The Mulberry Bush Pre-School

Inclusion: Strong standard

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are given adaptations to ensure they have experiences across all aspects of the curriculum. Practitioners differentiate activities so all children fully participate. Leaders know families very well and act quickly to identify individual needs by communicating with parents, so children get the right help early on. This ensures all children, including children with SEND, those who speak English as an additional language and those who face disadvantage, make consistent progress.

Practitioners provide an inclusive practice by reducing barriers to learning, such as adapting activities appropriately, using objects of reference and visual cue cards to ensure children have experiences across all aspects of the curriculum. They tailor support to engage all children effectively in the activities on offer. Children show particular enjoyment in accessing the 'forest' area and join in with a special animal hunt.

Leaders work in partnership with agencies such as the local authority and speech and language therapists to ensure there is a consistent approach, tailored to children's individual needs. Early years pupil premium funding is used thoughtfully in a variety of ways to further develop the forest school area and increase staffing levels to provide children with even more support. Leaders are passionate about inclusion, ensuring all children thrive and are given the opportunities to do so to consistently support their confidence, independence and resilience.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders design a curriculum that responds to children's individual needs, beginning with the prime areas and extending into all areas of development. Planning reflects and builds on children's current learning, enabling practitioners to identify and plan suitable next steps through adapted high-quality interactions and focused activities. Literacy and mathematics are woven throughout each session. For example, during circle time, children listen attentively to a story, discuss the animals and their habitats and practise counting. Practitioners interact skilfully with all children, particularly those who face barriers to learning. They also adapt their questioning in the moment to develop children's emerging thinking.

Teaching is calm and consistent, with adults scaffolding learning and giving children time to reflect through open-ended questions. During an activity, children discuss their feelings, and practitioners adapt their teaching so all children are included. As a result, children can name and describe their own feelings and those of others.

Practitioners use impact sheets to assess children's learning and adapt future activities accordingly. This is particularly effective for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They work closely as a team and regularly discuss each child's current level of learning so that this shared understanding can inform children's next steps.

Achievement: Strong standard

All children make consistent progress from their starting points. Children's communication skills develop well. For example, children discuss animal habitats and use a range of vocabulary such as 'camouflage', which sparks children's interest throughout the day. Children from disadvantaged backgrounds, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language also make strong progress. They build, count and develop their fine motor skills through drawing and solving problems independently. All of these experiences help children develop the skills ready for their next steps in learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Children are warmly welcomed by practitioners, and well-established routines help them settle quickly into their play, so they become ready to learn. These routines also enable practitioners to take small groups to the forest school area or for tailored circle time. The calm, nurturing environment supports behaviour and encourages collaborative learning where children take turns and discuss ideas. Children show positive attitudes to learning by listening attentively to stories, building together, making 'pies', and searching for bugs in the mud kitchen. They join activities with curiosity and can stay focused for long periods. Practitioners break down learning into small steps so children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are given the time to succeed. Children feel secure in the setting and develop positive attitudes and dispositions, which enables them to thrive.

The manager promotes good attendance patterns for all children by working closely with parents to emphasise its importance and build strong attendance habits. Absences are followed up promptly, and leaders work with external agencies to monitor and address attendance for children known to social care.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Children are well cared for and feel safe in the setting. Leaders and practitioners know the children in their care very well, which helps them to create an inclusive environment for all. Carefully planned routines support children's health, happiness and readiness to learn, particularly for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who face barriers to learning. The key-person system is firmly embedded, and practitioners build strong relationships with children. As a result, children can describe and manage their own emotions.

During snack time, children talk about healthy eating and the importance of fruit and other nutritious foods, helping them to make positive choices. Children independently use spoons and tongs to promote their independence. Leaders promote children's wellbeing effectively by working in partnership with the local supermarket, which provides free fresh fruit for the children to taste and discuss. Care routines benefit children's physical and emotional wellbeing. Younger children who are tired or need rest can sleep in a quiet space supervised by adults. For children with SEND, routines are carefully structured and supported using visual aids so that they feel secure and ready to take part.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

The team is well established. This continuity, together with a collaborative approach, means leaders and practitioners know children and families very well. They understand the daily pressures families face and the wider context of the community, and they work together to provide a positive learning experience for every child. Professionalism is embedded across the team, and all practitioners make a positive contribution to children's learning. With children and families at the heart of the provision, leaders continually review and improve daily experiences which match to their improvement priorities, such as planning effectively for all children at all times. The owner works in partnership with leaders to ensure a clear focus on securing excellence for all children by providing a clear oversight of governance, safeguarding and safer recruitment. Community engagement is strong. Leaders seek support from a range of agencies and involve parents in all aspects of the setting so children make a smooth transition. Strong teamwork and high morale enable leaders to maintain high standards and ensure that statutory responsibilities are met. Staff wellbeing is also prioritised, and the team ethos means that they feel valued and listened to through supervision sessions. Leaders ensure all practitioners have access to high-quality training. For example, funding is used for specific special educational needs training to enable all practitioners to have a professional understanding to the barriers children with special educational needs and/or disabilities face.