The Peartree Kindergarten

Inclusion: Needs attention

Leaders do not ensure children frequently receive the individual support they need to continually thrive and maintain high levels of wellbeing. They provide enhanced staff support in rooms where there are many children with additional learning needs. However, staff do not use visual 'now and next' boards, recommended by external professionals consistently or effectively enough to support children during transitions. As a result, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or other barriers to learning do not always have enough time to prepare for change.

When children become upset, staff do not consistently use the agreed strategies known to support them. This limits children's ability to manage their feelings and behaviour. Additionally, it reduces the time staff can spend helping other children settle into routines. The learning and wellbeing of all children is affected at these times.

Leaders are aware of children's differing needs throughout the setting. They identify children's needs quickly and accurately with effective settling-in processes. Leaders gather in-depth information from parents and carers and any other professionals working alongside children and their families. Staff regularly share information about individual children's progress with parents. Leaders and key staff work well with social workers, parents and other professionals to plan and provide multi-agency support for children who are known (or previously known) to children's social care. This improves outcomes for these children.

Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention

Leaders are at the early stages of implementing a revised curriculum. Their ambitions for the curriculum and teaching are appropriate. There are some current inconsistencies however in staff's implementation of the curriculum. This has a negative impact on the progress particular groups of children are making.

Staff can identify children's next steps and describe activities that could support their development. However, they do not translate these intentions consistently into purposeful and well-structured learning experiences that meet children's individual needs. At times, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), or those who are known (or previously known) to social care do not always get support they need to thrive. For example, some daily routines are disorganised. Staff do not always notice children with SEND have not wiped their faces after eating. This means they these children are missing out on learning important self-care routines. This hinders opportunities for all children to build securely on what they already know and can do and help them establish routines ready for school.

Leaders and staff work hard to support children's communication and language development. Staff provide small communication groups and employ speech and language therapists. This supports children's speech, language and communication development and strengthens inclusion. For example, where possible, leaders allocated children who speak English as an additional language a key person who speaks their first language. Staff promote children's home languages through stories and conversations. This helps children to build confidence as they learn English.

Achievement: Needs attention

There are inconsistencies in the frequency of high-quality interactions between staff and children, which means all children do not achieve consistently across all areas of learning. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), or those who are known (or previously known) do not always get the continuous support they need. For example, they do not benefit from staff adapting their interactions and teaching strategies in line with children's individual support plans. This means these children do not consistently making the progress they are capable of towards achieving their next steps in learning.

Babies and toddlers benefit hugely from activities planned to support children's social communication skills. For example, toddlers make dough with staff. They demonstrate accomplished skills in turn-taking when independently offering their peers a turn to mix the dough. Toddlers clap each other's achievements. Toddlers push their chairs under the table when they have finished playing. This shows they already understand steps to take assure theirs own and others' safety.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Needs attention

Leaders ensure that a written behaviour policy and procedures are in place. Staff work with parents and carers and early years advisers to put individual support plans in place for children who have difficulties in regulating their emotions and behaviours. However, leaders do not monitor staff's practice efficiently enough to ensure all staff implement these consistently well.

When there is a dispute over a popular toy and children snatch from their peers, occasionally, staff ignore this undesirable behaviour. This particularly impacts on children with barriers to their learning or special educational needs and/or disabilities. For example, when staff do not follow specific strategies in their support plans to reduce inappropriate behaviours, children's attitudes to learning positive behaviours are diminished. This hinders the progress children make in understanding the needs of others and regulating their emotions effectively.

Staff are caring and initiate discussions with children during their play that are meaningful to them. This helps children to build trusting attachments to staff. Staff encourage children to wash hands before eating and after visiting the toilet. This helps children develop some good hygiene routines that can boost attendance, by limiting time children are off due to illness.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Needs attention

Leaders do not monitor staff's practice closely enough to continuously promote children's welfare and wellbeing to the highest standards. They have created detailed plans for individual children for staff to follow and, overall, these are implemented well. However, key staff working with children do not always fully understand and implement strategies on children's individual support plans. For example, staff do not use visual cards to help children to pause and think of their actions when they find it difficult to regulate their emotions. This lack of a consistent approach by staff reduces children's ability to begin to express their emotions in positive ways to continuously maintain high levels of welfare and wellbeing.

Staff meticulously follow care plans for children with complex health needs. They seek bespoke training from external professionals. This assures an inclusive and supportive environment for all children to feel a sense of belonging and thrive in.

Overall, children's safety is promoted well. Staff are extremely vigilant to ensure children are protected in the sun. Staff introduce a Makaton sign of the day to help all children to understand words, such as 'hot', and what to do to keep themselves safe in the sun. Sleep safety routines are robust. Staff organise mealtimes and follow safer eating procedures very well.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

There have been some recent changes to the leadership team, and a new curriculum is in the early stages of implementation. This is undoubtedly having an impact on how leaders are recognising and identifying weaknesses in staff practice. Nonetheless, leaders want to provide a high-quality setting where children, families and staff can thrive. They have recently developed action plans to support this. For example, with high levels of children attending with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), staff have been enrolled in forthcoming SEND training. This aims to help staff in their roles and to understand their responsibilities securely and ensure children with SEND or any other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, reach their full potential.

Staff generally feel supported by leaders and report high levels of wellbeing. Enthusiastic staff express how they seek further training opportunities to help them improve their knowledge and expertise, particularly when supporting children with SEND.

Overall, parents are happy with the service provided. Parents can share any concerns they may have and feel that these are acted upon appropriately and swiftly. Parents applaud the daily communication they receive about their child's day. Alongside this, regular parent evening's help them to know how to further support and extend their children's learning at home.