The Mount Nursery

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders have established clear processes to ensure any additional needs of children can be identified early. Staff regularly observe children within their play and activities. This gives them a holistic view of each child and where they may require additional or specialist support. Staff and leaders have high expectations of what all children can achieve, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They ensure additional funding, such as the early years pupil premium, is used effectively to purchase resources. These include toys to support children to develop their skills around sharing. These are closely linked to what children's current interests are.

Staff know children with SEND well. They put in place interventions and determine the best support for individual children. For example, they effectively support children's behaviour using signs alongside words to further enforce and manage any unwanted behaviours. They use visual aid cards to support communication. Additionally, staff recognise when children find transitions, such as home time, particularly difficult. They support children individually, such as encouraging children to take objects home with them or sending familiar activities home.

Staff work closely with parents and other professionals. Staff support parents with referrals for children with SEND. They signpost parents to relevant professionals. Staff offer support and guidance, particularly to support parents who may not have prior experience with other agencies. Staff and leaders regularly meet with families to review the interventions that are in place for children. This ensures they continue to have the desired impact. Those with oversight for SEND have received training and are knowledgeable within their role. They are closely supported by staff within the school who have extensive knowledge of SEND.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have established a clear curriculum based around what they want children to learn as they move through the nursery. Through regular assessments, staff identify children's individual next steps. Staff carefully plan a range of activities to support individual children's development. For example, staff in the baby room support children's fine motor skills through a painting activity. Staff ensure this activity is inclusive for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They also take into consideration children's different stages of development. For example, they encourage and support babies to stand who are just beginning to do this.

Staff model a range of language, and there are positive interactions between staff and children. Staff also support children to learn basic sign language. This particularly helps those children who are not yet talking. For example, staff model the sign for thank you when children pass them a toy.

Routines at mealtimes and snack times are not yet fully established to ensure the curriculum is of a consistently high standard within the younger age groups. Teaching within the pre-school room is of consistently high quality. Staff take advantage within children's play to teach children new skills and concepts. For example, during role play, staff support children to develop an early understanding of money. Within group times, skilled staff teach pre-school children a range of listening skills. This supports them with the early stages of reading as they learn to recognise different sounds.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children learn a range of skills to support them in preparation for their next stage of learning. Older children are particularly well prepared for school. They enjoy eating their lunch in the school hall alongside older children. Children learn how to use computers in a way that is appropriate for their age. They regularly attend information and communication technology (ICT) lessons in which they learn to use a mouse to control the computer. Children learn how to keep themselves safe online and who they can speak to if they have a concern.

Younger children learn skills such as how to wash their hands independently. Those children who are toilet-trained independently use the bathroom. Children learn to communicate with each other, including the use of some basic sign language within the baby room. All children develop their physical and gross motor skills as they spend time on large climbing equipment. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress in relation to their starting points.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders have established a range of policies to support children's behaviour. They consider the individual needs of the children when enforcing policies around behaviour. This ensures they are suitable for children's needs and take into account any special educational needs and/or disabilities. There are some positive relationships between staff and children. Children have formed positive attitudes towards their learning. Older children eagerly join in with carpet time, sharing their own views and knowledge.

Leaders and staff work with parents to support punctuality and attendance. They support and encourage parents to arrive by a set time. This helps to establish routines when children start compulsory schooling.

Staff attempt to establish routines throughout the day. These work well in the pre-school room, where they are well understood and implemented. Children benefit from this structured routine and enjoy mealtimes together alongside older school-age children. Routines within the baby and toddler room are not yet fully established to ensure they consistently run smoothly and meet the needs of all children. For example, lunchtime routines take too long. This results in children leaving the table and some children becoming upset while they wait.

Staff teach children how to express their emotions. They explore these emotions during carpet time in the pre-school room. For example, during an activity, staff explore the emotion of fear and what this means. They also discuss how this might make others feel. They teach children about how to keep themselves safe. For example, if they were frightened about something, children know they can speak with a trusted adult, such as their parents or staff.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Needs attention

Leaders have not identified how to ensure all children's individual needs. The baby and toddler room is not equipped or set up appropriately to facilitate all babies' needs. For example, there are not adequate spaces for children to rest or sleep other than at planned nap times after lunch. At this time, beds are set up, the room is calm, and staff comfort children as they fall asleep.

Staff gather information from parents when children first start. For example, they find out when children normally have a sleep. They have ongoing discussions with parents about their individual sleep needs. They work hard to support these routines. However, due to the set up of the room, this is not always possible. When children fall asleep spontaneously, and outside of planned nap time after lunch, staff place them in beds. However, these beds are not prepared, and staff need to carry equipment across a busy room, increasing the risk of accidents. Additionally, this also disrupts other children's play as they need to move areas to make space for beds. As a result, not all children have adequate sleep at the times they need for their individual needs.

Some positive bonds have been established between staff and children. However, leaders do not always deploy staff effectively to ensure all children's emotional wellbeing is supported by their key person, particularly while they settle into the nursery. For instance, some new children have different key people assigned to them on different days they attend. This does not help to provide children with consistency to help them develop a settled relationship with a familiar adult and to become familiar with the setting. Additionally, staffing arrangements do not ensure staff are readily available to promptly respond to children when they become upset and cry. As a result, despite additional settling-in sessions, some children find it difficult to settle in the nursery and the daily routines.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Leaders have identified some areas for development within the nursery. For example, they identify that recruiting staff is challenging. However, leaders do not identify and take action to address all weaknesses in practice, such as in the baby and toddler room, to ensure they make prompt improvements to any areas that need attention. This means children's individual needs are not consistently being met through effective routines and an effective key-person approach.

Leaders are aware of how to support staff's wellbeing and show they genuinely care about their staff. They put in place regular supervisions to ensure staff remain suitable and discuss any concerns they may have. Where required, leaders put in place additional training to ensure staff are confident within their roles. This includes access to a wide range of online training. Leaders ensure staff access training to support them in their role in supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or other barriers to learning. For example, staff have completed training to support them in understanding how to support positive behaviour. Leaders have identified further ways to support staff in delivering the curriculum. For example, they have created an activity file. This provides staff with ideas on how to support children's individual next steps in learning.

Leaders and staff engage effectively with parents. Parents praise the staff team for how well they are kept informed of their children's learning and development. Parents particularly like the communication they receive from the nursery. For example, parents can easily view how long their child has slept. Parents of children with SEND or additional support needs highly value the support that they have received.