Scribbles Day Nursery (Gorleston) Ltd

Inclusion: Strong standard

Children achieve very well, progressing securely through the nursery and preparing confidently for their next stages in education. Practitioners assess children's starting points and work closely with parents. This ensures children receive early additional support, when needed, informed by external professionals, such as health visitors and speech and language specialists.

Communication and language development are a key priority. Babies and children learn Makaton and attempt simple key words that are repeated clearly by staff, who use rich vocabulary and curious questions to deepen children's thinking. Children receive tailored support, such as extra settling sessions, personalised play plans and transition books, to ensure they feel settled and ready to learn. The sensory room enhances children's experiences in the setting. Leaders work closely with parents to maintain consistent routines and share detailed daily updates, strengthening the shared understanding of each child's needs. Early years pupil premium is used effectively in partnership with families and influenced by children's interests. For example, microphones have been introduced to deepen engagement with children who are developing speech and language skills.

Regular open days and play sessions help children explore the setting with their parents and caregivers, helping term-time children to remain familiar with the setting and feel secure after time away. This strengthens trusting relationships, improves communication and builds a shared understanding of each child's needs.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders and staff share a clear vision for what they want children to learn and provide strong direction for the curriculum and teaching. Staff understand how learning builds over time. Tools such as 'word flowers' record the intent, implementation and impact of activities. This ensures consistent teaching and staff are able to adapt activities in the moment effectively for different learning needs.

High-quality interactions underpin practice, with staff joining children's play and linking conversations to setting-wide topics, such as 'All About Me'. Staff use open-ended questions to deepen communication and thinking, for example, during drawing, a member of staff described her house with one door and two windows, prompting children to draw their own homes and the people inside, confidently sharing who they were. Mathematical and positional language is embedded naturally throughout routines and play, helping children use vocabulary, such as 'pouring' and 'scooping' while playing in the water tray. Children climb the mini stage outside and staff name how children are 'on top' while they rolls balls 'under' the stage. Children show signs of counting while climbing up the stairs and say how many fishing rods they hold. Teaching is inclusive and responsive to children's interests and starting points.

Achievement: Strong standard

All children achieve and progress very well from their individual starting points. Any gaps in learning reduce consistently, especially for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Children become confident communicators, who are well prepared for their next stage of learning. Children develop a love of books, eagerly joining in with rhymes and songs and acting out favourite pages, strengthening their vocabulary and recall. Children are inquisitive and explore freely indoors and outdoors, supported by well-placed furniture that enables them to cruise, crawl or walk confidently as they investigate the environment.

Babies develop their confidence and respond positively to celebrations of their achievement and praise. They enjoy exploring mess-free fruit bags, where they hear words, like 'squish' and 'squeeze', before progressing to a messy option of vegetable printing, where even the youngest children attempt the vocabulary they have heard previously.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Practitioners build warm, trusting relationships with children, modelling kind, empathetic and respectful language and supporting children's emotional development and regulation. However, consistency in the messages practitioners use to promote children's positive behaviours is still developing.

Babies reach out to practitioners for reassurance and practitioners are attentive and able to settle them with cuddles and calming words. Children show positive attitudes to learning, engaging enthusiastically in activities. From an early age, children understand and demonstrate positive behaviours, show consideration for each other and learn turn-taking skills. For example, they understand that only one child is allowed down the slide at a time and they wait for children to clear the slide before making their descent.

Routines are well embedded within the nursery and the day flows, with children understanding what is coming next. At mealtimes, staff sit with children and encourage conversations about their food, such as the tastes and textures. Children's independence is encouraged through serving, pouring and handwashing. Staff promote table manners, such as saying please and thank you, and use signs with words to support younger children's communication. Routines such as sleeping, feeding and weaning are typically adapted to each child's age, stage and individual needs, with close communication between home and nursery. Practitioners strive to deliver personalised routines consistently, however, this is not yet fully embedded during the busier parts of the day, such as lunchtime.

Leaders work closely with parents to strengthen their understanding of child development, for example explaining typical behaviours like biting. Children show their understanding by saying 'teeth are for eating our food'. As a result, children feel safe and learn acceptable behaviours. Leaders promote the importance of regular attendance, starting at initial conversations with parents and carers. Attendance is monitored closely, with prompt follow up to maintain children's safety.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders and staff demonstrate a deep understanding of the children in their care. Support for children's emotional development is woven thoughtfully into everyday practice. Through structured resources, like 'emotion monsters', children learn to recognise, express and manage their emotions well. Practitioners skilfully select books to enhance children's emotional understanding.

Healthy choices are embedded in daily routines, with nutritious meals provided from specialists. Guidance for families is provided to promote balanced, healthy food being bought from home. Individual dietary needs are met, with colour-coded plates and personalised placemats being used to help ensure every practitioner understands each child's requirements and all children are kept safe. Children develop independence and positive eating habits as they wash hands, pour drinks and serve themselves.

The setting supports the whole family very well, offering a clothes swap and sharing oral health guidance. The setting signposts families to community food banks and acts as a collection point for donations. Leaders share important online safety information with the families.

The environment is intentionally structured to promote children's physical development, with steps, slides, physical obstacles and ride-on toys supporting balance and coordination. The youngest children are able to crawl, cruise or walk confidently as they explore, both inside and outside freely.

Overall, routines such as sleeping, feeding and weaning are generally managed with flexibility and care, ensuring they reflect children's individual needs. Staff work closely with parents to maintain consistency between home and nursery, adapting routines as children grow and develop, supporting children's emotional development.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders aspire to deliver high-quality services to children and families. Leaders understand the local community and have strong links with families and partner agencies, ensuring all children receive coordinated support and reducing barriers to learning. Leaders value staff and have established a strong culture of learning and improvement, with the turnover of staff being low, which means children receive consistency in their care. Leaders have stringent recruitment processes and offer thorough inductions, regular supervision and training sessions, ensuring staff practice is regularly reviewed and refined.

Leaders have a secure understanding of the setting's strengths and take deliberate steps to address areas for improvement. Through regular observations, they identify where practice can be strengthened, such as embedding children's routines more consistently and ensuring practitioners use consistent messages to promote positive behaviours. This reflects leaders' strong commitment to continuous improvement. The setting's action plans are regularly reviewed, and feedback from parents, staff and external partners is used to drive continuous improvement. For example, leaders are enhancing communication and language teaching through take-home packs and the development of communication baskets.

Decisions made by leaders and those responsible for governance are firmly rooted in the best interests of children, particularly those who are disadvantaged, have special educational needs and/or disabilities, are known to social care or who face other barriers to their learning. Leaders work with practitioners to identify emerging needs early and work closely with parents, external agencies and the local authority to ensure timely, targeted support. This ensures children's progress is not left to chance.

Leaders maintain strong partnerships with parents and the wider community, including open days, play sessions and links with external agencies, ensuring families feel supported and well informed. Overall, strategic leadership and governance are strong, with decisions consistently focused on improving outcomes and ensuring every child thrives.