The Links Day Care Centre Ltd

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders have had extensive experience and training, which is reflected in the way they consider each child's needs and background. They warmly welcome and value all children and their families. Leaders and staff work closely with parents and carers to identify their child's starting points in development. They place a particular importance on children's language and communication skills. This helps staff to make a positive difference for children from the beginning. Staff are able to swiftly identify when children need support and their proactive interventions means children's learning and that of those around them are not interrupted.

There are high expectations for each and every child. Leaders and staff continuously and skilfully reflect together on children's progress and the strategies that are in place. Leaders know the importance of supporting parents to access the relevant funding and assessments to support children for the next stage in their learning. In addition, leaders have built strong partnerships with other professionals, which supports the setting to further identify and tackle any barriers children and families may face. Funding has been used to purchase resources, such as sensory toys, that not only help children to calm but continue to support with their development as well. For example, children benefit from one-to-one time with their key persons, while learning turn-taking skills and building on their vocabulary.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders share a varied curriculum that covers the seven areas of learning, they explain how the curriculum is adapted to meet the needs of the current cohort of children.

Staff are aware of where all children are in their development, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. From the beginning, staff use assessments to determine where children are in their development. They know the importance of working with parents and carers as they do this. In addition, they complete an additional assessment, which focuses solely on assessing all children's communication and language development to ensure the appropriate support is in place.

Staff use visuals to aid communication and respond promptly to children needing extra support. They plan learning around children's interests, such as creating vehicle tracks to engage children and improve focus. Mathematical language is embedded in play, for example using size comparisons when exploring dinosaurs.

Staff teach and encourage children to do things for themselves, such as wiping their own nose and washing their hands, but they do not explain why this is important to do. This does not consistently help to prepare children more readily for the next stage in their learning.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make evident progress in their learning. Children progress particularly well in their communication and language skills. Some children who previously struggled to communicate with adults are now able to make eye contact and initiate interaction. Progress is also evident in social development. Children gain confidence and increasingly use movement and actions to represent ideas during play. For example, they demonstrate creativity by mimicking actions, such as flying or stomping to represent different dinosaurs they are naming. This shows growing confidence in expressing themselves through both verbal and non-verbal means. Children are developing skills for school, but occasional inconsistencies in teaching practice mean they do not always make maximum progress to enable them to develop a thorough understanding of their own wellbeing.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Staff are positive role models and have high expectations for children's behaviour. Children have strong relationships with adults and their peers. They communicate well as they share toys with each other. For example, they express whose turn it is or offer their friends another toy. Children show their confidence in the routine of the day, this is because staff sing songs to help them to understand what is happening next. For example, as they sing 'tidy up', children confidently help their friends to find where resources belong. Staff typically praise children to further promote these positive behaviours. Children would benefit even further from an equally consistent approach to helping them to understand and manage their emotions.

Staff demonstrate how they consider children's attendance effectively and individual to each family. They understand the importance of regular attendance and work with parents and carers to ensure that the sessions their children attend best support their individual routines and needs.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders and staff prioritise children's wellbeing. They know the positive impact of children feeling safe and secure in the setting has on their learning. Staff build warm relationships with children, which help children to feel secure. They carefully consider routines to support with the transitions of the day. Some children go home or arrive at lunchtime, so staff deploy themselves effectively to ensure that children's experiences are not disrupted. Furthermore, staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to wind down and regulate before they go home or when staff recognise that they need additional support during their day.

Staff encourage children to develop their independence. For example, children scrape their own plates after mealtimes. Although children would benefit further from consistent explanation from staff around why self-care skills are important. Children have continuous access to the outdoor area. Staff encourage children to decide how long they want to be outside. Children express excitement as they splash in puddles and pretend to stomp like dinosaurs as they explore how rain changes sand.

Staff use books and resources to help children to label their feelings. Children are beginning to recognise their emotions. Leaders and staff are building on how the curriculum and teaching could support children to manage their own feelings and to understand how others may feel.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

The best interests of children and their families is a high priority at this setting. Leaders consider each cohort of children and how to best support them and meet their unique needs. Leaders maintain a clear and realistic view of the setting's strengths, with the support of a reflective team. Together, they continuously adapt or take steps to improve the curriculum or teaching strategies to meet the individual needs of children. Leaders recognise they are still building on helping all children to understand and regulate their own feelings and emotions.

Staff feel extremely valued and supported in their roles, especially with how they are supported to meet the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This is because when training needs are identified leaders swiftly support staff and ensure all training is shared with the team as a whole. This supports consistency in practice and has a positive impact on outcomes for children.

Parents speak highly of the communication and support they receive from the setting. They express their children thrive in the setting, which has a whole benefit on their families.