Swift Under Threes

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders and staff know all children extremely well. They accurately observe them during play to understand their individual needs, gaps in their learning and their preferences. They use these observations, along with targeted conversations with parents and carers, to plan precise activities that promote each child's personalised learning and development. Staff accurately monitor children's progress and act quickly should they have any concerns. For example, they invite external professionals into the nursery and ask them for advice and support. They then use this information and advice to help all children to accelerate their progress. This allows every child to overcome any barriers to learning.

Leaders work closely with parents to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those with barriers to their learning and those known, or previously known, to children's social care to ensure that all children make progress. Staff skilfully remove any barriers to children's learning. For instance, staff closely observe children at play to ensure that they can access all the resources on offer. They then thoughtfully adapt the environment to allow all children to participate, such as by changing the area where activities are on offer. Consequently, all children have access to the same opportunities and experiences at the nursery. This helps them to thrive, flourish and make rapid progress in their learning.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders provide a welcoming, warm and nurturing environment where all children feel safe, settled and valued. The inspiring curriculum, written by the whole staff team, values listening to all children's voices and opinions. Staff ask children for their opinions, and these, along with individual targets, help to shape the curriculum. Staff impressively adapt and extend activities in order to promote best outcomes for all children. Staff skilfully provide a range of stimulating adult-led and child-led activities based on children's interests, as well as a rich variety of cultural events and festivals. This allows children to explore a wide range of different experiences and be even more aware of the world around them.

Staff encourage children to access a range of high-quality learning experiences. For example, children concentrate very well as they carefully work together to build houses out of magnetic blocks. They comment on the colour of the blocks and make impressive shape models. Children show great excitement as they show staff their efforts. Staff praise children and encourage their mathematical knowledge, asking them to count the number of blocks they have carefully stacked. Children answer and use impressive coordination as they carry on building. This activity helps children to build the muscles in their hands, to help with early writing skills.

All staff work in partnership with parents to share their children's developmental progress and to discuss plans for future learning. This proactive and collaborative approach ensures that children consistently make rapid progress across all areas of the curriculum.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or who face other barriers to their learning, make sustained and consistent progress from their individual starting points across all areas of learning. Children are becoming confident communicators. They enthusiastically share details about their plans for play. Staff talk to children, modelling new language and asking targeted questions. For example, they ask children to describe what fruits taste like and what their favourite fruits are. Children display extremely positive relationships with their friends and staff and are happy, confident and settled at the nursery.

Children enjoy being independent and making choices in their play. They giggle as they work with their friends and make dinner for staff, saying that they are 'making it healthy'. Staff thank the children and ask them to describe what dinner they have made for them. Children play cooperatively, and older children include younger children in their play. They are extremely friendly and sociable and they demonstrate that they are incredibly happy at the nursery. This helps them to gain key skills necessary to confidently move on to the next stages in their learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Staff are exceptionally positive role models for children. They demonstrate respectful and friendly relationships with each other, as well as with the children. Staff laugh and smile regularly, and children mimic this behaviour as they have a fabulous time at the nursery. Staff support children extremely well and children display tremendous friendships. Behaviour is exemplary and all children demonstrate highly positive attitudes to learning. They have a 'can-do' attitude and have a thirst to explore new activities. Older children display extremely positive attitudes to learning as they play cooperatively with younger children and offer help when needed. For instance, they share trains and help to build a train track. Staff thank children for helping one another. This helps children develop confidence and a strong sense of belonging.

Staff have established clear routines and expectations, which are followed throughout the day. This helps children to understand what to expect, helping them to feel emotionally secure and settled. Leaders promote regular attendance by explaining to parents and carers the benefits of this for children's educational and social development. Parents are extremely grateful for the care given to their children and the excellent communication provided to them. They value the ideas given to them for home learning. This helps to promote consistency in children's learning.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders and staff have a high regard for children's welfare and wellbeing. They work extremely closely with children and their families, and they have formed secure and trusting relationships. This helps children to achieve the very best outcomes. Staff offer a high level of support to help parents and children with different stages of development, such as weaning and toileting. This helps to promote continuity of care, helping children to feel immensely safe and emotionally secure.

Staff are enthusiastic and passionate about providing high-quality care that meets all children's individual needs. Key persons work expertly with parents to discuss children's care, their stages of development and focused next steps in their learning. Staff ensure that children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who face barriers to learning and those known, or previously known, to social care receive highly effective, targeted support.

Staff demonstrate excellent hygiene practices to help ensure children's personal care needs are fully met. They encourage children to become extremely independent and manage their own self-care. Staff encourage children to develop healthy lifestyles. They support them with toothbrushing and promote healthy lunches and snacks. Children learn to wash their hands before meals and manage toileting tasks independently. Staff talk to children about the importance of making healthy food choices and explain how it will help to support their growth and development.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders have provided an incredibly supportive and welcoming nursery where all children are free to be themselves and feel safe and secure. They work extremely closely with parents to provide a supportive and accommodating environment for each individual child. Staff ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to their learning receive excellent, targeted support. Staff work closely with external professionals and follow guidance carefully to support children and families known, or previously known, to social care. Parents appreciate the support and opportunities their children receive and they value the opportunities for partnership working. This ensures that all children get the support they need to thrive and develop.

Leaders are proactive and reflective. They identify any developments required to further improve the nursery. They are currently seeking to further develop the already excellent curriculum to make it even more inspiring for the children attending. Leaders value professional development opportunities. They encourage staff to attend any training that interests them and that improves outcomes for children in their care. For example, recent training on supporting children who are 2 years old has strengthened staff's understanding of how best to support these children and promote positive behaviour. Staff are extremely happy in their job roles. They say that they are like 'a family' and feel well supported. Leaders are mindful of staff workloads as they do not want them to feel overwhelmed. Staff wellbeing is a priority at the nursery and the staff team is consistent and stable. This leads to better outcomes for all children who attend.