Station House Nursery

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders and staff typically include all children, including those who face barriers to their learning and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They work alongside parents and external agencies to identify appropriate support. This ensures that children generally access an inclusive learning environment.

Leaders have support plans in place that are regularly reviewed to ensure they are the right targets for each child. This generally helps to improve the outcomes for all children through early intervention and reducing barriers to their learning. Although staff know the children well they do not consistently use identified strategies to help children build on what they can do and already know. This means children do not have targeted leaning in place to continue their learning and development.

Leaders use a step-by-step approach and know how to access any funding children may be eligible for and how it will be utilised to have the most impact in response to children's individual development and learning needs. For example, leaders have identified training for staff to develop their skills in sign language. Leaders demonstrates a clear commitment to creating an inclusive environment for all children to develop their skills in readiness for their eventual move to school.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders provide a broad curriculum that fosters children's learning and development across all areas of learning. Staff typically use observations of children's learning to plan for children's next steps. Mostly, staff adapt their teaching to meet children's individual needs, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or children who may face barriers to their learning.

Staff support children's communication and language well. They encourage children to choose their favourite stories to read, and younger children develop their vocabulary as staff narrate alongside their play, as they learn how to care for the baby dolls. Older children are articulate in their speech and talk confidently as they develop their conversations with staff. Staff generally use interactions well to support children's learning. In some planned activities, they use questioning to extend children's learning. However, this quality of interaction is not always consistent across the nursery. As a result, at times, some staff do not consistently maximise opportunities to deepen and extend children's learning further.

Children develop their counting throughout their play. Staff extend this to when children access the outdoor environment as they count how many pretend fish they have caught in their small nets. Staff ensure children have daily access to develop their physical skills and further their knowledge of the benefits of healthy foods.

Achievement: Expected standard

Typically, children make steady progress from their starting points and develop the knowledge they need for future learning, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Children develop their language and communication skills. Babies babble and wiggle their bodies to familiar nursery rhymes. Older children are articulate and have meaningful conversations as they play. Children demonstrate their mathematical knowledge as they count in their play. They develop their awareness of size and space as they create bridges to climb from the crates and wooden panels. Children develop their physical skills and have plenty of opportunities to practise using both their small and large muscles. They balance and learn to ride small bikes. Children scoop gulp with their hands and use spoons to create mixtures from water and cornflour.

Children are becoming increasingly independent in their self-care skills and generally understand the routines of the nursery. They wash their hands before and after mealtimes and ensure they have regular drinks of water. Older children confidently serve their food and pour their own drinks, this helps them develop healthy habits for later life. Children are growing in confidence and ready for their next stage of education.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders and staff generally create a calm environment, where children are settled and enjoy their learning. Children learn to be kind and considerate. For instance, they set their friend's mealtime place in readiness to sit for lunch. Staff take the time to get to know the children and their families. This helps staff follow babies' care and sleep routines from home. Staff are responsive to new starters needs, this helps children settle in their new environment.

Children generally understand the routines of the nursery. Older children know what is expected of them at mealtimes as they wash their hands and help set the table. However, at times, particularly during transitions in the younger rooms, children are less clear about expectations. For example, when lunch routines take longer to organise, some children continue to play and are unsure whether to wash their hands to prepare for mealtimes. This can lead to moments of disorganisation. However, children typically respond positively once routines are re-established and expectations are clarified.

Leaders monitor children's attendance and share their expectations with parents. This helps keep children safe and also supports children in readiness for their eventual move to school.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders have created a nurturing and welcoming nursery for all children, including those who face barriers to learning. Staff have a secure understanding of the key-person approach and how this supports children's emotional wellbeing. They are kind and warm in their interactions. Staff quickly recognise when younger children need time to regulate their emotions. They ensure they spend time with their key children and are close by, particularly when new children start at the nursery. This helps babies and children feel safe and secure.

Children learn breathing techniques as part of their daily activities, this helps them develop strategies to self-regulate, if they become a little overwhelmed. Staff help children to learn to share and talk about how others may feel. This helps children develop an understanding of their emotions and those of others.

Leaders promote children's physical development to build on their next steps of learning. Staff help babies to learn to pull themselves up, developing their core strengthen for later walking. Older children develop their hand muscles for later writing as they paint on large easels. Children who require additional support, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, typically receive individualised approaches to meet their individual needs.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders maintain a clear focus on communication and language and inclusion in the nursery. They are highly reflective and committed to ensuring that all children access a curriculum that is ambitious and broad. Leaders ensure that children who need support are swiftly identified, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff typically plan effectively for children's learning and development needs. However, the strategies staff use to support children's next steps in learning are sometimes inconsistent in children's play.

Leaders prioritise staff's wellbeing by providing staff with professional development opportunities that help them to develop their practice. They ensure that any staff who are training have additional time to complete course work. Leaders are aware of how staff can become overwhelmed with assessments and paperwork. They ensure that they have regular feedback meetings and supervision to identify any concerns. As a result, staff report feeling supported and confident in their roles. Leaders plan training to keep staff up to date with mandatory changes in the early years foundation stage. For example, staff have recently reviewed their understanding of safer sleeping practice. This helps keep children safe.

Leaders have developed secure relationships with parents. Parents praise all staff for the care they provide to their children. They comment on how their children have quickly settled in the nursery and that the regular communication helps them to support their children's learning at home.