The Learning Experience Weybridge

Inclusion: Strong standard

Inclusion is a key feature of the setting. Children experience a highly inclusive environment where every child is valued, supported and respected. Staff know children and families very well and use this knowledge to adapt teaching, routines and resources so that all children can access the same ambitious curriculum. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who speak English as an additional language and children who may face barriers to their learning.

Leaders and staff swiftly assess and implement targeted interventions to meet children's changing needs. They particularly demonstrate effective practice in supporting children's communication needs. For example, core staff receive training in British Sign Language and this is used across the rooms. Visual communication boards, signing, repetition and picture cue cards are also available, and staff confidently adapt interactions in the moment to support children's language development.

Staff work effectively with external professionals, including speech and language therapists, physiotherapists, autism specialists and teachers of the deaf. Advice from these professionals is translated into detailed individual plans that staff understand and implement consistently. All children are supported to join group activities, communicate choices through signing and visual supports, and access the same learning experiences as their peers.

Inclusion is consistently embedded in everyday practice. Children learn to respect differences, celebrate diversity and develop empathy through warm relationships and carefully planned experiences. As a result, children feel safe, confident and fully part of the nursery community.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

The curriculum is broad and appropriately sequenced, with staff generally having a clear understanding of what they want children to learn. Activities are planned around the nursery's bespoke curriculum, children's interests and developmental needs, helping them build the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need for their next stage of learning. Staff support children's communication and language development well through conversations, stories, songs and purposeful play experiences. Leaders have established positive community links and staff enrich the curriculum through meaningful experiences in the local community. For example, staff support children's understanding of the world, as they visit local shops, parks, the church and participate in wider community events.

The quality of staff's interactions are not consistently embedded across all rooms. While many staff recognise and extend children's learning effectively, there are occasions when opportunities arising from children's play are not fully maximised. In addition, the outdoor curriculum is less well developed than the indoor provision. Although children benefit from daily physical play opportunities, staff's planning and implementation does not consistently reflect a wider range of learning areas or fully support children who learn best outdoors. Nonetheless, staff engage children positively in learning and support their ongoing progress.

Overall, teaching is inclusive and generally effective. Staff know children well and use information about their starting points and next steps. Positive relationships help children feel secure and confident to participate in activities and share their ideas. Across the nursery, staff model language, introduce new vocabulary and encourage children to develop independence through daily routines and self-care opportunities.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children make progress from their starting points and are developing appropriate knowledge, skills and behaviours. They are confident, motivated learners who engage positively in a range of experiences across the curriculum. Children develop communication skills as staff model language, introduce new vocabulary and encourage meaningful conversations throughout the day.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities achieve well from their individual starting points because staff identify their needs quickly and adapt teaching appropriately. Effective partnerships with families and other professionals help ensure that children receive the support they need to participate fully in the curriculum. At times, variations in the quality of teaching interactions mean that opportunities to deepen children's learning are sometimes missed. In addition, the outdoor curriculum does not consistently provide the same breadth of learning opportunities available indoors. Nevertheless, children are typically well prepared for their next stage of learning.

Children demonstrate increasing independence in daily routines. They eagerly wash their hands, serve food, pour drinks and make choices about their play and learning. Older children sustain attention during activities, collaborate with their peers and use their imagination effectively during creative and role-play experiences. They develop early mathematical understanding through counting, comparing and problem-solving opportunities.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Children demonstrate positive attitudes to learning and are generally well behaved. They arrive happily, settle quickly into nursery routines and show confidence in exploring the environment and engaging in activities. Children build warm and nurturing relationships with staff helping children to feel safe, secure and ready to learn. Overall, leaders are working closely with staff through recent team and room structure changes, focussing on embedding the new arrangements and expectations so that children can continue to benefit from stable relationships. Nonetheless, children seek reassurance from familiar adults when needed and respond positively to the support and encouragement they receive.

Staff are positive role models and promote expected behaviours through clear and age-appropriate guidance. Children learn to use 'walking feet' indoors, take turns, listen to others and follow instructions. They respond well to reminders from staff and increasingly understand the routines and expectations of the setting. Mealtimes and group activities are typically organised well and provide opportunities for children to develop independence, patience and social skills.

Children show respect for one another and are beginning to understand the impact of their actions on others. Older children cooperate well during play and enjoy working alongside their peers. Staff support children effectively to manage their emotions and develop self-regulation strategies. Overall, children typically demonstrate positive behaviour and attitudes and are developing the personal skills needed for future learning and development.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Children's welfare and wellbeing are given high priority. Staff create a nurturing and emotionally secure environment where children develop close relationships with familiar adults and feel safe, valued and cared for. Children confidently seek reassurance, comfort and support when needed, demonstrating the trusting bonds they have established with staff. As a result, children are settled, happy and ready to learn.

Staff know children very well and respond promptly to their individual needs. Babies benefit from sensitive care routines that are tailored to their home experiences. Staff recognise when babies are tired, hungry or in need of comfort and respond calmly and consistently. Younger children receive reassurance through cuddles, stories, discussions on feelings and follow familiar routines, helping them to regulate their emotions and develop a positive sense of security.

Children are fully supported to develop healthy lifestyles and increasing independence. They follow effective hygiene routines, and learn about oral hygiene, keeping themselves safe and healthy eating through positive mealtime experiences. Older children pour their own drinks, serve food and manage aspects of their personal care with growing confidence.

Staff are highly responsive to children's emotional wellbeing. They identify when children become unsettled and adapt their approach to support them successfully. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those requiring additional emotional support receive personalised care that enables them to participate fully in nursery life. Consequently, children develop resilience, confidence and positive emotional wellbeing. They feel secure in their environment and demonstrate a real sense of belonging within the nursery community.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders have an accurate understanding of the nursery's strengths and areas for development. They are committed to providing a welcoming, inclusive environment where children are safe, happy and able to make progress from their starting points. Leaders have established a curriculum that focuses on developing children's communication, independence and readiness for their next stage of learning. Staff understand the curriculum intent and generally implement it well across the nursery. While teaching is typically effective there remains some variability in the quality of interactions and extent to which staff maximise learning opportunities that arise through children's play. Leaders should consider the importance of continuing this work and prioritise staff's individual professional develoment opportunities to secure greater consistency to drive the quality of teaching to an even high level across the setting.

Leaders and staff know their children and families well and work proactively to remove barriers to learning and attendance. They place a clear emphasis on inclusion and ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive timely and appropriate support. Effective partnerships with parents and external professionals and specialist services, help ensure that children receive early targeted support to meet their individual needs.

Leaders are dedicated, enthusiastic, and reflective. They maintain thorough oversight of the nursery's day-to-day operations. They regularly review key information, including accident, incident and attendance records. Effective monitoring helps identify any emerging patterns or trends, enabling leaders to take prompt action where necessary. Leaders monitor the quality of provision and use this information to inform improvement priorities. However, the implementation of the curriculum is not equally embedded in all areas of the provision. For example, opportunities for children to access the full breadth and ambition of the curriculum outdoors are not as well developed as those available indoors.

Leaders have fostered a truly positive and supportive culture across the nursery. Staff report that they feel very supported and valued. Leaders demonstrate the capacity and commitment to secure continued improvement. As a result, children benefit from a provision that is typically effective in supporting their learning, development and wellbeing.