Teeny Feet Day Nursery

Inclusion: Strong standard

Staff work closely with parents to understand children's development, when children start at the setting. Staff continue to gain further information through observations of what children can do. Where children require additional support, for example, due to a barrier to learning or special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), leaders implement agreed plans consistently and share these within the team to ensure that children are fully supported to access the curriculum. Children with SEND hugely benefit from the consistent and highly effective practice to support their individual development.

Leaders receive suitable training to support them in their lead roles as special educational needs coordinators. Leaders are very proactive in making sure that any support children with SEND need is swiftly implemented while waiting for input from other professionals. They work well with other professionals to seek further guidance and support and implement any agreed strategies. Staff receive training to help build their skills to support the needs of individual children.

Any additional funding is used effectively. For example, staff assess the individual needs and circumstances for each child and use funding to ensure their needs are met.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders plan a curriculum that covers all areas of learning to support children's development effectively. Staff plan activities through play for both indoor and outdoor play. Staff complete regular observations of children's learning and assess their progress. Staff have good communication with each other to discuss new moments in children's learning so they are aware of children's current skills. Staff adapt their teaching well for children with barriers to learning or those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. In particular, leaders and staff consider other ways of communicating with children, such as through signs, to help promote communication and language development across the setting effectively. Staff support children's mathematical development well. For instance, they role model counting to babies as they play and talk through different shapes and size concepts.

Overall, teaching is generally appropriately aimed at what staff want children to learn next. However, at times some of the learning intentions for children do not consistently match their age and stage of development, which means that there are sometimes more limited opportunities to gain new learning.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children, including those who experience barriers to achievement and special educational needs and/or disabilities, progress well from their individual starting points. However, some further developments in teaching would have even more impact on children's achievement. Children respond well to planned activities and positive interactions with staff. Support for children's communication and language development is embedded in practice. Staff take all opportunities to sing to babies and toddlers as they play. For example, children bring toys to staff, such as a duck, and join in singing and dancing to the song.

Children show persistence and determination in completing their chosen tasks. Staff manage these times well by allowing children time and space to challenge themselves. For instance, young children sorting shapes try several different ones before finding the correct one and continue this to complete all of the shapes in the set. Children enjoy the warm praise staff given them. These opportunities help children to build skills that will help them be ready for their next stage of learning at school.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders and staff create a positive environment. Their approach to supporting children's behaviour considers children's age and stage of development. Children and staff form suitable relationships. For example, children are eager to share their learning with staff and happily chat about what they have built with the bricks.

Children enjoy opportunities to spend time with children from different age groups in the setting. Staff promote kindness and understanding as they skilfully help older children to learn how to include younger children in their play. For example, by using turn-taking and explaining the intentions of the younger child. However, there are some inconsistencies in how staff implement strategies to support individual children's behaviour, which means that they vary in success. This limits children's understanding of their own behaviour and how this impacts on others.

Leaders have established systems to support children's attendance to consider their wellbeing and opportunity to take part in learning at the setting. Parents keep in contact to update about their children's attendance.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Staff get to know their key children well. Individual care routines are supported on a very individual basis, this includes children who may face barriers to achievements and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. For example, staff know how children prefer to sleep and if they are likely to be more rested in a quieter space or are able to sleep with others playing close by.

Leaders have worked hard to develop a menu that gives children nutritious meals that appeal to them. However, during mealtimes, staff do not consistently facilitate learning opportunities to help children build their skills further. For example, not all children have appropriately sized cutlery to help them feed themselves and older children have limited opportunities to learn to cut their own food. Leaders ensure that children's individual allergies and preferences are known and up to date to ensure that children remain safe at nursery.

Overall, children are supported to learn about their emotions. Staff plan activities for children to explore different facial expressions and also discuss with children about what makes them happy. However, some of the inconsistencies in the support for children has some impact on how they learn about how others feel.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders have worked hard since the last inspection to develop in all areas. They are clear that they want to continue their progress and maintain high standards for all children, including those with barriers to achievement and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Staff have received training in areas, such as safeguarding, to upskill them and give them confidence in their roles. Leaders know where to access further training for future development. They have very recently completed training to support children's learning and development and have plans to embed this further in practice. These plans are in the early stages and the further impact of these will be assessed by leaders, once they have been fully implemented.

Leaders consider staff wellbeing and workload when making decisions within the setting. Staff receive regular supervisions and daily check ins to ensure that their workload is manageable and wellbeing is supported. This enables staff to fully support the children in their care. Staff report positively on the support structure in place at the setting and the training and developments within the setting since the last inspection.