Sporle Pre-School

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders and staff foster a highly inclusive environment where every child feels valued, respected and empowered to succeed. They maintain an unwavering commitment to ensuring that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who may face barriers to learning, make the best possible progress from their starting points. Staff identify emerging gaps in learning and development at an early stage. They work closely with leaders, specialists within the setting, and families and external professionals to plan effective support tailored to each child's individual needs.

Staff complete detailed assessments of children's learning and use this information to design carefully targeted plans that help children overcome barriers and achieve manageable next steps. Leaders invest in high quality training and empower staff to seek guidance from colleagues and specialist professionals. They monitor progress closely and ensure that staff have the knowledge and confidence to support every child effectively.

Staff build trusting relationships with families and gain a thorough understanding of each child's experiences and strengths. Additional funding is used strategically to provide targeted resources, experiences and support. As a result, all children receive the precise help they need and flourish in this nurturing, inclusive environment.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders design a clear and ambitious curriculum that reflects children's interests, strengths and stages of development. From the outset, staff gather detailed information from parents and carers about what children already know and can do. They use this information, alongside their own thorough assessments, to plan meaningful opportunities that build on children's learning. Leaders maintain an accurate oversight of the curriculum and ensure that teaching consistently meets the needs of all children.

Staff plan rich and engaging experiences that promote children's communication and language development. They use highly effective targeted strategies to strengthen attention skills, develop turn taking and encourage thinking. They read stories frequently, and engage children in meaningful conversations that extends their understanding and vocabulary. Staff join children in play. For example, in the role play kitchen, children demonstrate an interest in cutting real food. Staff support this by providing appropriate resources and guidance, helping to develop children's physical skills and their understanding of safe knife use.

Teaching is highly responsive and staff adapt their interactions to suit each child's developmental stage. They continually build on children's previous experiences to deepen learning. Children have opportunities to take turns as they share bikes and cars with the use of sand timers to help. Yoga sessions develop children's balance and coordination, and staff teach them about how exercise affects their bodies. Outside, children delight as they fill, empty, tip and pour water. They solve problems as they work out how to transport the water between different areas of the garden and discover which resource will work best.

During snack time, children develop independence as they use tweezers to select food, strengthening the fine motor skills needed for tasks, such as fastening zips, and tying shoelaces. Mathematical teaching runs through daily routines. Children enjoy throwing balls at numbered targets and identify digits they hit. They talk about their height and staff encourage them to think about how much taller they are since they previously measured. Staff maximise every learning opportunity and use thoughtful questioning to deepen understanding, challenge thinking and extend knowledge. As a result, children show curiosity, take pride in their achievements and make the best possible progress.

Achievement: Strong standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or those who may face other barriers to learning, make the best possible progress from their starting points. They show enthusiasm for learning and independently explore the well resourced, stimulating environment. Children show high levels of independence throughout the day and confidently manage a range of everyday tasks. For example, they serve their own food and drinks at snack time, practice opening lunch boxes in preparation for school, and wash their cups and plates after use. These routines help children to develop a sense of responsibility and builds on the skills needed for the next stage in their learning.

Children engage deeply in their play and learning. They listen attentively, respond thoughtfully to others, and sustain high levels of concentration. For example, children enjoy taking turns dipping marbles in paint and watching them roll down a ramp, eagerly observing the patterns they create. High quality interactions, with the use of verbal and non-verbal communication strategies, ensure children can participate fully. Children communicate confidently with adults and peers, knowing that their voice will be heard. This inclusive and targeted approach enables all children, including those with SEND, to achieve highly positive outcomes and make the strongest possible progress.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders foster a warm and inclusive environment where children feel safe, valued and able to thrive. From the start, staff build trusting relationships with children, and their families and get to know them extremely well. They use this knowledge to adapt routines and experiences, so that every child feels supported and included. Leaders and staff place great emphasis on ensuring that secure and robust key persons systems are in place. These are effectively implemented to support children's changing needs and behaviours. Staff provide additional support when needed and act swiftly to support those children who may need extra reassurance. This helps children to feel secure and ready to learn.

Carefully planned rules and routines meet the needs of all children and provide consistency throughout the day. Staff model positive behaviour. Children follow these examples by showing kindness, sharing resources and taking turns with their friends, demonstrating highly positive attitudes to learning. Staff use songs, visual prompts and sand timers effectively to support daily transitions. Children respond enthusiastically, eagerly joining in and helping to carry out tasks, such as putting away their toys. Staff allow children time and space to manage their emotions and are on hand to ensure that they consistently feel supported and understood.

As a result of well-established expectations and routines, children feel emotionally secure, interact positively with others and approach learning with confidence. Staff work closely with parents to encourage regular attendance, ensuring children benefit from the rich learning opportunities available to them. They consistently monitor and track children's attendance and have clear policies in place to follow up on children's absences.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders embed a culture of care and wellbeing throughout the setting, ensuring that children's welfare remain central to practice and provision. Staff invest a significant amount of time in building relationships with children and their families. They offer flexible settling in arrangements and family centred opportunities that help children feel safe, secure and confident from the outset. For example, parents and carers attend family picnic events and are welcomed into the setting for stay and play sessions where they get to meet with key persons. Staff maintain excellent communication through daily discussions, regular updates via online sites, and ongoing information sharing. Parents value these opportunities and report that staff consistently provide individualised support, reflecting their ongoing commitment to prioritising children's welfare and wellbeing.

Staff celebrate each child's individuality and ensure that children see their families and experiences reflected within the environment. They respond promptly and sensitively to children's needs and make effective adaptations to support those children who may need additional support. For example, children who require time away from busy activities can access calm spaces with the support of staff.

Children develop increasing independence in managing their personal care routines. They wash their hands before eating, collect their belongings at home time and confidently manage everyday tasks. During mealtimes, staff encourage discussions about healthy foods choices and remind children of how to stay safe when eating. Leaders maintain a thorough understanding of the children and families who attend and use this knowledge to tailor experiences that help every child feel valued, safe and comfortable in the setting.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders place children at the centre of every decision they make and maintain a clear vision for continuous improvement. Their ambitious and visible presence within the setting creates a positive culture where staff feel supported, valued and empowered, to deliver high quality care and education. Leaders know the strengths of their team well and provide regular guidance, encouragement and challenge to ensure practice continues to develop.

They drive improvement through a commitment to staff training and professional growth. For example, staff are currently extending their understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework, and are actively applying new learning to curriculum planning and teaching. Leaders reflect carefully on staff practice and implement improvements that benefit children. Following recent training focused on communication and language, staff introduced strategies that have significantly enhanced children's speaking, listening and interaction skills across the setting.

Leaders and staff work in close partnership with parents, carers, external agencies and other professionals, to remove barriers to learning and ensure the best possible outcomes for children. These collaborative relationships mean that children receive timely support and consistently high quality experiences. Leaders consistently place an emphasis on staff wellbeing and create a culture of mutual respect and trust. Staff speak positively about the support they receive and demonstrate high levels of motivation and commitment. As a result, children benefit from a skilled, reflective and dedicated team that continually strive for excellence.