Sammy Snail Day Care

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders implement highly efficient ways to evaluate and closely monitor children's development, and any emerging gaps in children's learning are swiftly identified. Leaders have high aspirations for all children, and routines and learning experiences are adapted to meet children's individual needs. For example, to gain a holistic understanding of the children and their families, individual, shorter timetables are offered. This helps to support children who struggle with their transition into the setting. This quickly reduces any barriers to children's learning, ensuring that all have access to an inclusive learning environment.

Leaders have effective strategies in place and they support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and their families. Leaders use additional funding to provide staff training, specialist resources and support for children. This quickly closes gaps in children's learning and is highly impactful.

Staff skilfully support children with SEND, and there are consistently proactive measures in place. For example, staff engage and play alongside them, to ensure that children stay regulated and have maximum opportunities to learn.

Staff prioritise clear communication through targeted support, especially for children with SEND. This approach removes any barriers, minimises frustrations and enables all children to make meaningful progress, at their own pace.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders implement a consistently broad, well-sequenced curriculum, engaging and motivating children in meaningful learning and encouraging them to become active learners. The inclusive curriculum is superbly designed to build on children's interests and next steps in their learning. For example, activities are specially adapted for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff build on what children can do and what they need to progress to, enabling them to be curious about their learning.

Staff enthusiastically engage with all children. Staff place a significant focus on children's physical development. Planned learning opportunities are incredibly well thought through by the staff working with the children. Children are expertly shown how to use their core bodies to balance, increasing their accuracy and control.

Staff skilfully and confidently implement a curriculum rich with communication and language. They role model language and repeatedly extend children's vocabulary. Staff use mathematical language with the children throughout. For example, they ask questions about how many more they need and what comes next when counting in numerical order, 1 to 5.

Children positively interact with stories, singing and taking turns. They recall information and enthusiastically make choices about what and who they would like to play with. The teaching of the curriculum is responsive and purposeful, and children's interests are consistently included and embedded in the planning.

Achievement: Strong standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or barriers to their learning, are well prepared for school due to their participation in a wide range of skills and knowledge across the curriculum.

Children confidently engage in conversations with staff and play alongside others, showing high levels of concentration and engagement. For example, they sit and wait patiently to choose a yoga character that they pretend to be. Younger children engage socially at mealtimes and join in with conversations. This promotes inclusivity and a sense of belonging.

Children are developing and progressing well, and they are effectively prepared for the next stage of their journey on to school. From their initial starting points, their achievement is excellent. Children are also provided with ample opportunities for exploration, cooperation and engagement in the outdoor environment.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Children thrive in the warm, relaxed, engaging environment. Leaders promote high expectations for behaviour, and children know what is expected of them due to the explanations given. Children are taught how to be kind to each other and why using their manners is important. This has a positive impact on how children treat one another.

Children understand the daily routines and respond to cues extremely well. For example, children know that when the bell is rung, it is snack time and they need to wash their hands. Staff use animated voices during the changeover of activities. This helps the children to transition seamlessly from one task to another. Children use characters they are familiar with from a healthy lifestyles programme. They introduce '2 Snacks Max', who helps them to make healthy choices from fruit and vegetables. Children share this with their parents, through repeating at home the songs that they have learned in the setting.

Children build positive relationships and secure attachments, and seek staff out for comfort. Children's attendance is encouraged and parents understand the importance of this. All parents speak extremely highly of all staff and how well their children have settled.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders and staff know children and their families well and are responsive to their needs. Children's emotional wellbeing is supported through comprehensive transitions and the strong bonds formed with key persons. Children manage risks independently as they navigate confidently through their environment. For example, they climb onto the slide and balance on the wooden planks. Children have daily opportunities for fresh air, supporting their physical development and mental wellbeing.

Children demonstrate independence in their self-care skills, confidently using cutlery during mealtimes. Leaders and staff are respectful and manage personal care in a way that respects privacy. Children are confident to make choices, such as choosing songs or their own resources. Staff know their children well and are consistently supporting their needs, for example by wiping noses, giving cuddles and interacting and engaging in conversation. Staff respond sympathetically to children's individual needs, working closely with parents for consistency. To help children develop their love of books and to enhance their speech at home, books are loaned to parents.

Leaders place great emphasis on safety through supervision and clear risk assessments, enabling children to become capable and self-assured learners.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders are passionate about the development of the setting and their role in the local community, leading to an accurate understanding of their areas for development. Communication and language has been identified as an area for development. Therefore, staff consistently focus on expanding conversations and vocabulary skills. Staff have received specific training to support any gaps in children's learning.

Leaders prioritise the emotional wellbeing of staff and children by continually reflecting and adapting the provision. Staff receive support to identify and access relevant training that will enhance their knowledge and skills. Leaders have secured close relationships with the staff who work directly with the children. They continually liaise with and assist each other, and staff retention is excellent.

Leaders work in partnership with parents and carers to help children to make progress towards their next steps in their learning, most of the time. For example, they share their knowledge of children's achievements to further support learning at home. However, not all parents are aware of their child's key person or specific next steps. This could potentially impact on the information shared and progress they make.

Staff attend multi-agency meetings and effectively support children who need additional support, especially during their transitions to school.