Roundabouts Day Nursery

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders clearly and accurately identify children's emerging needs. They ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or those with barriers to their learning are effectively supported to promote their wellbeing and learning. Leaders and practitioners assess what children know and can do. They work with parents and carers to develop support plans that specifically target their identified learning needs.

Practitioners continuously monitor children's progress. They swiftly adapt plans to meet children's changing needs and ongoing development. Practitioners know individual children extremely well. They adapt practices in the moment to meet their individual needs. For example, practitioners recognise when children are becoming overwhelmed and support them to bounce, to help them to manage their emotions. This means that children remain engaged in learning and make secure progress towards their goals.

Practitioners use specific strategies to meet the individual needs of children with SEND. They use visual cards to support children to participate in routines. This means that children with SEND actively participate in routines alongside their peers. Practitioners monitor the effectiveness of these strategies. They adapt the strategies to ensure that children continually receive the most appropriate support to enable them to flourish.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders ensure that the curriculum is of a high quality and inclusive for all children. They have high expectations of practitioners' engagement with children. They effectively model this as they work alongside the team. Leaders support practitioners to build a clear understanding of how to successfully implement a curriculum to meet the needs of all children, including those with barriers to their learning or those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Practitioners adapt their teaching and learning experiences to meet children's individual needs. They understand what children know and can do. For example, while exploring farm animals, practitioners support younger toddlers to use 1-2 words, while more confident communicators are asked open-ended questions. Practitioners effectively sequence the curriculum to enable children to achieve.

Practitioners consistently support children's communication and language skills. They prioritise language through all interactions. For example, while making sandcastles in the sand pit, practitioners describe what children are doing, and they pause for children to respond, to enable a back-and-forth conversation. Practitioners adapt how they communicate to meet the needs of individual children. They use simple signs, such as dog, to support children's understanding and communication skills. Practitioners effectively support toddlers' physical development through exploring in the nature garden. They support children to build their confidence to walk up and down banks.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children make excellent progress from their starting points, particularly children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They build confidence in social situations and happily join group activities, such as reading stories. Children begin to develop the skills of self-regulation with support from their key person. This means that all children, including those with SEND, remain engaged in learning for extended periods of time. Children develop a rich range of vocabulary through intentional conversations. They develop their independence over time and build confidence in their abilities. Pre-school children independently remove their waterproof overalls, while babies walk with increasing independence to play outside.

Children develop the knowledge and skills to support them to effectively transition to the next stage of their learning. They build friendships and develop their social skills as they take turns at activities. For example, children take turns to feel the foam as they draw letters.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders and practitioners have established a safe and inclusive environment where children are happy and settled. They have clear expectations for children's behaviour and share the importance of regular attendance with parents and carers. Leaders effectively follow up any non-attendance, which supports children's safety and wellbeing. Practitioners typically model care and consideration in their interactions with all children. On rare occasions, there are inconsistencies during routine times, where practitioners hurry through the routine. This impacts children's sense of security and unsettles some children, who otherwise enjoyed calm and engaging interactions.

Practitioners support children to develop concentration skills to focus on activities, using their interests. For example, practitioners support children to explore emotions through their interest in drawing. Practitioners give children specific praise and acknowledge their achievements. They are enthusiastic about children's learning and show enjoyment in children's play. This means that children have positive attitudes to learning and play well together, taking turns. Practitioners work closely with external agencies to support the learning and development of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They adapt their expectations during routine times to meet the individual needs of all children. For example, practitioners provide tents for children during times of transition to create a safe space for them to rest.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders and practitioners create a warm and welcoming space for children to play and learn. They empower children to share their ideas for the nursery menu. This supports children's understanding of healthy eating. Practitioners have not yet embedded well-structured routines consistently, particularly at lunchtime. This means that during lunchtime, some children and babies do not always benefit from calm and purposeful interactions to support their wellbeing. Practitioners support children to follow hygiene practices with increasing independence. For example, children wash their hands after blowing their nose.

Practitioners ensure that children have opportunities to play and explore outside to support their wellbeing. They support children to learn about how to keep themselves safe. For example, practitioners encourage children to climb down the hill. They give children time to test their own abilities but are available if they need support. Practitioners build positive relationships with children and babies. This ensures that their wellbeing is promoted, and children feel safe and secure. Practitioners ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have secure attachments to their key person. The key person is attuned to the needs of children with SEND and recognise small changes in their behaviour and engagement. This enables them to adapt their practice so that children with SEND remain engaged in learning and play.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders have embedded a positive culture of improvement at the nursery. They actively support practitioners to reflect on their practice. This means that they are consistently adapting their practice based on the needs of the children. Leaders have a clear understanding of the nursery's strengths and areas of improvement. They implement actions to ensure that the nursery continues to improve. For example, the leaders complete regular reviews of the nursery practice and use this to inform professional learning opportunities that are developed for practitioners.

Leaders ensure that professional learning opportunities are tailored to meet the individual needs of practitioners. They clearly identify the professional knowledge that practitioners need and also adapt the delivery to suit practitioners' learning styles. This has a positive impact on the teaching and learning at the nursery. Practitioners are confident in their roles and implement professional learning into practice. Leaders prioritise practitioners' wellbeing. They create a sense of team through regular events, and practitioners enjoy coming to work.

Leaders and practitioners build effective relationships with parents and carers. They involve them in decisions about the nursery. For example, leaders involved parents in reviewing and developing the new menu. Leaders ensure that parents are fully involved in their children's learning. They provide regular updates about children's progress. Leaders and practitioners know their families well and adapt how they involve families to meet their individual needs. For example, leaders use various methods to communicate children's learning, including using an interpreter when necessary. Leaders work effectively with multiple agencies to ensure that children receive the ongoing support to help them to achieve and make progress in their learning.