The Nurture Room Preschool

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders and staff are committed to providing inclusive education that caters to the needs of all children. Staff plan and provide targeted communication opportunities and language-rich experiences, that effectively support children with language and communication needs. However, during group times, staff do not always focus sharply enough on the individual children who need these experiences the most. This can affect all children's full participation.

Staff identify children's educational needs and/or disabilities swiftly and accurately. Staff work sensitively alongside families and external specialists to ensure that children receive effective support. Leaders and staff use an 'assess, plan, do and review' cycle to identify any areas of learning and development in which children are experiencing difficulty. This helps them to support children to develop further in this area. Therefore, children make progress, regardless of their starting points.

Leaders make informed decisions about how to spend additional funding for disadvantaged children. They are generally clear on the needs of individual children, and use effective approaches to support them. For example, leaders provide library bus access, forest-school sessions and sensory equipment. The use of additional funding is closely aligned with the setting's improvement priorities. For example, to support children's gross motor development, leaders provide dance sessions from an external provider, and have purchased an indoor climbing frame. This has a positive impact on reducing barriers to learning and/or wellbeing for disadvantaged children.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders design and implement a bespoke curriculum that places each child firmly at the centre. They continuously observe children to check and assess their progress in the curriculum, and plan for their individual next steps. Children develop the foundational knowledge, skills and beliefs to become self-aware, compassionate and confident learners who are interested in people and the world around them. For example, toddlers notice when their friends are not joining in with the song and actions, and encourage them to do so.

Developing children's language and communication is of high priority across the setting. Children and staff frequently sing and recite nursery rhymes together throughout the day. Staff communicate with children using highly-effective interaction techniques. For example, they copy and extend the language that younger children use. Furthermore, when children say 'car', staff extend this and say 'red car'. Staff discuss the meaning of new words, such as 'humongous', with older children. This supports all children, regardless of their starting points, to effectively express themselves, learn new words and become confident and able communicators.

Children develop a love of reading through high-quality texts during daily story times. They learn to hold a pencil correctly and write their names. They develop their mathematical understanding through daily group work, routines and play. For example, younger children count current buns to find how many there are altogether, and older children name shapes and talk about their features. This ensures that children develop the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to ensure they are ready for their next stage in learning.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children secure breadth and depth in their knowledge and skills across all areas of learning and development. They share resources and get along with others well. Children confidently manage their own care needs. For example, they independently locate their drawers, take off and put away their indoor shoes, and put on their wellington boots before going outside. Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, become confident and effective communicators. Both staff and children use signs and gestures for key words to support language. This enables all children to express their needs, ideas and preferences effectively.

Children learn the knowledge and skills necessary for later learning. For example, pre-school children hold a pencil to write their names, and they count and label quantities. Children talk excitedly about the schools they will be moving on to as they dress up in their new uniform in the role-play area. This means that children are well prepared to transition smoothly on to school. Children possess the skills they need to flourish in their future learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders and staff embed a culture of kindness, care and respect. Children learn to collaborate and get along with others. Staff consistently model this in their interactions with each other. Children are eager to join in with everything on offer. They display high levels of engagement in their learning. Children benefit from very clear, effective and well-embedded routines. For example, staff support children to understand what they are doing now and what will come next using visual support and repetition. These predictable routines help children to feel safe and secure, and create an extremely productive and positive-learning environment.

Leaders and staff have high expectations of children's behaviour, which they consistently and gently remind children of throughout the day. Children behave well and demonstrate that they know right from wrong. Staff skilfully adapt activities as necessary to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and enable their best possible behaviour. Children attend well and are punctual. Staff promote the importance of attendance through communicating their clear expectations and procedures to families. They monitor children's attendance regularly, and reduce any barriers to their attendance. This supports children to access the learning they are entitled to, and helps families to form habits that will support their children's future learning.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Children's welfare and wellbeing are a consistently high priority for leaders and staff at this nurturing setting. Children develop incredibly secure attachments with their key persons, who know them extremely well. They smile and laugh as they explore the indoor and outdoor environment confidently with their friends and staff. This shows that children greatly enjoy being at the setting and feel very safe there. Each child has a peg and drawer to place and organise their belongings. They each have a special book all about them, which contains photographs of their families, pets and home experiences. Children access these books regularly and share them with friends. This supports children in feeling a sense of belonging in the environment, which further promotes their wellbeing.

Children receive a healthy, balanced and nutritious diet at the setting. They eat fruit in the morning, a carbohydrate in the afternoon and drink milk and water throughout the day. Children name and talk about their favourite fruits as they eat plums, apples and banana slices. This supports children's growth, and helps them to develop healthy-eating habits. Children learn to recognise, express and manage their emotions. Staff sensitively talk to children about how children are feeling and why, and they share books that explore different emotions. Staff help families to support their children's mental health effectively. For example, they have provided a parent workshop on 'big emotions'. This has a positive impact on children's emotional wellbeing.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders place the children at the heart of everything they do. They have a clear vision, ethos and strategy to ensure a consistent focus on securing excellence for all children. Leaders have a thorough understanding of the setting's strengths and what needs to be done to drive continuous improvement. For instance, leaders correctly identify the need to further embed and consolidate recent initiatives aimed at promoting inclusive practice. This ensures these are consistently reflected in everyday teaching. They have exciting and ambitious plans for the setting's future. Leaders place great emphasis on building and nurturing a trusting and open relationship with families. Staff have daily conversations with families, send home weekly newsletters and invite parents and carers to attend regular partnership meetings and workshops. Parents speak highly of the 'wonderful', 'nurturing' and 'supportive' staff who go 'above and beyond' for their children.

Leaders believe that the team who work with the children and families is at the centre of high-quality early years provision. They attract highly qualified staff who have extensive experience in teaching young children. Leaders create and cultivate a culture of shared vision and values. They ensure that staff access a wide-ranging professional development programme, which they precisely match to the needs of staff and children. For example, a number of staff are currently engaging in a structured professional development programme that will equip them to lead outdoor learning sessions in the forest area. This has a significant and positive impact on staff's practice and the quality of provision. Staff feel that leaders value them, and praise leaders for the support they provide. They have regular staff time together to share ideas and feedback on the provision. Staff have regular social time together to build effective relationships.