Three Bears Nursery

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders and staff include all children at this nursery. They support disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. They identify emerging needs early and quickly put support in place. Leaders and staff generally meet their emerging needs well. They identify training opportunities for staff to help meet the needs of individual children. Staff follow a plan, do, review approach, which helps them to adapt the support for children with SEND as their needs change. This means children with SEND and those who are disadvantaged receive the targeted support they need to progress in their learning.

Leaders understand the needs of all children attending the nursery. They consider carefully how to use any additional funding. For example, they purchase additional resources to meet a particular area of learning. Leaders work with other agencies to ensure children continue to receive the individual support to meet their needs. They work closely and effectively with parents. Parents comment they are well informed and understand the support their children are receiving and how to continue to support their children at home. Disadvantaged children and those with SEND make typical progress.

Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention

Leaders do not ensure the curriculum is implemented consistently across all areas of the nursery. These inconsistencies and some weaknesses in teaching have a negative impact on some children's learning. Children do not consistently have access to a stimulating environment and, at times, children wander around with little focus to their play. Staff do not always recognise and respond to this to ensure children are engaged in meaningful play throughout the day. However, leaders have a clear vision of the curriculum that gives children the skills they need for the next stage and covers all areas of learning. Leaders are clear about what children need to know and the skills they need to learn. This helps some children to be ready for their move to school. Leaders ensure disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities access all aspects of the curriculum. However, due to inconsistencies in the quality of teaching, these opportunities for learning are not consistently provided throughout the day for all children.

Leaders understand the importance of supporting children's communication and language and their love of books. Staff share books and sing with children. Babies join in with familiar words from the songs they learn. Leaders provide a lending library for parents to use to share and borrow books to take home. This helps children continue their learning at home. Children's physical development is typically taught well and children develop strength in their muscles from riding bikes and climbing trees. Children have a positive attitude to physical activity and particularly enjoy the outdoor spaces. However, these opportunities are not available for all areas of learning.

Achievement: Expected standard

Overall, children, including disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, generally achieve well from their starting points. They are suitably prepared for the next stage of their learning and for their move on to school. Children make typical progress in their communication and language development. Older children discuss what they are doing and work together to build a tunnel for the trains. Children enjoy singing and share stories with staff. Babies learn words and phrases from the songs and rhymes they sing. This helps to build vocabulary from an early age. Babies learn the actions to songs as they follow the guidance from staff. They enjoy joining in as they sit alongside their friends. Children have positive relationships with all staff. They seek their key adults out and use them as a source of comfort when needed. This helps to develop their confidence. Children begin to develop relationships with their friends. Generally, children show curiosity and enjoy playing with their friends.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Needs attention

Overall, leaders and staff have appropriate expectations for children's behaviour. Staff typically encourage and praise children's positive behaviour. However, at times, inconsistencies in supporting children's behaviour in practice have a negative impact on some children. For example, staff do not always help children to understand the effects of their behaviour on other children. Staff do not always give effective support to help some children to learn to take turns and treat others with kindness. On occasion, this leads to children being unkind to their friends.

Children who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities are included in the day-to-day routines of the nursery. Children typically build warm, trusting and respectful relationships with their key persons. Staff provide opportunities for children to become independent. For example, children learn to serve their own food at mealtimes and pour their own drinks. However, at times, the environment does not fully support children to have a positive attitude to their learning and development. Children sometimes spend too long without any intent to their play. At times, children spend time wandering with no clear purpose to their learning.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Needs attention

Staff do not ensure children remain in sight and hearing at all times when eating. Snack times are not effectively organised to promote children's welfare and wellbeing. Staff do not ensure children are seated appropriately when eating. Children sometimes sit on the floor at snack time. During this time, children put their hands on the floor and then pick their fruit from a shared bowl. This does not help to promote children's health and hygiene routines. Staff are not always vigilant when children are eating. They sit behind them and move around the room while children are having their snack. Staff are not always alert to children's care needs. Young children often have runny noses. Staff are not always attentive to their needs and children are left for periods of time with runny noses. When they do clean noses, they do not always wash their hands afterwards. This does not promote good health and hygiene routines.

Leaders create a space where children, including disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, generally enjoy playing and learning. Children have daily access to the outdoor area. Leaders encourage children to develop healthy food choices. They serve soup as a starter at lunchtime instead of a pudding. Mealtimes are social times where children sit with their friends. Children learn to serve their own food. Leaders work with parents to highlight healthy food choices and how to reduce the intake of sugar. This helps to support children's welfare and wellbeing.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Leaders have an awareness of the nursery's strengths and areas for development. However, they have not identified that some aspects of the nursery have lead to breaches of the requirements of the early years foundation stage statutory framework.

Leaders have not identified that some routines do not support children's wellbeing and welfare. For example, they have not identified how snack time routines ensure staff follow safer eating guidance. This compromises children's safety and welfare. Leaders do not ensure staff consistently follow and promote hygiene practices. For example, they do not ensure all staff consistently support children to wipe their own noses and wash their hands effectively. This does not help to promote the good health of children. In addition, leaders do not ensure children consistently have access to a stimulating environment. Inconsistencies in the quality of teaching and the environment mean that, at times, children wander around with little focus to their play.

Leaders have appropriate procedures in place for the supervision of staff. Staff feel supported in their roles and responsibilities. They identify areas for development and consider the training needs of all staff.

Leaders understand the importance of parental engagement. They offer a lending library for parents and children to borrow and exchange books. Parents comment how the meetings with their child's key person help to support their understanding of their child's development and next steps. Leaders have forged links with a setting in Malawi. They support children to learn about other cultures. This helps children to develop an understanding of the world around them.