St Francis Nursery

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders create an inclusive environment where all children's needs are met. Early years pupil premium funding is effectively used to close any gaps for those facing disadvantage. Children's emerging needs are identified accurately. Targeted interventions, informed by a range of professionals, are implemented quickly. At this setting, support extends beyond the individual child. Leaders consider any impact on parents, siblings or peers and offer further support or signposting to external professionals. They work tirelessly to ensure referrals, such as education, health and care plans, are made in a timely manner to ensure children access the right support at the right time. This supports a smooth transition to school.

Effective communication between staff means that interventions are consistently implemented. Where children struggle to safely access group swimming lessons, staff adapt the timetable to facilitate individualised lessons. They use a graduated approach to teach the skills needed for children to safely re-join the group lessons. Because of this, all children benefit from developing these important skills while also enjoying the social experience of learning alongside their peers. Parents speak incredibly highly of the support that they receive from staff and leaders. They comment that because of the considerate interventions, their children can learn alongside their peers, and they do not feel that any barriers to learning hold their children back from achieving anything they want to.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders have designed a broad and ambitious curriculum for all children, including those who face barriers to learning. Well-planned ongoing assessment supports staff to understand children's current abilities and ensure they are not limiting expectations for any children. Children develop skills in collaborative play and are understanding of their friends' needs.

Younger children show confidence in communicating their thoughts. They happily show off their T-shirts on arrival and confidently invite their friends to play with them. Staff are excellent role models for the behaviour they want to see. They regularly praise children and offer kind words. Because of this, children develop a positive sense of self. They are kind to their friends during play.

There is a prioritisation of physical development. Children take part in physical education lessons, dance and swimming to develop their gross motor skills. Skills are carefully sequenced from younger groups to older groups. Younger children enjoy using their fine motor skills to squeeze water into pipettes. Older children develop these skills further by making careful marks on paper.

Mathematics is woven into the continuous provision provided. While playing in the messy tray, staff model language around shape, space and measure as they look at big and small and comment on the tall grass. Older children enjoy playing with number puzzles independently, counting the number of objects and matching this to the corresponding numeral.

Achievement: Strong standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make progress from their starting points. Children demonstrate high levels of resilience and independence and a willingness to have a go. Where minor conflicts occur during play, older children use their communication skills to address these. Younger children also use their communication skills as they call on the help of familiar adults. Children develop their turn-taking skills. Younger children enjoy building towers together, taking it in turns to add one block each. These skills prepare children well for their transition to school.

Children develop a love of reading and, alongside this, strong communication and language skills. Older children engage in conversations with each other and adults. They demonstrate the ability to engage in back-and-forth dialogue well. They eagerly talk about their desire to visit the library to choose a new book to look at. Children of all ages engage in puzzles, showing high levels of concentration and perseverance. Where pieces do not fit straight away, children take time to twist and wiggle these into place.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Children benefit from commonly understood expectations for behaviour. They behave extremely well. Where younger children experience minor conflicts during play, they verbally seek out adults for support. Expectations for those who face barriers to learning are adapted based on their individual needs but remain ambitious for all. Where children have been playing with the sand, they are encouraged to sweep any fallen sand up off the floor. All children, including those who face barriers to learning, spontaneously use the dustpan and brush to sweep the sand up throughout the play session, showing embedded routines and expectations.

Staff and children have good relationships. Children seek out adults through the day to engage in conversations and involve adults in their play. Staff are skilled in finding a balance between playing alongside the children and supporting children to develop skills for collaborative play. During a role-play kitchen game, staff model play and give ideas to further children's thinking. When play is flowing, they step back. They stay close by to support any escalating conflicts should they occur, but leave the children to manage minor conflicts and continue the game among themselves.

Leaders support punctuality and attendance for children effectively. Robust systems are in place and any non-attendance is followed up on immediately. Leaders are mindful of the demands of working parents. They strive to achieve a daily routine that supports as many families as possible. For example, an early breakfast supports working parents to know their children will have the opportunity for a balanced meal at the start of their day.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Children confidently express their feelings to staff during the day. When they are feeling tired, children ask for an audio story. They enjoy listening to this alongside their friends. Children eagerly approach staff to share their thoughts and initiate conversations. They show off their work proudly, relishing the praise of their familiar adults.

Staff demonstrate that they are highly skilled in supporting children's learning alongside considering their wellbeing. They find a balance between moments of silence and narration during play in order to not overwhelm children. Where children with known barriers to learning struggle to engage in activities, they settle at the sand pit. They benefit from a moment of silence. Staff observe as the children watch the sand fall from their hands and run their fingers through it. It is a calm, relaxing moment. This supports children with barriers to learning to develop their skills in self-regulation.

Children benefit from healthy meals that take into account allergies, intolerances and preferences. Staff encourage children to make healthy choices. At snack, children choose pieces of fruit from a fruit platter. During play, older children roleplay being at a restaurant. Children make balanced choices when they order their pretend food, asking for 'water, broccoli and a little bit of pizza'. Children are taught to take account of their own safety. When water is spilled on the floor, staff support children to clean this up. They go on to explain how water can be slippery. Children consistently show high levels of safety when walking between different areas of the nursery. They follow the adult and listen to instructions intently.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders are proactive and highly motivated to maintain a high-quality early years setting. The appointment of a new leader since the registration visit has contributed to a strengthened approach to supporting families of children who face barriers to learning. Parents comment on the high level of support offered by the setting. They benefit from timely referrals and signposting to external services. Leaders take advantage of their place within a wider nursery group and use this to share best practice. They are now looking to take this further and aim to share their high-quality inclusive practice with other local settings, supported by the local authority. There are plans in place for the setting to begin hosting cluster meetings, focusing on supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities as well as taking part in a case study on inclusion.

Leaders engage in regular supervision and wellbeing check-ins with staff. This supports them to know each staff member as an individual. Leaders strategically deploy staff, taking into account their interests and strengths. Thoughtful induction processes aim to ensure newer staff feel confident in their role before they begin formal qualifications. These processes support leaders to identify minor inconsistencies in newer staff's practice and take steps to address these quickly. Training opportunities are regularly reviewed. Leaders strive to offer a wide range of courses to support staff to develop their interests and close any gaps in their knowledge. Staff speak highly of the leadership team. They comment that their wellbeing is very well supported.