The Little Firefly Forest School and Outdoor Nursery

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders and staff are committed to creating an inclusive environment. They provide flexibility to enable equal access to all children, including the needs of those with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) and those who may face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing.

All staff have a thorough understanding of children's development. They use regular observations and discussions with the special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinators to raise emerging concerns. Leaders typically prioritise additional targeted time for children with staff to reduce any barriers to their progress. Leaders use the additional funding they receive to achieve this.

Regular communication between staff and parents and carers create a collaborative approach. This ensures that, when any difficulties in children's learning and development are identified, ideas are shared ideas with parents to support at home. For example, staff share personalised stories that support children through times of change. This ensures that children sustain progress and are ready for the next stages in their education.

Leaders accurately prioritise staff training to ensure an inclusive approach throughout the setting. Over time, this has focused on developing children's emotional wellbeing. The approach the setting implements to support children through compassionate conversations is having a noticeable impact on children's progress in this area.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Children benefit from the long-term curriculum, which builds on their learning in all areas. Staff monitor children's progress and this informs planning. Children lead on their learning and staff adapt teaching to build on this. Staff introduce vocabulary in context. For example, they explore the meaning of 'opaque' as children fish for potatoes in a deep muddy puddle when they notice they are unable to see through the water to find them. Back-and-forth conversations between staff, children and their friends are plentiful. Staff help children to listen to others, take turns in conversation and to express their ideas. Staff model language to help children to express their needs and as a result, children are confident to do so.

Children practise counting skills. They are reminded to check when they have missed one. Children repeat the process and add 'one more to make five'. Opportunities for physical development weave through the day. Children develop strength and highly positive attitudes to exercise. They enjoy daily walks, running across fields and leaping over streams. Children scramble quickly to the highest point of a log pile, mastering balance and coordination skills.

Leaders have a vision for staff to act as positive role models and demonstrate desired behaviours for the children to follow. For example, they want children to show care for the learning environment, respect the resources accessible and use good manners. However, this modelling is not yet consistent among all staff. This means that, on occasion, children miss out on this important learning opportunity in preparation for the next steps in their education.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children typically make progress from their starting points. When children are learning at different rates, adaptations to teaching are quickly implemented to ensure that all children make sustained progress. For example, the enhanced ratio of adults to children allows an emphasis to be placed on intensively supporting children's personal, social and emotional development when gaps are emerging in their learning. As a result, all children make progress and develop age-appropriate knowledge and skills.

All children make progress as confident communicators who enjoy plenty of opportunities to chat with adults and their peers. Children progress from answering simple questions to those that encourage problem-solving, such as what can they do to fit a large card into a smaller envelope. Children become competent in explaining the solution. These skills are recognised by the schools that children move on to.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Staff build positive relationships with all children. This allows children to become inquisitive problem-solvers, who concentrate and focus for an extended time on activities they choose. Children play games together, build their confidence through friendships and enjoy exploring together.

Staff are focused on teaching children the importance of kindness care and respect for each other. They encourage children to listen to others when they are talking and suggest they share toys with their friends. However, when children leave equipment on the floor, staff do not consistently encourage children to tidy away and model respect for their things. As a result, some children do not learn to take responsibility for tidying up after themselves.

Staff apply their growing knowledge of how to support children to begin to regulate their behaviour effectively. Staff are sensitive to each child's stage of development alongside spotting the signs of stronger emotions, such as frustration or anger. They use a structured approach to support children to recognise these feelings, and provide reassurance, empathy and work on solutions together. This is having a sustained impact as children learn to resolve conflict by asking others for 'more space' or moving themselves away to a quieter location. Staff are skilled at de-escalating any occurrences of such behaviour. This enables children to continue their learning and control impulses without delay.

Leaders work collaboratively with families to encourage children's attendance and punctuality, which they monitor methodically. Staff know children and their families well and are mindful of reasons for any absence.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Staff prioritise children's wellbeing. Children and staff develop relationships that are respectful, warm and nurturing. This results in a trusting environment. Children develop confidence because staff value their voices and understand their emerging needs.

Children are increasingly independent in managing their care needs. For example, they become adept in removing their waterproof all-in-ones to go to the toilet. Staff are attentive to all children's individual needs, encouraging them to try to do it themselves but willing to offer more help as needed.

Staff understand safe sleep practices to ensure that they keep children safe, including regularly checking on children who are sleeping. Leaders are passionate for children to develop appropriate and positive attitudes to risks. Staff teach children how to manage risks and then trust them to do so. For example, children understand not to splash in the stream as it is too cold or not to climb on softer wood. Staff remind children that these are not strong enough to stand on. Children climb lower and understand they do not want to 'fall and hurt themselves'.

Leaders provide nutritious and healthy snacks. They build supportive relationships with families. Staff offer guidance and advice around healthy food choices, while remaining respectful of individual choices. Staff are vigilant and offer timely reminders to parents and carers of how to prepare fruit safely. They face children as they eat to ensure any risks of choking are minimised. Children understand the importance of finishing the food in their mouths before they play. They open their mouths wide to show staff they are safe.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders have an accurate understanding of the distinctive experience their setting offers children and families, including those who may have additional barriers to learning. This results in a clear understanding of the strengths and areas for development.

Leaders invest in their staff's wellbeing, such as by providing daily reflection time. Staff use this time to consider their observations of key children and plan for next steps in learning. Leaders also encourage staff to complete their own professional learning to further improve outcomes for children. Leaders assess this commitment necessary to maintain a dedicated team.

Leaders are committed to providing a sharply focused programme of professional learning. This is ambitious and focused on the areas of learning that are pertinent to the children in the nursery. For example, the clear focus on supporting children's behaviour is making a positive impact. Leaders create an ethos of continual collaborative improvement, asking staff for ideas and solutions. They take these into account and act on them.

Systems are in place for the supervision of staff, including staff who are responsible for safeguarding. Occasionally, supervisions are not always sharply focused. For example, when staff do not consistently model expectations for desired manners and care for the equipment, this is not identified.

Leaders have implemented plans to strengthen links with schools and settings. This work is progressing effectively. When strategies are shared collaboratively, the impact of this partnership working on children's achievements is evident. However, this approach is not yet consistent for all children. This does not consistently prepare children to transition effectively between different stages in their education, including school.