Scholars Childcare

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders create an inclusive culture where they value and recognise children's uniqueness. Leaders have oversight over all children who may face barriers to their learning, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders and staff work well with parents and carers to establish children's individual needs. Staff identify children who may have SEND or other barriers to learning swiftly through observations and discussions with parents. They put individual support plans into place to support children to make progress. There are effective systems in place to monitor children's progress, review the support and assess the impact. Leaders work closely with the local authority SEND team and ensure that children receive the specialist support they need. Leaders use additional funding effectively to support individual children's needs. They purchase resources and consider appropriate interventions to close children's gaps in learning and development. For example, staff provide individual or small-group interventions to target specific needs. Staff receive regular support and training to develop their knowledge and understanding of how to support specific children's needs. The support that staff provides reduces barriers to children learning and development.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders accurately highlight the strengths in their curriculum, and they have plans in place to further develop areas. Staff know what they want children to know and be able to do at different points in their learning journey and across all areas of learning. Staff identify core books and nursery rhymes for each age group. For example, toddlers join in with spontaneous singing and older children join in with story times. This gives children lots of opportunities to learn new vocabulary and hear and say repetitive phrases.

Children strengthen their finger and hand muscles though activities, such as making sculptures from dough and digging for easter objects. Outside, they develop their gross motor skills. For example, children balance and climb over structures, and they improve their coordination as they ride bicycles.

Staff use books to explore emotions with children. They talk to children about how to be kind to each other and why it is important. This supports children's personal, social and emotional development. Staff interweave mathematical learning through play and activities as they encourage children to notice and talk about the colour, size, shape and number of objects. For example, children sort small bears by colour and size before counting them to find the total. This helps children to understand the language and concepts related to number, shape and measures.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children progress well across all areas of learning and development. Children develop appropriate early communication skills. For example, babies babble and begin to say words, toddlers expand their vocabulary and older children hold conversations with others. Children who have a speech and language delay make progress from their starting points.

Children learn a range of nursery rhymes and develop a love of books. This supports their language and literacy development. Younger children talk about the colour, size and shape of objects. Older children learn to count and explore capacity. This means that children secure the foundational mathematical concepts within number and space, shape and measures.

Children become increasingly independent. As they move through the setting, they learn how to put on and take off aprons and coats, how to use the toilet and blow their noses independently. This supports children to be able to take care of their own personal care needs. This helps children to be ready for their next stage in learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders and staff set clear expectations for children's behaviour. Children generally follow the rules of the setting and behave well. Where necessary, staff give gentle reminders of their expectations. For example, when the noise level rises, staff remind children to use their 'indoor voices'. There are behaviour reward systems in place for older children and staff give children frequent praise. Leaders closely monitor children's behaviour so that they can address any changes and support children appropriately. Staff teach children the importance of kindness, care and respect. Where children find social interaction difficult, staff plan small-group interventions to support the development of specific skills. Children have positive attitudes to learning and frequently ask to join activities. Children of all ages engage in the motivating activities for extended periods of time.

On the whole, routines across the setting positively support children's learning, development and care. However, lunchtime routines sometimes leave children waiting for long periods and do not fully promote independence skills, such as self-serving and tidying away. At these times, children's learning and wellbeing is not consistent. Children attend well and are punctual. There are effective systems in place to promote and support families to develop positive habits which will support future learning.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Staff develop secure and responsive relationships with the children in their care. They know children well and respond quickly to their needs. For example, when babies show signs of wanting to walk, staff support them. Staff support children with their care needs sensitively. For example, staff gently blow babies' noses and ask children before they take them to change their nappy. This supports secure attachments between staff and children.

Staff support children to recognise, express and manage their emotions. They teach children strategies to regulate their feelings, for example, by using breathing exercises. Calm areas in each room contain resources, such as light tubes and fish tanks, which support children to manage their feelings. This helps children to develop a secure sense of emotional wellbeing.

Staff promote children's physical development, health and wellbeing. For example, the on-site catering team provides children with a balanced and nutritious diet. Staff provide children with a calm and safe environment in which to rest. However, staff do not consistently provide children with ample time to play in each rooms' dedicated and spacious outdoor area. This impacts on children achieving optimum physical health and emotional wellbeing.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

After the last inspection, leaders took swift action to drive improvements. A review of the environment, policies and procedures now ensures there are no breaches in the requirements of the early years foundations stage framework. Leaders have an effective self-evaluation process in place, which enables them to identify the settings strengths and areas for development. They plan annual projects in which they invest in the environment and systems. Leaders ensure the setting engages in programmes and projects which support all children's learning and development, particularly those who are disadvantaged, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who face other barriers to learning and/or wellbeing.

A varied programme of high-quality professional development opportunities typically supports staff to develop their knowledge and skills. However, professional development opportunities are not always precisely matched to staff's individual needs. This impacts on staff's ability to continually improve their practice and provision. Leaders consider staff's wellbeing and workload when making decisions. They make reasonable adjustments for individual staff where appropriate.

Parents and carers speak highly of the staff and the service they provide. They say that their children settle quickly and love to attend. Parents feel that their children make progress, particularly in their communication and language development. They say that staff inform them of what their child is doing at the setting. Parents say staff provide support to ensure that their children's learning can continue at home.