barriers to their learning. Leaders listen carefully to parents and typically build respectful bonds that help reduce barriers that children face to their learning and/or wellbeing. Leaders adapt staffing and teaching methods, as needed, to promote children's motivation to learn. Leaders are passionate, knowledgeable and committed to their roles and responsibilities in strengthening the learning experiences and outcomes for children with SEND.

Leaders use any additional funding appropriately to support individual children's learning and development well. They provide targeted communication interventions and specialised resources such as wobble cushions, a sensory tent and Makaton training for staff. This helps children eligible for funding to develop their communication skills, regulate their emotions and engage well in learning experiences and daily activities.

Leaders support children transitioning to school well. Leaders contact school staff and hold additional meetings. This helps to support school staff with strategies and teaching methods that are already in place and working well in supporting children with SEND to engage with learning. This promotes consistency in care.

Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention

Leaders have clear curriculum intent in regard to what they want children to learn, but this is not yet consistently taught. Children in different age groups experience varying standards of teaching. For example, although older children engage in a wide range of learning activities and staff frequently interact with babies, toddlers do not routinely receive teaching that best meets their needs. Inconsistencies in teaching and support mean that children do not always make the progress of which they are capable. Leaders are aware of the inconsistencies in staff's knowledge and skills and are providing training to help develop staff's confidence and practice, to best support children's progress. Despite the variable quality of teaching, children with barriers to learning receive targeted support and make good progress.

Staff working with babies model language well for children to copy and practise with as they play. For example, as babies enjoy snacks, staff ask if they would like more. Children beam with excitement as they say 'more'. Staff in the pre-school room ask many questions as children play, and use a wide range of vocabulary with them. For example, as children play a movement game that promotes physical skills, staff use words in context, with visual examples of their meaning to aid children's understanding. Staff instruct children to walk slowly, run on the spot, jump with their feet together, hop on one leg, crouch down and stretch up.

Achievement: Needs attention

Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged children and those with other barriers to learning, make progress from their starting points. However, this is not consistent for all children. Children generally develop social skills as they play with friends. However, some children do not build positive relationships with others because some staff are not consistent in their expectations or the setting's routines. Children in pre-school and the baby room are particularly confident, independent and resilient, and staff promote these skills well. However, toddlers are not as self-confident or as settled and this results in fleeting engagement with activities.

Children demonstrate an increasing understanding of the world around them, and this helps prepare them for future learning. Their frequent outings help children to develop their knowledge of libraries, bridges and types of music, as children enjoy passing buskers and recognising songs. Children build their sense of self as they learn to regulate in rapidly changing environments, such as a busy city centre with a rich range of sounds, sights and smells.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Needs attention

Children enjoy playing with their friends and are familiar with the setting's routines. Most children show trust and comfort in their relationships with staff. However, at times, routines do not meet children's needs and children wait for extended periods. This happens as children prepare for outings, as children wait for lunch and as children queue to use the toilet and wash their hands. These transitions are not well managed and result in children becoming unsettled or displaying unwanted behaviours.

At other times, children typically behave well. Most staff encourage positive behaviour, but they are not consistent in their approach to this. Strategies are in place to support children who benefit from additional help with managing their feelings and/or behaviours. However, teaching does not always consider the ages and stages of children. For example, as toddlers make play dough, staff do not teach turn-taking, patience and sharing. This results in unwanted behaviours, and staff do not promote children's kindness, care and positive behaviours for one another.

Leaders monitor attendance well and are swift to contact parents if a child does not arrive as planned. This promotes a shared understanding of the importance of regular attendance and helps support parents to return their children to the setting following a period of absence.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Needs attention

Leaders build care routines with children in mind, but they are mixed in effectiveness. During outings, children's experiences vary greatly. All children have sun cream applied. Some staff support some children to develop sun safety. Children wear sun hats and staff offer them water to drink with their picnic snack, but this practice is not consistent, and this means that not all children's wellbeing is best supported. Staff do not consistently follow policies and procedures in place for outings to promote consistency in care. Staff monitor and support sleeping children effectively to promote wellbeing and welfare. They complete accident, incident and administration of medication records and share these with parents and families as they need.

Staff teach children healthy habits, such as trying a range of fruits and vegetables at snack time, enjoying time outside in fresh air and washing their hands prior to eating. During mealtimes, staff support children to develop safer eating practices, such as remaining seated when eating and not trying to speak when they have food in their mouths. However, children do not all experience mealtimes that are social experiences. Toddlers are served their lunches a few at a time and eat at tables with little chatter. In contrast, pre-schoolers and babies enjoy mealtimes full of chatter and communication.

Children develop knowledge and skills to keep themselves healthy. They learn about healthy foods and balanced diets and are offered meals that follow government guidance. Children enjoy accessing an outdoor space that is timetabled to support all children to have access to fresh air regularly and enjoy activities that promote coordination, control and strength, such as balance trails and playing with large hoops.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

The leadership of the setting has recently changed. However, leaders have long-standing experience, and their understanding of the setting, and the children and families it serves, has been fundamental in this period of change. Leaders recognise that there have been many staff changes recently and this has impacted on consistency in care and teaching. They are proactive in putting support in place to help staff to fulfil their roles and responsibilities. Leaders run a wealth of in-house training, and many members of staff are booked on training that is well targeted to build their confidence and skills.

Leaders are reflective and responsive and have quickly strengthened communication between parents and the setting to promote consistency in care. Leaders are passionate about supporting the whole family unit, and many parents speak of the positive impact that this has on the wellbeing of every member of their families. Leaders have identified raising the standard of teaching, so that all children receive high-quality learning experiences, as a priority. They recognise the need to develop daily routines and transitions so that they meet children's needs and promote positive attitudes to learning.

Leaders prioritise the safety of children. They follow safe recruitment practices, and risk assessments are suitable. When on outings, children are safe; however, leaders recognise that staff do not consistently adopt processes in place to ensure all children have their needs met at all times.