Railway Children Nursery Jump

Inclusion: Needs attention

Children who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are generally supported well. Staff know children's individual needs. They form positive relationships with children. Children feel included and staff encourage them to join in throughout the day.

Leaders and staff identify gaps in children's learning and development. They work with parents and outside agencies to identify the support children need. Leaders work with the local authority and access the support available. While systems are in place, weaknesses in the monitoring of children's assessment limit the progress children with SEND can make. Inconsistencies in the cycle of the plan, do, review process mean that leaders do not ensure all children's progress is closely monitored and assessed in a timely manner. The time between some assessments is too long. This means some children with SEND do not always receive the targeted support they need to make the best possible progress.

Leaders consider how additional funding is used to support children's needs. They liaise with children's key person and consider children's next steps in their learning. However, they do not always monitor the impact the funding makes for disadvantaged children to ensure the best possible outcomes.

Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention

Leaders plan an ambitious curriculum across the 7 areas of learning. However, this is not consistently implemented in practice. While there is a clear focus on the prime areas of learning, other areas are not as well supported, particularly in the outdoor area. Due to inconsistencies in assessing children's needs, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, staff are not always able to tailor their teaching to accurately support children's changing needs. Overall, this has a negative impact on children's progress.

That said, leaders give a high priority to children's communication and language. For example, they have identified a selection of key stories and rhymes for children to learn. This helps children to develop a secure understanding of a range of stories and rhymes. Staff model language and ask questions to help children think about what is happening. They introduce new words. For example, when children are looking at worms, staff explain they are 'earthworms'. However, there are some inconsistencies in teaching that mean some children do not receive high-quality teaching interactions. For example, staff sometimes speak too quickly to younger children and do not allow them time to respond. They do not consistently use the time during transitions effectively. For example, children are sometimes left waiting at lunchtime or during the transition to outside for long periods of time with little interaction from staff. This does not help children to make as much progress as they could.

Children develop their physical skills. There is a wide range of opportunities for children to develop their small and large muscles. For example, children learn to pedal a bike. Staff encourage young children to explore paint with their hands. Staff support children to develop their personal, social and emotional skills. Children enjoy interacting with their friends. Staff model counting '1, 2, 3' as children get ready to jump. Children count the stepping stones as they jump from one to another. Staff sing number songs and rhymes with babies.

Achievement: Needs attention

Overall, children develop appropriate skills across the prime areas of learning. Children make the typical progress in their communication and language, physical, and personal and social development. They generally develop the skills they need for the next stage in their learning. However, leaders do not consistently monitor the progress of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) effectively. This means that, sometimes, there are delays in reviewing children's needs. Staff do not have accurate information to be able to swiftly implement targeted support effectively. This means children with SEND do not always make the progress of which they are capable.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders and staff create a calm and welcoming environment for all children. Staff form positive relationships with their key children. Staff have high expectations for all children's behaviour. Younger children play alongside their friends and begin to be aware of others. Older children play together and learn to take turns. Staff support children to be respectful of each other. Occasionally, when conflict does arise, staff quickly support children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to resolve it. For example, they support children to ask their friends for a turn with the resources and not just take them off each other.

Children display positive behaviours and attitudes in their play. For example, children are interested in the world around them. They take delight when looking for insects in the garden. Staff are enthusiastic and encourage children to look under the stones. They excitedly tell their friends about what they have found. Staff provide activities that babies can easily access. Babies enjoy exploring paint on a mat on the floor. Staff encourage them to explore the paint with their hands. Babies show an interest in exploring the paint.

Leaders have procedures in place to ensure children attend regularly. They swiftly follow up on any non-attendance and support parents to understand the importance of regular attendance for their children.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Staff meet children's individual care needs well. Babies and toddlers sleep in safe spaces when they need it. Staff closely supervise sleep time. When children wake, staff respond warmly and give cuddles until they are ready to continue their play. Staff encourage children to express their emotions throughout the day. They acknowledge how they are feeling, asking children if they are tired or hungry. They respond calmly to their emotional needs, talking to them as they explain what they are doing.

Staff are responsive to the needs of all children. Parents report their children are happy and confident to attend. Typically, children are happy and enjoy the opportunities staff provide. Babies are happy as they choose from the low-level resources and play peekaboo with playful staff. Older children are confident to move around their environment and access the resources freely. Children enjoy their time outdoors to develop their physical health. They enjoy running, jumping and climbing on equipment. Staff teach children to keep themselves safe while playing. Children learn to manage their personal safety as they determine their own risks under close supervision as they jump from height and reach out for help if they need it.

Mealtimes are a sociable time for all children. Staff sit with children in small groups. They promote safer eating guidelines. Leaders provide healthy meals and snacks. They support children to manage their own needs. Babies begin to feed themselves and older children learn to take turns to serve their own food.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

The qualifications of staff do not currently meet the minimum requirements of the early years foundation stage statutory framework. Leaders acknowledge the difficulties in recruiting qualified staff and currently have staff working towards relevant qualifications. Although recruitment checks are in place to ensure all staff are suitable and children's care needs are currently met, the number of unqualified staff is impacting the quality of teaching across the nursery. Additionally, leaders have not ensured that at least half of the staff in the baby room have completed specific baby-related training. This is a further breach of requirements.

The nursery has recently moved premises, and leaders acknowledge there are still improvements needed, particularly in the outdoor area. While a curriculum is in place and leaders have considered the sequence of skills children need to learn, they have not monitored the implementation of this effectively. This has led to some areas of learning not being supported effectively.

Leaders consider staff health and wellbeing a priority and have completed training to support this. They have procedures in place to complete supervisions. Staff access suitable training to support their learning and development. However, due to the high number of unqualified and inexperienced staff, this training is not yet impacting the quality of teaching across the whole nursery.