The Play Corner Hillside

Inclusion: Strong standard

Staff know all children tremendously well. They carefully observe them during play to understand their individual needs and any gaps in their learning. They then use these observations, along with conversations with parents and carers, to plan targeted activities that promote each child's unique learning and development. Staff track children's progress accurately and act quickly should they have any concerns. This allows all children to have the same opportunities and experiences at the nursery and helps them to make rapid progress in their learning.

Staff skilfully remove any barriers to children's learning. They thoughtfully adapt the environment and routines so every child can engage fully and have their individual needs met. For instance, staff realise that having too many activities on tables rather than the floor does not fully promote children's speech development. As a result of this change, staff have noticed that children now use more language while playing on the floor. This helps to develop children's speech and vocabulary.

Leaders work closely with parents and external professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those with barriers to their learning and those known, or previously known, to children's social care. This allows children to receive personalised and targeted support to help them all participate fully in the curriculum. Staff are highly experienced in supporting all children and they undertake regular training. Leaders are proactive in providing an inclusive environment in which children receive targeted support. This allows all children to thrive and flourish at the nursery.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders provide a happy, calm, nurturing environment where all children feel valued, happy and settled. The unique curriculum, written by the whole staff team, values listening to all children's opinions and voices. Staff have implemented a committee for children to be part of. Children take turns to sit on this committee and express their preferences and desired activities. Staff value their opinions. Staff skilfully provide a range of stimulating adult-led and child-led activities based on their interests, as well as a rich variety of cultural events and festivals. This allows children to explore a wide range of different experiences.

Staff encourage children to access a range of high-quality learning experiences. For example, children concentrate very well as they use tools, such as an Allen key, with impressive control, to manipulate screws into planks of wood. Staff ask children if they remember using tools before at the nursery. Children proudly recall how they recently used tools to help to build a bench for the nursery garden. Staff praise children as they work with control, and children smile in return. Staff excitedly encourage children to count how many turns it takes to secure a screw into wood, helping to promote their mathematical language. This activity helps children to build the muscles in their hands to help with early writing skills.

Staff know all children extremely well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to their learning. Staff accurately observe children to identify what is working extremely well and where they can adapt and enhance further opportunities for children's learning. Staff work in partnership with parents to share their children's developmental progress and to discuss plans for future learning. This proactive and collaborative approach ensures that children make rapid progress across all areas of the curriculum.

Achievement: Strong standard

All children make sustained and consistent progress from their individual starting points across all areas of learning. Children become confident communicators. Babies babble and shriek to make themselves heard, before looking at staff and smiling. Staff chat to children, modelling new language and asking open ended questions. For example, they ask children what activity they would like to play with when going outside and why. Children display extremely positive relationships with their friends and staff and are happy and settled at the nursery.

Children make choices in their play. They confidently help themselves to toys and resources and explore them, asking questions as they do so. Babies enjoy watching bubbles fall down, and reach out to pop them. They laugh as they pop, and clap their hands. Older children model with dough and say they want to make, 'a big, giant pizza'. Staff encourage children to smell the dough, and children say it smells 'herby'. Children mould the dough into different sized circles. They independently put them in size order, showing an awareness of mathematical concepts. This helps them to gain key skills necessary to confidently move on to the next stage in their learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Staff are positive role models for children. They demonstrate respectful and friendly relationships with each other, as well as the children. They support children extremely well and encourage positive friendships between children. They have excellent expectations for children's behaviour and are extremely positive role models. Staff support children to build friendships with friends. Older children display extremely positive attitudes to learning as they play cooperatively with younger children and help them when needed. For instance, they help children up onto a climbing frame. Staff praise children for helping one another and for using their kind hands. This helps children develop confidence and a strong sense of belonging.

Leaders and staff establish clear routines and expectations throughout the day. They help children understand what comes next, which helps them to feel emotionally secure. Staff promote regular attendance and punctuality by working closely with parents and explaining how it helps children's development. Leaders follow up any unexplained absences without delay, to help keep children safe from harm. Parents and carers speak extremely highly of the nursery and the staff. They are particularly happy with the help given to families and the excellent communication. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive support through thoughtful adjustments, such as adapted activities, so they can join in confidently.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders and staff prioritise children's welfare and wellbeing at all times. They work extremely closely with children and their families in order to achieve best outcomes for all. Staff work with parents to help support significant stages of development, such as weaning and toilet training. This helps to promote continuity of care, helping children to feel safe and emotionally secure.

Staff provide consistent, high-quality care that meets all children's individual needs extremely well. Key persons work closely with parents to discuss children's care routines and stages of development and greatly encourage parents to spend time at the nursery. Staff ensure children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who face barriers to learning and those who are known, or previously known, to social care receive highly effective, targeted support.

Staff implement excellent hygiene practices to help ensure children's personal care needs are met. Children become extremely independent in managing their own self-care routines. For example, they learn to wash their hands before meals and manage toileting tasks independently. Staff talk to children about a variety of fruits and enthusiastically encourage them to make healthy choices that support their growth and development.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders have provided an impressively welcoming and homely nursery where all children feel happy, safe and secure. They work exceptionally well with parents to provide a supportive environment for each individual child. Staff tailor support for each child in a way in which supports them best, and staff inform parents at all times of what their children are learning. Parents appreciate the staff and the care they give their children. This supportive two-way flow of information allows parents to promote children's learning at home, to strengthen outcomes.

Leaders are extremely reflective and they identify any improvements needed at the nursery. They value professional development and are eager to continue to improve. Staff are extremely happy and enjoy their roles at the nursery. Staff receive regular individual meetings, group meetings and training opportunities in order to best support all of the children and keep up to date with any updates. Leaders are extremely proactive in ensuring that staff wellbeing is a priority. They manage staff workload carefully so they do not feel overwhelmed. Consequently, the staff team is stable and consistent, leading to better outcomes for all children.

Staff provide children with a wide range of experiences, such as visits to a fort, soft play centre and visits at the nursery from a local farm. These valuable opportunities help to develop children's physical development and allow them to socialise with a larger group of children. Staff ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to their learning receive excellent support. Staff work closely with external professionals and follow guidance carefully to support children and families known, or previously known, to social care. This ensures that all children get the support they need to thrive and develop.