Springfield Farm Day Nursery

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders promote highly inclusive practice in the nursery. Staff are quick to identify potential gaps in children's learning or development. When this happens, key persons work closely with the nursery's special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) and parents to carry out assessments to obtain precise information. The SENCo then uses this information to devise individual, detailed play plans, which have targets that can be measured. These plans are carefully explained to a child's key person and detail of why and how things should be done are included in this. The SENCo completes regular reviews and keeps parents fully informed about their child's progress.

Leaders and the SENCo liaise closely with the parents and key person of children who receive additional funding for closing development and learning gaps and reducing barriers to learning. They monitor the spending and the impact it has on children. For example, some additional funding has been used to provide an outdoor sensory area. Children who are known to struggle to manage their emotions or who become overwhelmed in some situation become noticeably calmer and more receptive when they have had some time in this area. Funding has also been spent on items to redirect some behaviours to make them into a positive activity.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders have established a curriculum that has a clear focus on children's individual development needs. Right from the start, staff carefully assess the children and find out from parents what the children know and can do. Children all have well-matched next steps in their learning identified. The opportunities they are presented with during their play fully take account of these. Staff skilfully adapt what they offer to incorporate what children are interested in, in the moment. They seize opportunities to introduce new skills or information into play.

Children of all ages spend a great deal of time learning outdoors. Staff use the outdoor environment creatively to enhance the children's indoor learning experiences. Children spend time in the forest school area where they explore different textures, shapes, smells and uneven terrain. Staff provide children with indoor activities, such as balancing and climbing, to enable children to safely walk around the forest area.

Staff have high aspirations for the children and do not over simplify spoken English. Across the whole of the nursery, they use a wide range of vocabulary when speaking to the children and explain what words mean to the older children. Babies and toddlers hear lots of repetition of sounds, single words and short sentences to boost their speaking skills.

Achievement: Strong standard

All children make positive progress in their development while they are at the nursery. Children are curious about their environment and keenly explore the learning experiences available to them. Children of all ages persevere at whatever activity they have chosen to play with. Babies notice the marks they make with paint on paper, and toddlers make deliberate patterns in dough and powders. Pre-school children draw recognisable pictures and include letters in their artwork.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities respond very well to their personal play plans. Children's speech and communication skills develop incredibly well. They concentrate well when listening to stories and, as they move through the nursery, they can recall more and more complex stories.

Children play alongside each other and begin to understand about kindness and sharing right from the start and, by the time they are in pre-school, they have social skills that will benefit them hugely when they start school.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders and staff have very clear expectations for children's behaviour. They help children across the nursery to understand this by being consistent in their messages, reinforcing simple rules and acting as positive role models. They treat each other and children with great respect. Children who might struggle to understand about sharing, kindness or taking turns are helped through carefully designed activities, such as a 'friendship bakery'. Staff provide dough to help children to explore kindness. Children make dough cakes that they sprinkle with 'friendship dust', such as ginger or chocolate powder, and talk about how they feel. Experiences such as these create a beautifully calm and supportive environment for children to learn in.

Each child has a key person who finds out all about them before they start attending or before they move to a new room. Staff use their knowledge of children to provide familiar resources to help them to settle as quickly as possible and develop trust in their key person.

Leaders have an excellent approach to promoting attendance for children and families who struggle. If children's attendance is not regular or prompt, they work with parents to find out why. They work with families to help children to achieve high levels of attendance. They explain to parents how attending nursery regularly and on time is good practise for when children start school and for their learning and development. Children who may have had a long absence have individually developed schedules to reintroduce them into the rhythm of going to nursery.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders and staff use the outdoor area highly effectively to support children's emotional development. They know that children relax when they are outdoors, and the sensory garden was developed to meet the specific needs of some children who find comfort in the outdoors.

Leaders and staff are highly alert to children's need to be socially and emotionally prepared for school. They make sure that as children move through the nursery, familiar resources, such as play dough, are available to provide children with a sense of security to help them to settle into their new environment. Staff create many opportunities for children to be independent and take responsibility. Babies are asked to help to tidy away toys as staff demonstrate what to do. Toddlers know the importance of hand hygiene routines before meals.

Children show pride in their achievements, and staff praise their efforts, explaining why they are so proud of the child. Older children burst with pride when they are the helper at lunchtime and take their role on with great responsibility, making sure there is enough cutlery and cups for all of the children.

Children's meals are nutritious and balanced. The chef prepares fresh food to meet the dietary and weaning needs of the children. Staff are highly aware that mealtimes are risky parts of the day and closely supervise children when they eat. When children are sleeping, they are supervised all of the time, and staff check their breathing frequently.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders are very invested in taking the nursery forward. They have developed a cycle of improvement to reassure themselves that they are continuously enhancing staff's skills and children's learning. Leaders closely monitor staff's practice and the impact of the teaching and curriculum on children's development. When gaps or areas for improvement are identified, leaders develop clear and focused action plans to address them.

Leaders look out for the particular strengths that staff have and use these to great effect in the nursery. Staff learn from each other's expertise and experience. This has been especially beneficial for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities who have highly individualised support from nursery staff and from the most relevant professionals who can meet their needs.

Staff's professional development, wellbeing and motivation are all well provided for. Leaders see the potential in their staff team. Staff are supported to study towards qualifications and their successes are celebrated by the leaders. Staff work hard and successfully reach the ever rising standards that leaders set.

Leaders have established clear and professional communication with parents. They make sure that parents receive the outcome of any assessments, such as the progress check at age 2 and regular information about their child. The frequency of this is individualised, especially if children have special educational needs and/or a disability.