Sunbeams Nursery

Inclusion: Expected standard

Children's and families' needs are supported from the start of their nursery journey. Management have introduced a more detailed registration form, and as a result, they can identify any initial support needed to meet children's needs. Practitioners profile children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and produce identified targets to work towards. These are shared with key persons, and strategies are generally well implemented to support children with SEND. Management do not rigorously monitor the progress of these targeted interventions. This sometimes results in revised targets and adaptations not always being promptly made to consistently ensure every child achieves to their full potential.

Practitioners adapt the environment to help children's varying needs for learning and development. Management and practitioners have recently identified that movement is a big need for some children. They have therefore provided resources and room spaces to take account of this, such as soft play and sensory spaces. As a result, managers and practitioners have noticed that children are more focused in activities. Management have used additional funding to support the needs of children. For example, additional funding has been used to purchase spinning chairs and wobble cushions, which have also helped to focus children's attention. This funding has also been used appropriately to support other children who are facing barriers to their learning. For example, varying books, such as simpler pictures and key words ranging to more words in the same story, have recently been purchased. This means that stories can be adapted and enjoyed by more children.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have recently introduced a new curriculum, which helps children to develop a range of skills over time. The curriculum is planned so that all children are included and supported to engage in relevant learning experiences. Activities and areas for play generally take account of children's varying interests, needs, ages and stages. Leaders provide clear expectations to staff of what they expect children to achieve when they move to the next stage of their learning. This helps practitioners to support children to build on a range of skills as they progress through the nursery and then on to school.

Some practitioners skilfully leave out words in songs and rhymes for children to join in. They encourage actions and movement while building on familiar songs and rhymes, to help language to become embedded. New words are introduced through focus activities such as painting, exploring worms, planting, and making 'spring soup' with flowers, citrus fruits and water. Children are supported to develop their social skills as they engage and play cooperatively with their peers. Mathematical language, including counting, is generally introduced as children play.

Planning is sometimes too broad, with many different possible learning opportunities. Due to the varying skill levels of practitioners, some of them find it more difficult to adapt and respond to children's emerging thinking. As a result, practitioners are not consistently using every interaction with children as a highly effective learning opportunity. For example, mealtimes are sometimes rushed and not used by some practitioners as a positive learning experience. While singular words are a curriculum focus, some practitioners are not yet emphasising single words as they speak in sentences to younger children.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, typically achieve so that they are ready for their next stage of learning. Children develop skills and build on their concentration as they progress. Activities and resources support all areas of the curriculum. Babies pop bubbles and are encouraged to repeat language such as 'pop, pop, pop'. They practise their large body movements through climbing and dancing.

Two-year-olds eagerly join in with songs and rhymes. They show confidence to choose a song to sing with their group of peers. They recall words as they sing aloud and show control and coordination with actions. Children are encouraged to become aware of how they feel and how to manage their own emotions when playing with resources such as play dough faces, jigsaws and face pebbles. In pre-school, children have access to more challenging resources and equipment. Children show interest as they smell flowers and taste citrus fruits, hearing mathematical language when mixing and filling containers in the water tray. During other activities, children count out the number of resources they are using. Children generally concentrate well when listening to stories, recalling familiar phrases when prompted by practitioners.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Children behave well. Routines are generally established to support children's positive attitude to learning. Children are supported to learn and get along with each other. Following challenging behaviours from some older children, further training has enabled practitioners to implement more effective strategies. If children are finding a task tricky, practitioners understand why and offer an alternative. Practitioners and parents work together to support children's behaviours through shared dialogue and feedback. Practitioners are aware of how 2-year-olds need support with their behaviour. Through identifying feelings and emotions, awareness is raised on how others may feel and 2-year-olds are supported to be kind to their peers.

Practitioners in the pre-school room encourage a culture of kindness, care and respect through circle times, role playing and exploring emotions. Leaders have effectively used spaces and resources to consider children's age and stage of development, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). All children, including those with SEND, benefit from using sensory areas, as these provide them with time and space to work through their emotions in a safe environment. Leaders work with parents to emphasise the importance of attendance. Absences are monitored promptly, which also helps to safeguard children.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Children's individual needs are met. Children's likes and dislikes are acknowledged alongside any dietary or medical needs, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders place a strong emphasis on secure key-person systems, starting in the baby room. Practitioners and parents talk about how they work closely with each other. Children have an 'all about me' profile in each room. A key person overview details current development, and any next steps are shared with the new room as children move up. This helps new key persons and room practitioners to identify starting points for progression and ensure all children, including those with SEND, remain emotionally secure as they build on positive relationships.

Practitioners follow safer eating and safe sleeping practices to maintain children's wellbeing. Children with a limited diet are encouraged to extend their tastes and try new food through group food activities. Children try different fruits at snack time and try various fillings as they make their own wraps at lunchtime. While children benefit from a varied diet, staff do not consistently make effective use of snack and mealtimes as a learning opportunity. For example, practitioners do not consistently use these opportunities to help children to develop long-lasting healthy habits where they understand and make their own healthy choices and decisions. Appropriate hygiene practices are promoted with all children.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders have identified a need for more robust induction and monitoring of some processes. They review practice and procedures when incidents occur, and this has resulted in improvements within health and safety induction procedures. This has supported practitioners to have a more secure knowledge of the policies and procedures from the beginning of their employment. Leaders support staff in their ongoing knowledge of these through staff meetings and quizzes. As a result, practitioners build on their knowledge to maintain the required standards and support children's welfare. Leaders' rigorous monitoring and evaluation of some aspects of the curriculum is not embedded throughout the nursery, including the provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Therefore, practitioners do not consistently make a significant, positive difference that secures excellence for all children.

Practitioners are supported through one-to-one reviews and wellbeing time. They have the opportunity to identify their own development and training needs. Recent training requested on sensory development and supporting additional needs has had a beneficial impact on practitioners' practice. As a result, practitioners comment that they are more confident with behaviour management. Each term, practitioners have an opportunity to develop their continuing professional development through online training. This is then shared within the team to raise standards. Leaders have identified how important oral health is and provide families with an information pack containing a toothbrush and toothpaste to encourage oral health at home.

Improvements have been made since the last inspection to staff's questioning techniques with older children. For example, staff working in the pre-school room ask thought-provoking questions during children's play. The curriculum for mathematics in each room is now more clearly identified and implemented generally well, starting in under the 2's room and broadening the learning intent in pre-school. This helps children make progress in this area over time.