The Barn Nursery School Colne Engaine Ltd

Inclusion: Exceptional

Inspirational leaders have a clear vision, passion and relentless drive to ensure that all children excel, specifically the most-vulnerable children. The children consistently achieve beyond expectation from their starting points. Parents say that they are in awe of the sustained progress their children make as a direct result of attending, and the aspirations the staff have for their children.

Leaders endeavour to inspire children to be resilient and become successful lifelong learners, irrespective of disadvantages or barriers to their learning. Their expert knowledge and bespoke training opportunities are shared externally throughout the east of England to support and improve other early years settings and professionals. They work in collaboration with the local authority, Department for Education and a variety of national networks. Leaders disseminate their expert knowledge and practice nationally so that not only children who attend nursery, but other settings, benefit from their expertise.

Leaders are relentless in their commitment to ensure that children receive the specialist teaching and support needed for their continued education. They advocate for children in their care and, without hesitation, challenge decisions made by outside agencies and external specialists. They are innovative in the professional training and additional roles they undertake to ensure that life-changing opportunities are provided for children.

Staff commitment to provide and sustain an inclusive environment is exceptional. High-quality interactions, knowledgeable staff and adaptations to the nursery ensure that all children participate and receive expert support. Leaders are highly successful in the work that takes place with harder-to-reach families. Strategic and individualised support has a transformational impact for children who need it most. For example, they support families to overcome barriers so that children attend every day and receive the best possible start in life. Leaders are explicit in the use of funding. For example, they invest in evidenced-based training and resource, and individualised support that will enhance children's wellbeing.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders ensure that the curriculum reflects the principles of the nursery and is highly ambitious and inclusive. The unique needs of every child are considered when consistently delivering a wealth of learning opportunities across all areas. Highly skilled and knowledgeable staff have high expectations and know the children extremely well. They complete robust assessments to help them build on what children already know and can do. High-quality teaching is securely embedded in all practice and routines. Staff are reflective. They adapt in the moment to children's emerging interests, curiosity and needs. Communication and mathematical development are seamless and responsive. Children have a positive attitude to learning. They show resilience and perseverance as they independently solve problems and work out alternative ways to achieve a task. For example, they show sustained concentration as they decide to fix wooden triangles together to make a diamond shape. They explain glue is not strong enough and discuss their ideas. They successfully use lolly sticks and nails to make the shape they want.

Leaders prioritise children's communication and language development. They recognise the importance of language skills for children's learning, thinking and emotional wellbeing. Staff consistently engage children in high-quality interactions and conversations that seem effortless. When engaging in conversation, they ensure that they are at the child's level and follow the child's lead. They make comments but do not ask too many questions. They effectively build on what children say to extend their vocabulary and give children time to listen, process and reply. As a result, children are very confident speakers.

Staff provide an abundance of opportunities for all children to develop their physical skills and personal, social and emotional development. Activities are carefully sequenced to help children with different needs and abilities to learn with confidence. For example, children with delayed physical development or mobility make significant and noticeable progress from their starting points. They have confidence to run, climb and balance on planks independently as a result of the adaptations made and the perseverance of staff and their skilful support.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children are curious, motivated and enthusiastic learners. They immerse themselves in purposeful play in the inspiring and vibrant environment. They make sustained progress across all areas of learning. They benefit from a well-sequenced curriculum that ensures learning is ambitious and accessible to all. Children who face barriers to learning or children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive targeted support, enabling them to make excellent progress from their starting points.

Children are highly resilient. They are very well prepared for their successful future learning and transition to school. Throughout their day, children have consistent opportunities to practise their independence, build resilience and strengthen their communication and language skills. Staff are highly skilful in showing a genuine interest in what children are doing. They encourage active and stimulating conversations that are rich in vocabulary. In addition, Makaton is securely embedded in practice and used during conversations with children. As a result, children are very confident communicators.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Children flourish in the calm, inviting and homely setting. Leaders have created a harmonious and respectful culture. Staff develop trusting, warm and respectful relationships with the children. Children positively invite staff into their games and enjoy their participation. Children learn to positively manage their emotions. Calm, nurturing staff, resources and quiet spaces help children to regulate their feelings and successfully re-engage in activities. Clear expectations, skilful, subtle interactions and highly impactful teaching from staff promote children's positive attitude for learning and confidence to try new things.

Expectations of the nursery are clearly understood. Consistent routines and boundaries are embedded and understood by the children. Children have a clear understanding of how to stay safe. For example, children know they must wait for their own safety if 4 children are engaged in woodwork. They have a thorough understanding of how to use tools safely and respectfully, and remind one another to ensure that their friends stay safe.

Leaders recognise the importance of children's attendance. They work above and beyond what is expected and in collaboration with parents to overcome any barriers to this and support children to attend regularly.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders and staff are highly effective in providing effective care practices that meet each child's unique needs as they have a comprehensive knowledge of the children in their care. Secure attachments are formed and staff have formed highly responsive and trusting relationships with the children. Children demonstrate a sense of security, emotional stability and wellbeing. Children enthusiastically arrive, confidently settle and immerse themselves in a chosen activity.

Leaders and staff promote healthy lifestyles and children's understanding of their own personal safety and the importance of good health and physical development. This is because familiar well-structured routines are consistently delivered and opportunities for meaningful learning takes place at these times. Children are highly efficient in self-care. They organise their personal belongings on arrival with ease, independently use the bathroom and have a deep-rooted knowledge of the importance of washing hands when using the bathroom or before eating. Superb strategies, such as visual prompts, patience and consistent reassurance, along with individual support for children who face barriers to learning, mean that children achieve the same expectations as their peers. They develop the skills needed to be independent and take care of their personal needs.

Staff have such a robust knowledge of the children in their care that they understand how to effectively support them to express how they are feeling. For example, children who struggle emotionally learn the skills and vocabulary needed to explain why they may feel sad. Staff are highly skilled in allowing children the time and space they need to regulate their emotions. They are calm, responsive and subtle in their interactions when supporting children to enable them to develop a secure sense of emotional wellbeing.

Leadership and governance: Exceptional

Leaders are astute in their analysis of the strengths of the nursery. They are highly reflective and sustain consistent, effective monitoring of practice. Leaders are proactive and rapidly respond to children's unique, changing needs to transform their lives and sustain and deliver the highest quality care and education. This is especially so for those receiving statutory support, disadvantaged children or children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The leaders' expertise, motivation, drive and passion are infectious and shared by the team. Leaders instil and sustain a culture of respect among the children and staff. Leaders prioritise children's wellbeing but also that of the valued staff team. Staff are highly motivated, professional and skilled.

Children's unique needs are the centre of every decision made. Professional development opportunities are targeted to children's emerging needs and significantly enhance teaching practice. They are meaningful and inclusive. Leaders are effective at instigating change that is sustainable. They consistently develop, acquire and retain new knowledge and skills and ultimately improve outcomes for children and their families. For example, they have completed training programmes that enable them to have a greater insight and expert knowledge to sit on the panel and contribute to the decision-making process to approve educational healthcare plans.

This support is far reaching. For example, the inspirational leaders have established and maintained regional networks of cross-sector early years providers and organisations to support evidence-informed early years practice and knowledge sharing. Leaders are the major lead of a stronger practice hub within the east of England. They act as a point of contact for bespoke advice and support for early years educators to access professional development opportunities and evidence-informed programmes.