Smiley Faces Day Nursery (Thorney) Limited

Inclusion: Strong standard

Staff demonstrate a commitment to inclusion and provide effective support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Highly reflective leaders are quick to identify potential barriers and support all children to feel included and happy. Key persons know children well and engage with them sensitively, using a range of supportive communication strategies. For instance, staff implement sign language, simplified language, eye contact and positioning themselves at children's level, to strengthen understanding. Staff also make effective use of visual cues, helping to build children's vocabulary and comprehension to ensure they can follow the daily routine.

Leaders demonstrate a secure knowledge of SEND as they work closely with staff, parents and external professionals to ensure children receive consistent and targeted support. Recent professional feedback praises the setting for being welcoming, responsive to advice and providing a solid foundation for children's continued progress. Effective communication and partnership working contribute positively to children's development and wellbeing. Parents and carers are actively involved in their children's learning and regularly discuss progress with staff, strengthening continuity between home and the setting.

Starting points are identified swiftly, and funding is used effectively, ensuring tailored resources and training are provided that enhance children's learning experiences, alongside additional adult support. Targeted interventions and consistent support ensure that children make significant progress in all areas.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders provide children with an inclusive, ambitious curriculum that prioritises what children know and can do, with a particular focus on communication and language. Staff use assessment accurately to monitor children's development and identify emerging delays in children's learning, making timely adaptations to support learning. They adjust their teaching to meet the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, for example by using visual signs and Makaton to help children make choices alongside their peers. In most cases, staff have age-appropriate expectations for children's learning and development, and their teaching is matched appropriately. However, there are minor inconsistencies where staff do not always use what they know about children to shape learning or adapt activities to keep everyone fully engaged to help build on what they already know and can do. Additionally, although managers ensure that staff have the knowledge required to deliver the curriculum, recently introduced reflection practices are not yet fully embedded and staff expertise is not consistently evident in day-to-day teaching to benefit children.

Children benefit from hands on, practical experiences that develop communication, teamwork, problem solving and physical coordination. Mathematical skills and vocabulary are taught clearly and woven through activities. For example, staff encourage children to count how many children feel happy or to use a tape measure to see how tall the structure is that they have built.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, achieve well and make progress from their individual starting points. They engage in a range of learning experiences and develop the skills needed for future learning. Children's communication and language development is very well supported. Babies hear language throughout the day, helping them to use simple sounds and begin to say single words.

Toddlers join in with familiar songs and dances and show increasing attention during shared experiences. Older children listen to each other during circle time, answer questions and talk about their feelings and experiences.

Children develop their independence. They confidently use cutlery to feed themselves and manage their personal care needs. They take responsibility and complete tasks, such as washing their dishes after snack or wheeling the trolley back to the kitchen after lunch. All children are supported within their next transitions, helping them to be ready for their next stage in learning. They become familiar with the daily routine which, for older children, helps to prepare them for their transition on to school.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders and staff create a calm, welcoming environment where children flourish. Key persons understand their roles and responsibilities well and work cohesively as a team. They maintain high expectations for all children and provide support that reflects each child's individual needs. Children actively help shape the room's rules, strengthening their understanding of expectations and promoting a sense of ownership and responsibility. Staff use a range of supportive strategies, including visual cues and sign language, to help children follow the setting's rules and routines confidently.

Staff know children well and provide them with meaningful opportunities to challenge themselves, stepping in with support only when it is genuinely needed. This helps children develop confidence, resilience and the ability to work through difficulties independently. Staff act as excellent role models, communicating calmly and with kindness and respect. This positive approach is mirrored in the children, who collaborate effectively to help one another. For example, children work as a team to rebuild a tower after it is accidentally knocked over.

Staff play and laugh with the children, joining in with singing, dancing and offering comfort whenever it is needed. They help children to understand and express their emotions and support them in recognising how different family circumstances can influence people's feelings and experiences. Staff and children explore the world together, such as pausing to watch the torrential rain outside and catching the drips falling from the garden shelter, turning it into a shared moment of curiosity and connection. Staff also work closely with parents to ensure they understand the importance of punctuality and regular attendance.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders place children's wellbeing at the heart of their work, and their policies and practices ensure children's welfare is consistently promoted. As part of the curriculum, staff teach children how to stay healthy and safe, using everyday routines, such as snack and mealtimes, to help children understand how to make healthy choices. Staff support children to develop key independence skills, including wiping their noses, washing their hands and faces, and serving themselves at mealtimes.

Leaders work closely with families to gather detailed information about children's backgrounds and experiences, providing highly individualised support for their health and wellbeing. Staff are fully aware of children's allergies and how to safely manage their dietary and medical needs. They are rigorous in their approach to safer eating and sleeping practices. Children learn effective oral hygiene routines and are given a toothbrush and toothpaste to use at home.

Staff are highly responsive to all children, including those who face barriers to their learning. They build loving, secure attachments that give children a positive sense of belonging and high self-esteem. Children actively seek staff out to share their experiences, such as expressing emotions, like 'I am angry'. Staff listen and gently support them. Staff work closely with parents and carers before every new transition, holding thoughtful meetings to ensure children feel ready and confident as they move on to the next stage, supporting their readiness for school.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders are passionate about providing high-quality experiences for all children. They use additional funding effectively to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face other barriers to learning. Timely interventions are put in place to help children make progress from their individual starting points.

Leaders follow strict recruitment procedures to ensure that staff are suitable and appropriately qualified. They offer a thorough induction process so that staff know what is expected of them in their role. Regular supervision ensures that staff receive support in their role. Staff attend relevant professional development and use this learning to enhance their practice, but this is not yet consistent across the team, meaning some children benefit more than others.

Staff wellbeing is a priority and leaders place a positive emphasis on promoting wellbeing and supporting their workload. Staff report that they feel that they can talk to managers. Leaders have a secure understanding of their areas for improvement and have focused on strengthening partnerships with parents. They actively engage with families and other organisations to support children's development. Staff share information with parents and offer ideas to extend learning at home. Parents speak highly of the leaders and staff, describing the setting as a very special place, nurturing through the experience of the leaders.