Special Steps Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children happily arrive at this nursery, which is specifically run for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They are warmly greeted by enthusiastic staff, who quickly provide support for children to help them to separate from parents and/or carers and settle. Leaders and staff are totally attentive to each child's individual needs and level of disability. The curriculum is designed to take account of all children's individual stages of development. Children's next steps for development and learning are purposeful and match their own individual learning needs. As a result, every child makes progress in line with their personal targets and individual capabilities.

Staff strive to ensure that each child is supported to make choices and communicate their wants and needs. They implement a wide range of support, such as pictures, objects of reference, signs and buzzers, to enable children to alert staff to what they want to do next. For example, children take staff by the hand and lead them to the door, where they press a buzzer to indicate if they want to go outside or to the sensory room. These systems also start to help children to be independent in their decision-making. Children's behaviour is managed well. Staff recognise patterns of behaviour and react swiftly to intervene where necessary. Quiet corners and sensory experiences help children to start to regulate their own behaviour. Staff talk to children about sharing their toys and taking turns.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

• The nursery is led by a strong, knowledgeable and highly experienced leadership team. They are totally dedicated to providing children with SEND with the very best start to their learning journey. Leaders have won national awards for the service that they offer. Leaders are very mindful of staff's personal well-being, due to the complexity of the role they fulfil. Staff benefit from a well-being coordinator who regularly checks how they are and arranges fun activities to help them unwind.
• Staff benefit from regular supervision meetings. Leaders recognise the importance of staff's continued professional development. Staff attend copious amounts of training to continually update their knowledge and skills. Leaders monitor staff practice and offer help and advice, especially to newer staff members, to provide consistency in their approach. Staff have developed a safeguarding culture. They recognise that children with SEND are more vulnerable and are vigilant to ensure children's ongoing safety at all times.
• Leaders and staff work closely with other professionals involved with the children and their families. Other professionals provide additional support and guidance to staff, and they work with them to set individualised plans and targets that will benefit children's development even more.
• Children enjoy a range of different activities. Staff work tirelessly to encourage children to concentrate for longer periods and make connections in their play. Some children are able to sort colours, and others can place numbers and letters in order. When at times children become frustrated with what they are doing, staff intervene in a calm, gentle manner, which soothes children as they help them to try again. For example, when children try to stack cups in a particular way and become frustrated when they fall over, staff show them how to resolve the issue by placing the cups on a flat surface.
• Children enjoy the time they spend outside. They develop physical skills as they climb, slide and crawl through tunnels. All equipment has been specifically purchased to ensure all children, including those with mobility issues and those who are in a wheelchair, are able to participate.
• Children are able to explore their senses in the sensory room. They allow staff to wrap them in a hammock and gently swing them from side to side to calm their emotions. Other children explore bubble tubes or investigate a dark tent. Staff read to children in quiet tones and show them the pictures in a book under soft, twinkly lights in a calm environment.
• Children's good health is promoted well. Leaders are fully aware that some children dislike the sense of brushing their teeth. They have introduced special toothbrushes, which brush all of the teeth at the same time, and flavourless toothpaste to encourage children to begin to accept having their teeth brushed. However, while consideration has been given to the placement of nappy-changing facilities, these do not provide children with the utmost privacy during self-care routines.
• Parent partnerships are exceptionally strong. Leaders and staff work closely with parents to provide support for them and their children. They share information and photos daily to enable parents to be involved in their child's day and to carry on with children's next steps at home. Parents are ecstatic in their praise of leaders and staff. They say that the support they receive is amazing and that their children thrive in the nursery environment.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• consider the organisation of nappy changing even further to ensure children's dignity and privacy is maintained at all times.