The Lodge Day Nursery

Inclusion: Needs attention

Leaders responsible for overseeing the assessment of children's needs do not carry this out consistently, to help reduce barriers to learning. They do not robustly monitor the progress of children who face additional barriers to ensure that interactions have a measurable impact. This is particularly evident for older children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who speak English as an additional language, where gaps in learning remain. Leaders have systems for early identification and generally share relevant information with staff through training. However, inconsistencies in staff's knowledge and practice, particularly in the pre-school room, limit the effectiveness of these arrangements. In contrast, toddlers who face barriers to learning, including those at earlier stages of language development, make positive progress because their needs are quickly identified and appropriate interventions are planned, such as 'bucket time'. For instance, toddlers new to the setting smile and giggle in response to the sounds and lights of interesting toys, while those with speech delays, who were initially reluctant to engage, begin to show moments of interest by sitting down with the rest of their group.

The setting works with external agencies, including local authority SEND advisers, to gain guidance for children with SEND and those facing other barriers to development. However, this partnership working is not yet having a sufficiently consistent impact on some children's progress, particularly older children with SEND. Referrals are made and external professionals provide advice. However, recommended strategies for older children's individual development plans are not consistently understood or implemented in practice by all staff. Consequently, children do not always benefit from the tailored approaches needed to build effectively on professional advice and make sustained progress.

Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention

The progressive curriculum that has been newly created by leaders is not yet fully implemented or effectively embedded. Some staff lack the understanding and ambition to deliver the curriculum effectively for all children, particularly for older children, and for babies when outdoors. Leaders, some of whom are new to the setting, have not as yet accurately identified which staff require additional support to fully understand the curriculum and translate it into effective teaching practice. As a result, some children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), wander around without clear purpose and do not always engage in meaningful ways. This is particularly evident outdoors, where babies have fewer stimulating experiences beyond using large climbing equipment. Although staff observe and assess children's development, some do not use this information to identify precise next steps for children's learning or build effectively on what children already know and can do. That said, some experienced staff plan language interventions with clear learning intentions for children with SEND, particularly toddlers, and babies benefit from a broad range of meaningful experiences when indoors.

The indoor provision for toddlers and babies offers a wide range of activities across the areas of learning, with a particular emphasis on developing communication and language. Staff promote language through singing, modelling key words in context and sharing books. However, some activities lack sufficient purpose and challenge. For example, in the pre-school room, children create paper-plate models of their faces using different resources to represent their features. Staff expect these children, regardless of their ability, to name already familiar facial features that they know well. Staff do not consistently recognise when activities offer limited learning value and do not adapt them to extend individual children's knowledge and skills. As a result, some children have insufficient opportunities to deepen their understanding and make secure progress from their existing starting points.

Achievement: Needs attention

Inconsistencies in the quality of teaching, and the lack of sufficiently purposeful activities that are well matched to children's individual needs, mean that some children do not make the progress they are capable of. Some older children, particularly those who face barriers to learning, do not consistently benefit from appropriate teaching or have full access to the curriculum. Staff do not consistently make the necessary adaptations to meet children's diverse needs, despite these being recorded in their individual development plans. Consequently, gaps in children's development do not close at a steady or sustained rate.

Babies and toddlers, on the other hand, begin to use key words and simple sentences to communicate their wants and needs. They typically join in with familiar stories and songs and follow routines established by staff. Babies and pre-school children prefer to be indoors, where they have access to more stimulating, engaging experiences, such as making marks on large pieces of paper on the floor. There are times in the day when babies and pre-school children wander without clear purpose or motivation when outdoors. This is because the outdoor curriculum does not provide children with sufficiently engaging experiences to help them achieve the expected progress needed for their next stage in learning.

Babies hear vocabulary related to size as they make 'big' and 'little' splashes in water and notice the different reactions. Younger children's early mathematics skills are developing. For example, toddlers are encouraged to persevere and successfully complete 4-piece puzzles of their faces by comparing and matching the pieces.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Needs attention

Leaders do not ensure that staff's expectations for children's behaviour, particularly for older children, are applied consistently. Although staff help the youngest children, including those who face barriers to their learning and wellbeing, to understand daily routines, this approach is not consistent across the setting. For example, when older children have disputes, sometimes involving pushing others over as they want the same toys, staff respond in different ways. Staff also do not always encourage older children to help tidy away their toys after playing with them, and often complete this themselves in order to move children on to the next routine more quickly. In this way, some routines lack consistency and predictability. In contrast, staff caring for younger children use routine times to build warm and nurturing bonds, such as by singing to babies and toddlers while changing their nappies. Positive interactions such as these help children develop secure relationships and settle confidently into the setting.

Overall, staff encourage children to share and take turns, particularly in the baby and toddler rooms. With appropriate guidance, younger children learn to cooperate with others, through staff's good role modelling. For instance, toddlers enthusiastically collect balls in doll pushchairs in the garden, while others join their game and race around trying to keep the balls in their buggies. They laugh and giggle when balls fall out, while staff readily praise their efforts and join in with the fun. However, some staff do not consistently engage in children's imaginative games. This reduces opportunities to extend children's ideas and develop a deeper understanding of their interests, particularly for those who face barriers to their development.

Leaders monitor children's attendance and punctuality. They work with families to ensure that parents and carers understand, and follow, the setting's procedures for informing the setting when their child will be absent. This helps to promote children's safety.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Needs attention

The key-person system is not effective in practice in the pre-school room. Older children, particularly those who face barriers to their development, do not consistently benefit from the support of a key person. Leaders have not ensured that all staff fully understand and fulfil their responsibilities in this role effectively. For example, some staff do not consistently take opportunities to build knowledge of children's families and home experiences, or share important information with colleagues when children move into the pre-school room. In addition, some staff who are key persons for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities do not always know how to support them effectively. This results in some children becoming upset and staff feeling unsure about how best to help them. Weaknesses such as these mean that some children's welfare and emotional security are not consistently supported.

Overall, younger children settle well in the warm and nurturing environment. Babies and toddlers form positive relationships with staff and their peers. For example, they enjoy sharing books and cuddling up to staff, as well as singing songs during individual care routines, such as nappy changing. Children have daily opportunities to play outdoors, supporting their physical health and wellbeing, although some choose to remain indoors due to the lack of stimulating activities.

Children are provided with a range of healthy foods. In general, staff support children to learn about healthy lifestyles. Staff gather information about children's dietary requirements and provide healthy food that meets their individual care needs. Staff follow safe-sleeping requirements effectively. They work with parents to ensure that care routines for younger children align between home and the setting. Children are reminded by staff to wash their hands thoroughly before eating. This consistency in care practices helps children feel secure and develop healthy habits from an early age.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Leaders have not yet precisely identified weaker aspects of provision that need to improve across the setting, including behaviour management and self-regulation strategies for older children, support for older ones who face barriers to their development, and the opportunities for learning outdoors, particularly for babies and pre-school children. Leaders have identified that the previous curriculum was not sufficiently progressive or well sequenced. In response, they have developed a new curriculum with clearer goals, to provide clarity about what children should achieve before moving to the next stage of their learning. However, some improvement processes remain at a very early stage. Although leaders have some oversight of the quality of teaching across the setting, they have not yet begun to establish effective systems to monitor the quality and consistency of staff's implementation of the new curriculum and the impact on children's outcomes.

New leaders are committed to driving improvement, and demonstrate the capacity to address the weaknesses identified through inspection. Staff value the consideration given to their wellbeing and individual circumstances by leaders. However, governance and oversight of the provision are not yet sufficiently effective in securing sustained improvements across the setting. Leaders are keen to carry out more purposeful supervision and feedback discussions to identify staff's individual development needs and improve the quality of teaching to a consistently high level. At present, inconsistencies in teaching remain and children do not always experience provision that promotes their best interests consistently well.