St Joseph's Preschool

Inclusion: Strong standard

Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and other barriers to learning extremely well in this nursery. They have an in-depth knowledge of children's stages of development and make detailed plans to further support them to make progress. Staff have attended training and understand that for children to achieve a skill, they must break it down into small steps and teach each step of the process. For example, when children have a keen interest in drawing, staff support them to develop their skills by building on their fine motor control and encouraging them to observe features of the things they want to draw. This targeted support ensures that children make rapid progress from their starting points in development.

Staff identify children's learning and development needs swiftly. They have detailed discussions with children's parents and carers to find out their starting points when they join the nursery. They use this information to begin to plan the support for each child's needs. Staff closely monitor children with SEND or who have other barriers to learning and support them through individualised support plans. When appropriate, leaders make referrals to other professionals, such as speech and language therapists. This ensures that children get the specialised support that they need. Staff work highly effectively with parents to support them to understand their child's needs and how to support them at home. For example, they advise on suitable nighttime routines and how to encourage positive eating habits. This has a positive impact on children's health and development.

Leaders use early years pupil premium funding effectively to develop further learning opportunities for children. For example, they have set up a lending library to give children more opportunities to read at home and develop a love for reading.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Children enjoy a wide variety of learning activities. All children learn through playing and exploring. Staff support children's learning by asking questions and extending their thinking. However, staff do not consistently have clear learning intentions for some activities, which impacts on the quality of their teaching. For example, when children participate in a fruit-cutting activity, staff introduce several concepts to them, but the learning intention of this activity is not clear or targeted to children's development needs. This means that staff are unable to use their knowledge of what individual children know and can do effectively to further support their learning.

Leaders have prioritised children's physical development. They ensure that there are lots of opportunities for children to be active. Children enjoy playing in the garden. They throw and catch balls, find treasure in the sand tray and explore a mud kitchen. Children take turns and negotiate when balancing on a beam and stepping stones. Staff support children in these activities; they assess what children are able to do and provide guidance and a helping hand as needed. They encourage children to keep trying when they come across difficulties.

Staff support children to develop their mathematical thinking through their play. For example, when playing with play dough, staff ask children about how they could share the play dough and introduce language such as 'divide' and 'half', while supporting them to share. Children are polite and use their developing language skills to interact with each other. For example, when passing each other play dough, children are polite and say, 'You are welcome.'

Achievement: Expected standard

Children are well prepared for their next steps in learning, particularly children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They make progress from their starting points. For example, when children are learning English as an additional language, children make consistent progress in developing their speaking skills. Younger children make steady progress in their speaking skills, building their vocabulary and becoming more confident to express themselves to their peers.

Children learn independence skills, such as handwashing and toileting. They demonstrate that they can put on their own clothing and help to tidy up. Children can listen and engage in activities independently. At circle time, children learn about different cultures, sing songs and are able to sustain their attention when listening to stories. These skills help children to be well prepared for their next steps in their learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Children behave well and demonstrate high levels of involvement in activities. Children play well together, looking at books and taking turns during activities. Expectations for children's behaviour are tailored to children's individual needs. For example, some children sit independently at circle time, and others are supported by their key persons to remain focused and to engage in the learning activities.

Routines are well embedded. All children know what is happening and what will come next. This supports children to be independent. For example, after children eat their snack, they independently put their rubbish in the bins, their plates and cups in the sink and wipe their faces. Staff are attentive to children's needs. For example, when children splash in puddles, staff quickly change them out of their wet clothes so they do not get cold. Staff build trusting relationships with children. Children feel comfortable asking for support from staff, and they enjoy their company as they play. Leaders encourage parents and carers to ensure that their children are regularly attending nursery. They provide advice and support to ensure that parents understand the impact that non-attendance can have on their children's progress.

Children are friendly with each other and play collaboratively. In the garden, children take turns to climb crates and jump off. Children help their peers who are finding this tricky and wait patiently as they keep on trying. As they play in the mud kitchen, children explore the water tap, laughing as they turn it on and it splashes their feet.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Staff work closely with their key children and their parents and carers, particularly when children have special educational needs and/or disabilities or other barriers to learning. Staff support children with medical needs well. Key persons ensure that the whole staff team is aware of the children's needs and how to support them. For example, the team are aware of children with allergies, what they are allergic to and the action to take should they come into contact with an allergen. Staff ensure that resources are suitable, such as providing gluten-free play dough.

Mealtimes are well supervised. On the whole, children enjoy healthy and nutritious foods. They wash their hands before eating, supporting them to develop healthy habits. Children learn about healthy food choices, and they discuss this with staff during mealtimes. Staff share information about healthy packed lunches with parents to further encourage healthy eating. They promote being active. Children learn to ensure that they are playing safely. For example, when benches get wet in the garden, staff ask children if the benches are too slippery to use.

Staff support children to express their emotions. They use picture cards to support children to be able to tell them how they are feeling. Staff help children to manage any conflicts they may have with other children. Children demonstrate that they are able to use these skills independently as they take turns and negotiate during activities.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders are aware of the nursery's strengths and areas for improvement. They put plans in place to ensure that the nursery is always developing. For example, leaders identified that the setting was lacking resources that supported children's development of their upper body motor skills. They have ensured that there is now a wide range of activities available to encourage these skills. Staff have improved their knowledge of how to support this area of development through activity discussions during team meetings.

Leaders support staff in their roles, ensuring that their workload is appropriate and that staff feel valued. They offer training opportunities and encourage staff to share their ideas for developing the provision. Leaders use team meetings to share information, discuss practice and enable staff to raise any concerns. This supports staff to have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities. It also aids sharing of information and safeguarding children.

Leaders work effectively with parents and carers. They ensure that parents have the information they need to support their children at home. Staff have discussions with parents about supporting their children's needs, making suggestions of how they can do this. For example, leaders support parents with information about potty training and how best to support their child with this. Leaders work closely with other professionals and facilitate sessions, such as speech and language therapy, within the setting. This ensures that any gaps in children's learning are identified and supported.