Seedlings Montessori Childcare Ltd

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders place a strong emphasis on inclusion and create an environment where every child is valued and able to thrive. Staff are quick to identify where a child may need additional support and implement appropriate strategies to meet their needs. Strong partnership working with parents and external agencies ensures children receive timely, targeted support that has a positive impact on their learning and development.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported by knowledgeable and experienced staff who understand their individual needs. Staff work closely with leaders and professionals, such as occupational therapists, to make precise adaptations. This ensures all children can access the full curriculum and participate alongside their peers. Specialist equipment is used effectively to help children engage purposefully in play and learning. As a result, children with SEND make good progress from their starting points.

Leaders use additional funding effectively to meet the specific needs of eligible children. For example, funding has been used to introduce 'emotion bags' to help children recognise and regulate their feelings successfully. Staff use observation and assessment accurately to identify where children may need extra support, such as with language development, and tailor provision accordingly, helping to improve children's outcomes.

Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention

Staff make effective use of small-group and one-to-one interactions to deepen children's learning. For instance, they embed early mathematical concepts into play, encouraging children to count, compare quantities and use positional language. However, on occasion, children are not fully supported by staff to join in activities and engage in the intended learning. As a result, these children do not always benefit from the same level of interaction as others. Leaders recognise this and have begun to implement strategies to improve consistency in teaching.

Overall, leaders have designed a clear and purposeful curriculum that focuses on preparing children for the next stage of their learning. Staff use assessment to identify children's next steps and adapt teaching to meet their individual needs, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. A range of communication strategies, such as Makaton alongside verbal language, are used to strengthen children's communication and language development.

Children develop their physical skills well through a wide range of engaging activities. Babies have consistent opportunities to crawl, pull themselves up and take their first steps. Older children benefit from daily outdoor play, where they confidently run, balance and climb. These experiences support children to become physically confident and well prepared for future learning.

Achievement: Needs attention

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning, generally make progress from their individual starting points. They are independent, curious learners who confidently explore, investigate and ask questions. Children communicate their thoughts and ideas clearly and are developing strong language and reasoning skills. For instance, children experiment with paint and ice, recalling prior learning as they predict what colours will appear when mixing them together. However, due to weaknesses in teaching, children are not yet typically supported to deepen their learning or extend their thinking further. As a result, not all children make the best possible progress they are capable of.

Children persevere when faced with challenges and take pride in their achievements. For example, during role play, they work together to solve problems, such as finding ways to transport water to their pan. Staff support children to develop key attitudes to learning, including resilience, cooperation and sustained concentration. As a result, children develop the knowledge and skills they need for the next stage of their learning, including their eventual move to school.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Needs attention

Leaders set age-appropriate expectations for children's behaviour. Staff use praise effectively to build children's confidence and self-esteem, recognising effort and celebrating positive choices. However, staff do not always explain the reasons behind expectations, which means children do not fully understand why certain behaviours are important. For example, while children are reminded not to run indoors or to avoid eating play food, staff do not consistently explain how these rules help to keep them safe. As a result, children do not yet develop a secure understanding of expectations or how their actions impact on themselves and others. Staff have recently attended behaviour training to strengthen their approaches and promote greater consistency, but this is still in the early stages and is not yet fully embedded across the nursery.

Despite this, children demonstrate kindness and respect towards one another and build warm, trusting relationships. They enjoy playing cooperatively and generally follow routines well. For instance, when staff ring the nursery bell, children respond quickly, recognising this as a signal to tidy away and prepare to move indoors. Leaders also emphasise the importance of attending regularly and work closely with families to promote positive attendance. Staff encourage children to take on age-appropriate responsibilities, such as handing out cups at mealtimes or tidying equipment. These opportunities support children to develop independence and learn to care for their environment.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Children's wellbeing is at the heart of this nursery. Leaders and staff provide a safe, warm and welcoming environment where children feel secure and valued. Each child is allocated a key person and a secondary key person, which ensures continuity of care and emotional support. Staff know children well and understand how to support their individual needs. Effective settling-in sessions help children to feel safe, and detailed information is gathered from parents to support a smooth transition. Staff teach children to recognise and talk about their feelings, through resources such as 'emotion bags' and through consistent conversations during daily routines. This builds their emotional awareness, self-esteem and sense of belonging.

Leaders place strong emphasis on promoting healthy lifestyles. Children benefit from daily outdoor play and walks in the local community, which support physical development and wellbeing. Staff involve children in self-care routines, such as washing their hands and making healthy choices at mealtimes. Staff also help children learn about personal safety, for example by teaching them to remain seated while eating to reduce the risk of choking. The nursery cook prepares nutritious, well-balanced snacks and meals, further supporting children's understanding of healthy eating. Care routines, including supervision during eating and sleeping, are implemented effectively to support children's safety and emotional wellbeing.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders are reflective and have high expectations for children's learning. They maintain effective oversight of the nursery and regularly identify strengths and areas for further improvement. For example, recent changes to outdoor transitions have helped create a calmer and more purposeful routine for children. Leaders are also reviewing lunchtime arrangements, to reduce noise levels and enhance children's dining experiences. This demonstrates their commitment to continuous improvement.

Staff wellbeing is prioritised. Staff say that they enjoy working at the nursery and feel valued, listened to and supported. Regular team meetings and one-to-one supervisions enable leaders to provide targeted guidance and identify professional development needs. For instance, staff speak positively about recent training on purposeful interactions. They explain how this has strengthened the quality of their engagement with children.

Partnerships with parents and external professionals are strong. Leaders and staff foster close and trusting relationships with families. Staff share daily photos, observations and useful information through an online platform, combined with meaningful face-to-face conversations. Parents comment positively about how staff meet their children's needs. The lending library and sharing of children's next steps encourage continuity of learning at home and support children to make further progress.