The Old Barn Day Nursery

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders use very clear systems to find all children's starting points quickly. Within six weeks of starting, staff complete a baseline check using nursery observations and information from parents. This helps leaders spot any additional needs early. Staff regularly assess children, set targets, plan activities and review progress to track development. Staff work closely with the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) to ensure their expectations for all children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make the best possible progress. The SENCo uses specialist knowledge to guide staff and ensure these targeted interventions make a positive difference. Staff then speak with parents to see if they have noticed the same things at home.

Additional funding is used effectively to support each child's development. For example, after consulting parents, targeted emotional wellbeing resources were bought, and staff training for alternative communication was funded. This funding helped children improve their conversation skills, manage their emotions, and transition smoothly between rooms.

Nursery practices change to ensure every child succeeds. For example, children who struggle when starting receive highly targeted support. Staff provide these new children with extra home visits and additional settling-in sessions. Staff collaborate closely with external professionals. These include social workers, speech and language therapists, and the local authority's early years special educational needs and disabilities team. Together, they share ideas and implement targeted support for the children.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

The quality of staff's teaching and interactions are a major strength of the nursery. Staff understand young children's development and build a secure foundation for future learning. They plan differentiated, inclusive activities around children's interests that are appropriate for their age and stage of development. Staff do not force children to stay when they lose interest. Instead, they follow the child's lead while keeping the same learning goal. For example, staff planned a painting activity to practise passing brushes from hand to hand to build hand-and-finger control. When children lost interest, staff followed them to a new area and encouraged them to pass different items from hand to hand. This adjustment kept the focus on the exact same skill.

The curriculum and teaching focuses on young children's early skills. Staff heavily prioritise communication and language during interactions. They narrate children's actions using clear, simple words. This language matches a thoughtful selection of age- and stage-appropriate books available in all activities and areas. Staff firmly understand the importance of personal, social, emotional and physical development. They interweave these prime areas into planned and free-flow play to build essential learning foundations. For example, children use garden slides for physical development. In addition, staff also provide secure emotional attachments by comforting children when needed.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children benefit from well-planned and thought through transitions to support their next stage of learning. Children receive home visits before they start. This information guides planning and makes staff aware of individual likes, dislikes and preferences. Children's individual needs are consistently met by every member of the team.

Children are happy and enthusiastic learners who make consistent progress from their individual starting points. They demonstrate high levels of independence as they confidently explore, investigate and cooperate with friends and adults. Children make consistent progress from their starting points, regardless of any barriers to learning. Children secure essential developmental building blocks early, ensuring they achieve long-term success.

Children achieve well across all areas of learning. They start to build early social skills, as they learn to play alongside one another and take turns. Children develop a range of physical skills, such as using spoons independently and passing objects to one another during sensory play. Children build early communication skills by copying adult gestures and repeating animal sounds as they begin to learn their first words. Children are exposed to a language-rich environment, where staff provide a constant running commentary to label objects and emotions. Children are consistently well supported to become confident communicators who are very well prepared for their next stage of learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders have created a calm, respectful and caring environment, where staff model positive attitudes to learning. Staff show high expectations for behaviour, and children behave exceptionally well. Staff use positive strategies, such as praise and encouragement, to help children understand expectations. Their calm approach creates a predictable environment where children are ready to learn.

Staff continuously narrate what is happening to help children make sense of their world and to demonstrate good manners. For example, at mealtimes, they model saying 'thank you' alongside the corresponding Makaton sign.

Children build secure, trusting relationships with their key person and all other staff. They play games and interactive activities collaboratively with their friends. For example, they listen and interact during story time and follow peers to different areas of the room to share preferred toys.

Leaders proactively monitor attendance and punctuality to keep children safe. They analyse information well to spot emerging patterns. Leaders use this data to initiate prompt, direct conversations with parents, ensuring children consistently attend their early years education. For example, when children's attendance drops, leaders immediately talk with parents to match nursery routines with home life. This practical help removes barriers and successfully gets the children back into a steady, positive routine.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Children experience well-planned care that prioritises their welfare and builds healthy habits from the start. Trusting positive relationships with their key person helps children feel safe and enjoy frequent outdoor play. Children benefit from highly flexible routines when their family circumstances change. For example, when starting, children receive tailored settling-in schedules and personal show-arounds to protect their emotional wellbeing.

Children build independent self-care skills through thoughtful daily routines. They confidently use portable, child-height sinks to practise washing their hands before meals. During lunchtime, children develop small muscle control as staff encourage them to feed themselves using the appropriate cutlery. Children are very at ease and show a secure understanding of nursery routines, such as happily going to sleep without distress. There are secure processes in place to ensure children are kept safe when eating and sleeping at the nursery. Staff's calm, watchful presence supports children to independently fix problems, such as picking up a knocked over chair and pushing it under the table.

Children make independent healthy choices at an age- and stage-appropriate level. They have access to drinking water at all times. Staff help them to find their own personal picture on their cup when they want a drink. Children learn social skills and early manners naturally during shared activities and mealtimes. Staff tailor these routines carefully to match the youngest children's age and stage of development. Children happily sit together with their friends, try new things and copy actions to interactive songs while waiting for food. These everyday experiences create the essential building blocks for physical and emotional health before children transition to the next stage of their education.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders have a detailed understanding of the nursery and the needs of the specific age group of children that attend. The nursery is highly organised, and staff always conduct themselves professionally. Rigorous recruitment and induction procedures ensure that staff are suitable and well prepared for their roles.

Leaders have established strong partnerships with parents, including families who are initially less engaged. They communicate regularly through a range of methods, including digital platforms, daily discussions and regular parents' evenings. For most children, this setting is their first educational experience with childcare. Leaders recognise this and provide a well thought through, individualised and structured settling-in process to support all families.

Leaders are highly committed to maintaining strong standards and demonstrate a clear understanding of their responsibilities. They continually reflect on practice and use monitoring systems, including supervision meetings, observations and audits, to support continuous improvement. Leaders are proactive in identifying areas for development and take effective action, such as strengthening the already strong transition procedures for when children move on to the sister site.

Leadership continually review policy and practice. They ensure that new guidance and emerging best practice is researched, understood and implemented. Staff feel supported by leaders and play an important role in the culture of continuous improvement. For example, staff ask for and receive training in specific areas of interest, and staff's individual strengths are used to support ongoing improvements.