Smile & Shine Nursery

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders have established a highly inclusive culture where all children are valued and develop a secure sense of belonging. They have an acute understanding of the importance of early help, and staff remain vigilant when checking children's progress. This ensures the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing barriers to learning are identified promptly and precisely.

Staff work cohesively with parents as partners from the outset. Together, they establish the children's interests, needs and capabilities. Staff use the information to carefully create individual plans that are sharply focused and precisely targeted to help children to achieve well. They effectively share strategies with parents for consistent support so that children secure the best achievements, both at home and at nursery. External professionals who complement progress, such as speech and language therapists, are purposefully welcomed into the setting. Staff diligently follow agreed strategies, including one-to-one care, to ensure all children participate fully. Highly effective assessment arrangements allow staff to closely review progress and promptly identify emerging needs. These methods ensure children receive timely, collaborative and impactful support to help them achieve.

Leaders place high value on ensuring staff receive necessary training to support disadvantaged children and those facing barriers. Staff are extremely knowledgeable about multi-agency working and the pathways for referrals. They work effectively with all those they need to, so that barriers for children are reduced. Parents speak highly about staff's determined support. They value practical strategies shared, and develop trust in staff's commitment to their children's development. Children increasingly develop their skills and confidence as they participate well alongside their peers. Funding is used appropriately in children's best interests to target support where needed.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders typically deliver a curriculum with an ambitious vision for high-quality early education. Leaders have designed a well-considered broad curriculum rooted in care which takes account of what they intend children to learn over time. It centres around communication, language, personal, social and emotional development and physical development. This supports children to acquire important skills they need to progress.

Staff plan an environment with a range of activities that typically cultivate children's curiosity, confidence and independence. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged children and those known to social care receive specific and tailored support from staff. Activities are very well adjusted, with effective visual aids and specific planned activities, to ensure all can fully participate and progress.

Staff generally support children to develop their communication and literacy skills through a wide range of opportunities, including through books, stories, songs and group times. These are used to encourage children to express their thoughts and feelings. Staff typically organise activities that intentionally help children to learn to count and notice shapes and patterns as part of building a keen interest in and knowledge of mathematics. Leaders establish links with the local community, such as residential homes, to nurture children's understanding of and care for others. Children develop their physical agility and dexterity from daily play in the extensive outdoor area.

Leaders monitor practice closely. They recognise the quality of teaching is not yet consistently embedded to the high standards they desire. During some activities, staff do not support children's learning as effectively as in others to extend children's thoughts and ideas. At these times, some children do not learn beyond what they already know, and some do not sustain their full interest. Overall, staff support children to enjoy their learning throughout the day.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children generally achieve well from their starting points. Those who face barriers to their learning benefit from intense support to excel. Overall, children gain effective communication skills. Babies use single words, younger children build simple sentences, and older children typically express themselves with clarity and purpose. For example, they solve simple problems and proudly work out how adding or removing water makes their buckets heavy or light.

Children typically learn to move with control and confidence as they navigate the vast outdoor area well. Babies balance and take small steps. Older children show their agility as they hop, run and skip. Children gain a keen interest in mathematics through explicit teaching. They persevere to manoeuvre their car into its allotted space by identifying the matching numeral. Children develop independence and make decisions about their play and learning. Older children generally manage their own care needs throughout the day. For example, they set the table for lunch and clear away afterwards. Occasionally, some children's ideas are not extended to help them remain engaged as the relatively new curriculum is not yet fully embedded in practice. Overall, by the time they are ready to move to the next stage of learning, they are typically equipped with the skills they need to progress.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders create an inviting, inclusive and purposeful environment where children are settled and secure. Staff act as positive role models. For example, they use good manners and remain respectful with their colleagues, setting clear examples for children to follow.

Staff provide caring and calm support when managing children's behaviour. They establish clear expectations for children's behaviour. Older children typically follow simple rules, such as to remember to walk indoors, in the secure knowledge that they can chase their friends during games in the outdoor area. Overall, children typically learn to manage their impulses as staff gently reinforce the rules and guide conversations about feelings. Children generally play cooperatively and learn to share their much-loved resources during planned activities as well as in the moment with support from staff. They develop self-esteem and confidence, as staff praise their achievements and willingness to have a go.

Children generally develop positive attitudes to learning. They are motivated and concentrate, and most persevere to complete chosen tasks, such as mixing paints to create new colours. Staff make sensitive adjustments for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to their learning. This supports them to learn about their own feelings and behaviour. Staff safely escort children to and from the garden, reinforce what is expected of them and supervise them closely. However, occasional variations in organisation mean some routines such as mealtimes are not fluent enough to ensure children remain focused and calm while waiting for the meals. Leaders diligently monitor children's attendance and work closely with parents to ensure children arrive when expected.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Children arrive with enthusiasm into a child-centred environment in which staff nurture their welfare and wellbeing. Home visits and carefully planned transitional arrangements help children to settle with ease and form secure bonds with staff. Key staff generally know the individual needs and specific character of the children and respond sensitively to their needs. For example, they know when babies are becoming tired. They offer reassurance and a much-loved story to help them settle for their sleep. Staff share positive interaction with babies and young children during nappy changing to support their emotional wellbeing. Staff supervise children closely while they eat and during sleep times to ensure their safety. The overall calm environment is sometimes altered when staff are organising mealtimes, during which some children become less settled.

Staff work collaboratively with one another and parents to help them respond to children's changing needs, such as readiness for toilet training. They adapt care routines well for children with additional needs, those known to social care and those who face barriers to wellbeing, so that all children feel secure and valued. The vast outdoor area offers children of all ages daily access to fresh air and much vigorous play to support their physical development and wellbeing. Children learn about sun safety. Staff remind them about the importance of staying hydrated, wearing sun protection and keeping their hats on. Well-balanced, nutritious meals are carefully prepared according to children's individual needs and preferences. Children relish the fresh meals and snacks throughout the day. They typically acquire healthy habits in predictable ways that help them to feel safe and secure.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders are ambitious, with a clear vision and passion for children's overall success. They have created a welcoming and highly inclusive environment for all children.

Leaders are equally keen for staff to do well. They know and understand their responsibilities and maintain useful oversight of the provision. Practice is monitored in several ways. Leaders reflect on what is going well and what needs to be adapted and strive for steady improvements. They make observations and share pertinent feedback for staff to reflect on. Staff appreciate leaders' actions to support their development and consideration of their workload. They value the opportunities for training and professional development to build on their practice, such as in supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Regular team meetings are typically used to promote a shared understanding of expected practice, such as when delivering the routines. Overall, staff work well together to deliver the programme. Leaders focus on continuing to support staff to ensure children consistently receive high-quality interactions and learning.

Leaders cultivate meaningful partnership working with parents and other professionals. Parents highly value the tailored support they receive, which takes account of their children's specific needs and circumstances. Parents access ongoing information about children's care and development. Staff are on hand to exchange important information at the beginning and end of the day. This helps to provide continuity in children's care and learning.