Strawberries Nursery

Inclusion: Expected standard

Assessments are carried out by key workers at the setting with oversight from management. They also have a buddy key-worker system in place. This ensures individual needs are identified and assessed quickly. Referrals are made in a timely manner for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and in partnership with families. Leaders use early years pupil premium funding with the child's next steps in mind. For example, they ensure children who do not have outdoor space at home have plenty of access to work on their gross motor skills. This has shown to have a positive impact on children's physical development. Leaders ensure there are inclusive practices in place and have introduced visual aids and individual learning plans to support children. Practitioners take part in external and internal training. Leaders and practitioners work with external agencies, such as speech and language teams and social care teams, and put in place strategies to help all children achieve well.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

The curriculum is typically designed to meet the needs of all children. There is a real emphasis on the love of books in the setting. This is demonstrated through children actively listening and engaging in discussions regarding familiar stories. The setting also has a high focus on personal social and emotional development. Practitioners take time to listen to children's thoughts, ideas and feelings ensuring that they acknowledge them. The outdoor space has been developed to support children's next steps in their physical development. Practitioners do not always ensure all activities are organised to meet children's age and stage of development. This means some children are not able to access some activities fully, to further build on their skills. Practitioners adapt their practice to ensure children with special educational needs and/or disabilities can still access the curriculum, such as using visual timetables and physical objects as prompts. This ensures that children know what is happening next and prepares them for their next stage in learning.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children make steady progress in their communication and language development. They use an increasing range of vocabulary and are developing clearer speech sounds. Children, including those with barriers to their learning, are well prepared for their next stage in learning. Children show growing emotional security as they move between rooms and within daily routines. They form appropriate attachments and are developing confidence in familiar environments. Children are beginning to develop independence in their daily learning experiences and take part in simple tasks. For example, they help to prepare for mealtimes and serve themselves. This helps children to develop their self-help skills. Children show enjoyment in these responsibilities. They are beginning to take pride in their achievements. Overall, children demonstrate the skills and attitudes needed to support their ongoing learning and development.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders and practitioners have high expectations for all children at the setting. This helps to ensure it is a positive environment for all children. This is also a shared understanding between the setting, and parents and carers. Practitioners have a supportive bond with the children in their care, and their families. They provide parents with detailed feedback at the end of each session. The setting has a culture of care, kindness and respect. This has been embedded into the setting due to the leaders' approach. This approach can be seen in all rooms. Children are supported to collaborate with each other. For example, during imaginative play, children listen to each other well when pretending to be shop keepers. This is strengthened by the practitioner's interactions and they support children to build on their previous learning, before trying new skills. Leaders are aware of the importance of attendance and punctuality. They monitor this well and share the benefits of consistent attendance with families. Children enjoy playing games and taking part in the activities in which the practitioners provide.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Practitioners ensure that care practices are in place to meet children's individual needs, including wiping noses. Due to the setting having a strong key-person approach, children have secure and responsive relationships. This is particularly seen in the baby room. Children recognise and feel comforted by their key person. Children are helped to develop their physical development by exploring the outdoor area. This has been recently redeveloped with the children's age and stages in mind. Activities are also offered indoors to promote physical development, such as threading. Children develop an understanding around personal safety and health and wellbeing while at the setting. During mealtimes, practitioners talk to the children about healthy food choices. However, the setting should continue to embed how they educate children about healthy choices. This is particularly relevant for the topic of screen time as technology is not used in the setting and therefore the conversations do not always happen. This will support children to develop healthy life habits in relation to using technology. Children at the setting typically recognise, express and manage their own feelings to develop a sense of emotional wellbeing. This is demonstrated through positive interactions between practitioners and children. Safer sleeping and eating guidance are followed at the setting. This is part of the setting's every day effective routines.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders are currently following a 5-year development plan to ensure the space in which they operate best meets the needs for children they care for. Leaders are aware of the strengths of the setting and take action to strengthen areas identified for improvement, such as practitioner's safeguarding knowledge. Leaders have used external agencies, including the local authority to support with this. This has been shown to have had a positive impact, such as being able to provide timely interventions for the children to support their development. Leaders know the children well and what interests them, and use this to support their decision-making.

Leaders have completed mental health training. They work closely with practitioners and effectively support their wellbeing. Leaders are aware of workload and encourage practitioners to regularly feedback how they are feeling. They monitor practice effectively and identify gaps in knowledge and understanding. This has a positive impact on practice and therefore the children in their care.