Sandhurst Nursery School CIO

Inclusion: Strong standard

Children who are known to children's social care or who have barriers to their learning receive excellent support. Inclusion is at the heart of everything that staff do. Leaders create a shared ethos to support all children to reach their full potential. Staff take time to get to know each child well. They make excellent use of their observations to identify when children need extra support. Staff make quick referrals and seek advice from other professionals. This helps them to create detailed support plans that highlight how best to help remove barriers. In turn, the use of tailored interventions, like small group work, helps children make rapid progress. There is a sustained, consistent and shared approach so children can close gaps in their development.

Those staff members that support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities undertake specific training to support them in their role. Training is disseminated to all staff so that everyone understands how to make thoughtful, consistent adaptions across the day. For example, when children mispronounce a word, staff praise their efforts. They repeat the word with clarity so that children can practise the correct sounds. Staff give children time to think and respond to questions. This means that they can fully join in and share what they know and would like to do.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have designed a well sequenced and challenging curriculum for all children. There is a clear focus on developing communication and language from a young age. Interactions are full of meaningful conversations so that children hear varied and rich language. Staff are positive role models as they explain to children the difference between a dandelion and a buttercup. Children enjoy conversations, they talk about the seeds that they are growing. When staff identify that children need support in their language development, they help children learn sounds to help them develop into confident communicators. However, the curriculum for literacy is not as well embedded. While staff take time throughout the day to read books, there are some inconsistencies in their storytelling skills. This means that some children do not engage at story time and chose to go off and play instead.

Leaders plan for children to have lots to time to be active and engage in physical play. Children access a forest school area and tend to an allotment. They dig holes so that they can plant the sunflowers that they planted from seeds. This helps children to develop in both their fine and gross motor skills as well as develop a love of nature.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children make positive progress, including those who are receiving extra support. They are suitably prepared for their next stage in their learning. Children develop into confident communicators, who enjoy having conversations with adults and their friends. They excel in their physical development and have access to a wide range of outside space to explore. However, some children are not as well developed in their literacy skills. This is because storytelling sessions do not always engage them to sit and listen.

Children have ample opportunities to develop their independence and manage their own care needs. For example, they help set the table for mealtimes and clear away their plates. They develop the self-help skills that they will need to be able to start school with success. Children are very friendly, they welcome visitors and build effective relationships with staff. They are kind towards each other and share the toys and equipment.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders and staff have established a positive environment, where rules and boundaries are understood and followed by all children. Staff use now and next boards so that children with delays in their communication and language learn the routines and know what is expected of them. For example, all children help to tidy up before washing their hands for snack. They practise their independence as they pull up their sleeves and squeeze the soap onto their hands. They say 'thank you' without prompt. Children receive lots of praise as they learn that they can do things for themselves. They develop positive attitudes to their learning.

Routines are consistent across both rooms. This means that when children transition between room it feels safe and familiar. Children are very friendly. Older children take younger children by the hand as they line up to go for a nature walk. This means that children settle into their new environment with ease and confidence. Leaders work with parents from the onset. They provide them with information on how to access funding and promote good attendance. The nursery offers flexible sessions to meet the needs of working parents and those with older children.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders create a truly nurturing environment, where children flourish. Staff build excellent relationships with families and children from the onset. Settling-in sessions help children to feel safe and confident to leave their parent to play. They key-person system is excellent and well embedded. Staff know about children's interests, personality and needs. They work together to remove any barriers to children's wellbeing. Well-structured routines meet each child's changing needs extremely well. Younger children rest peacefully as staff stroke their hair and pat their backs to give them comfort and reassurance. Mealtimes allow children to talk about the healthy food that they are growing. They clear away their plates and cutlery after eating. Children are relaxed, settled and thriving because the care is thoughtful and full of genuine warmth.

Staff establish meaningful relationships with children, so they build confidence in their abilities. They encourage them to engage in risky play in safe conditions. Children learn to respect the environment and recognise their own capabilities. They keep themselves safe as they negotiate the terrain at forest school and use large climbing equipment with confidence. At the allotment, children explain that they cannot go into the greenhouse because it gets too hot in the summer. They use real tools with care and consideration.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders are passionate, professional and lead with a clear purpose. They are very reflective and strive to improve the environment and curriculum for all children. Parents feedback how much their children enjoy going to the nursery and say that they ask to go each day. Parents feel informed about what their children have been doing each day with detailed updates and photos. However, they are not always too sure what children will be learning next. This means that they do not always know how best to support their child's learning further at home.

Staff are very happy and feedback that they feel supported working in the nursery. Leaders place staff workloads and wellbeing as a priority. They work alongside staff so they can have well-deserved rests throughout the day. Leaders hold regular meetings in which they share best practice. For example, all staff speak with confidence about updates to safer eating and sleeping for children. Alongside this, leaders support and encourage staff to engage with professional development. This helps raise the standards of teaching and the education that children receive. This teamwork creates a calm and collaborative environment for children to thrive.

Leaders have established effective relationships within their local community. They access a wealth of knowledge and expertise from staff at the school on the site in which they operate. Members of the local community donate plants for the children to use in the allotment. This helps children to feel a sense of belonging as they socialise with a wide range of people.