The Puddleduck Nursery

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders have high expectations for every child, including those who may face barriers to their learning, development or wellbeing. This commitment begins well before children are admitted to the nursery. Leaders and staff work closely with parents and carers to gain a thorough understanding of each child's individual needs. Leaders collaborate with external professionals and put in place bespoke packages of support from the outset. Leaders and staff make thoughtful adaptations so that every child can succeed and thrive.

Leaders implement well-matched programmes of support, linked to carefully targeted plans, to ensure children make strong progress from their individual starting points. Staff deliver interventions with skill and sensitivity, enabling children to make progress alongside their peers while maintaining high levels of inclusion. Leaders rigorously monitor the impact of these interventions, using assessment information to review children's progress and identify any additional support required. Leaders use additional funding streams strategically to enhance the experiences and outcomes of disadvantaged children, ensuring a measurable impact on children's learning and development.

Leaders and staff tailor support to meet children's specific needs. For example, children who require further development of their fine motor skills are provided with purposeful opportunities to strengthen these through activities in the forest school, helping to prepare them for early writing. Staff provide children who need support with attention, concentration and speech and language with engaging, targeted group sessions. Activities such as the 'bucket and bubbles' programme successfully develop sustained attention, social interaction and communication skills through highly motivating experiences. As a result, children build the confidence, skills and resilience they need to achieve well.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have developed a curriculum that broadly meets the needs of all children. Skilled and nurturing staff ensure that the youngest children focus on developing their large-and-small muscle skills and communication and language. They also focus on building secure attachments with their key persons and developing positive relationships with their peers. Babies are happy, settled and calm throughout the day.

Leaders and staff prepare older children extremely well to start school. Patient and highly skilled staff engage children in sustained, purposeful play, asking thoughtful questions that extend learning while recognising when to step back to promote independence and assess children's next steps. In the outdoor area, staff sensitively support older children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, as they independently create a 'potion-making café'. Staff work collaboratively and harmoniously with the children, weaving mathematics into conversations and encouraging them to compare sizes and describe what they are doing. They join in taking customers' orders, model mixing 'potions' and making 'food' using a range of resources, and prompt children to discuss their roles with confidence. Staff remain nearby, offering support only when needed, which enables children to direct and extend their own learning.

However, in the toddler room, interactions are not always as purposeful or effective as they could be. At times, staff do not build on children's play or conversations as fully as elsewhere in the nursery, which means children do not always receive the same level of support to extend their learning. As a result, there is some variation in how well children remain engaged and how effectively their learning is developed.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children typically achieve well across the nursery, developing foundational knowledge and skills across all areas of the early years foundation stage. Older children are well prepared for their transition to school. For example, older children confidently hold pencils correctly and give meaning to their own marks when taking orders in the 'potion café'. Younger children develop essential physical skills, including standing, walking, crawling and coordination, providing a solid foundation for the next stage of their development in the nursery.

Children generally demonstrate positive attitudes towards learning and are increasingly engaged in child-initiated play. Children are kind and considerate towards one another, sharing resources and space cooperatively. They speak enthusiastically about their achievements and communicate well. They enjoy sharing their successes and engaging in meaningful conversations with the adults in the room.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make excellent progress from their individual starting points. Adaptations are thoughtfully designed in formal learning opportunities and when children are independently learning through play. For example, children who need help with socialisation are supported by arranged games and activities that promote turn-taking, interacting and making friends.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders have created and implemented a range of polices and procedures to support children's behaviour and access to the nursery. Leaders consider the different requirements for each child, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders promote attendance and punctuality effectively. They monitor absence and follow up with timely wellbeing calls to ensure safeguarding procedures are followed.

Leaders and staff implement a structured timetable across the nursery and have secure routines in place. Leaders have embedded this particularly effectively in the baby room, where staff and children demonstrate a clear understanding of expectations, resulting in calm and purposeful transitions throughout the day. However, leaders have not consistently embedded routines within the toddler/pre-school room. Variability in staff practice means that children do not always understand what is expected of them. For example, lunchtime routines, including handwashing for the toddlers, take longer than necessary. As a result, some children experience extended waiting times before eating, leading to frustration. Leaders have considered routines during free-flow sessions by organising children into key groups and age groups. However, transitions are not yet coordinated effectively. For example, during tidy-up time, some groups finish sooner than others, and circle time begins before everyone is ready. This means a few children cannot fully hear or join in, which affects how well they follow instructions and engage in group learning.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders and staff place children's welfare and wellbeing at the centre of their practice. They work closely with parents and carers, providing tailored advice and support on areas such as toileting, screen time and nutrition. Well-established partnerships with families are prioritised from the outset, ensuring open communication and collaborative working. Parents and carers speak positively about how well their children settle, the quality of the meals provided and the support their children receive from the very first enquiry.

Children benefit from an established key-person system. Staff typically have a solid understanding of each child's individual needs and care routines, enabling children to form attachments and feel safe and valued. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported by staff, particularly with their emotions. For example, children attend bespoke small-group lessons to discuss their emotions and help with socialising. Staff are attentive to children's personal care needs throughout the day, including nappy changing and sleep routines. Robust procedures are in place for sleeping children, with regular checks carried out to ensure their ongoing safety.

Children enjoy daily opportunities to play outdoors. Older children demonstrate a detailed understanding of how to keep themselves safe in hot weather, recognising the importance of staying in the shade, drinking water and cooling down if they become too warm.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders have established a warm, welcoming and lively environment for the children in their care. They are reflective and have a clear understanding of the nursery's strengths, alongside the areas requiring further development and improvement. Leaders know their staff team well, recognising individual strengths and identifying where further support and development are needed. They maintain regular supervision meetings and provide staff with opportunities to discuss their professional development, interests and wellbeing.

Leaders and staff work closely and effectively with parents and carers, external agencies and other professionals to support children's learning and development. Leaders are unrelenting in their commitment to creating an inclusive environment and take the time to understand what each child needs to achieve and thrive. This journey often begins well before children start at the setting, reflecting leaders' ethos and commitment to ensuring every child receives the support they need from the earliest opportunity.

Leaders have established effective policies and procedures, including robust safer recruitment practices. They have invested in staff training and professional development, particularly in communication and language. However, the implementation of this training and the quality of staff interactions are not yet consistently strong across the nursery. At different points during the day, some routines are overly cumbersome, and leaders require staff to manage multiple tasks simultaneously. This reduces opportunities for consistently high-quality interactions with some groups of children. Leaders recognise these inconsistencies, reflect on their impact and continue to drive improvement.