Tiddlywinks Boroughbridge

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders and staff are passionate and proactive about highlighting and addressing barriers to learning. This makes a significant difference to the experiences of all children, and particularly children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). There are robust and clear links with outside agencies that further strengthen this provision. Children with SEND are involved in all learning opportunities. Staff work to identify and implement adaptations to facilitate involvement of everyone.

Monitoring and assessment throughout the setting are of a high standard and are used precisely to support transitions. Progress checks at age 2, as well as internal systems, ensure that information is consistently and effectively shared among the staff team and with parents and carers.

Where children require specific or individualised support, staff swiftly and skilfully implement this. Ongoing assessment, reflection and adjustments further reduce barriers to learning. Staff actively seek out support from external professionals to obtain guidance. Interactions between adults and children are purposeful. Staff in the pre-school room draw on their expert knowledge of children as individuals to provide tailored engagement. For example, a group of boys keen to play football are stretched and challenged with mathematical concepts in their game.

Leaders and staff continually reflect on adaptations and the impact that they are having on children who face barriers to their learning. Progress is made quickly for many children due to the consistent and sustained support that they receive. Leaders have an excellent understanding of the individual circumstances of children and their families. For example, a higher-than-average proportion of children come from military families. Leaders and staff demonstrate a clear awareness of the impact that deployments can have on children and adapt their practice accordingly. They implement targeted approaches and provide additional support to help children manage the significant changes and periods of uncertainty that deployments can bring to family life.

Leaders are proactive in identifying where they can further strengthen their provision. For example, they understand the changing dynamic in their growing setting and are working to ensure excellent peer mentoring in their toddler room to ensure continuity and consistency.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

The curriculum is well sequenced, and children's engagement is particularly high. The well-considered enrichment programme supports the curriculum successfully. Experiences such as forest school, tatty bumpkin, mighty me and science tots enrich children's learning and contribute to the development of a broad range of knowledge, skills and understanding. Engagement and interactions between staff and children are consistently of a high level, with purposeful guidance and questioning to further extend children's knowledge.

Staff skilfully guide and lead conversations around mathematical concepts and developing knowledge and understanding of the world. In addition, adult-led science sessions are skilfully delivered to provide opportunities for developing and extending vocabulary as well as strengthening language comprehension. There is a clear ethos of high expectations for all children. The enhanced curriculum is used to great effect. Staff use these sessions to inform and support learning in half-termly cycles.

Babies and young children are supported in a language-rich environment. Engagement levels in group activities such as 'What's in the box?' are high as all children excitedly join in. Transition points in the day are used as everyday learning opportunities. Children are given time and support to develop self-care skills, such as putting on coats and shoes. The outdoor environments are thoughtfully considered to offer a range of play opportunities, where children can develop a wide range of physical skills. Water and sand play are equipped with age-appropriate resources, and staff demonstrate and model a range of age-appropriate skills.

In the toddler room, children work together on immersive 'big art' activities. They share ideas and work cooperatively. Activities are designed to stretch and challenge children, giving them experiences and opportunities to develop communication and teamworking skills.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children are effectively supported with transitions and are ready for the next stages of their learning. Older children speak confidently about their upcoming move on to school. Children make continual high progress across all areas of their learning. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make profound and sustained progress, particularly around self-care and physical development. For example, individualised approaches to provide opportunities for gross motor skills have been developed and refined with the support of outside professionals. The results of this are consistently high.

Children learn and make progress across the whole curriculum as a result of the balance between adult-led and child-initiated play. They approach play and learning opportunities with enthusiasm and confidence. Pre-school children are eager to join in with adult-led science activities and use advanced vocabulary. This demonstrates their clear passion and keenness to explore and learn. Levels of engagement across the setting are high. Babies communicate their enthusiasm for aspects of the curriculum, including 'mighty me' sessions that they enjoy weekly, focused on supporting physical development, confidence and emotional literacy.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Children develop effective skills in managing their feelings and behaviour. Young children take turns and share resources. They show that they are able to regulate their own emotions and have an awareness of the feelings of others. The daily and weekly routines of the setting are well established. Even the youngest of children remember and look forward to enrichment activities that support their personal and social learning. Babies develop secure attachments quickly with their key person. This helps to ensure that they settle well and are able to engage with the curriculum. For example, the youngest children who are newest to the setting are quickly and easily comforted by their key person.

Attendance levels are high, and leaders take decisive action to address any barriers to maintain this. Leaders know and understand their children and families. They have clear communication and well-developed relationships with parents and carers. Parents speak highly of the setting and how supported and involved that they feel in their children's day-to-day learning. Parents particularly praise the extent to which the setting shares updates and how well it manages the settling-in process to make it a positive and smooth experience for families.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders and staff have a comprehensive knowledge of all children and can effectively support their welfare and wellbeing. Routines and structures are very well embedded and have a significant positive impact on children's learning and development. Leaders are aware of the changing circumstances and varying needs of children and their families. They ensure that relevant information is shared with staff so that they can respond quickly and effectively.

The practices of the setting are underpinned by clear policies and procedures that are understood and followed consistently by the whole team. For example, staff in the baby room are well versed in the upcoming changes to safer sleep requirements and already have them implemented.

Leaders are proactive in identifying barriers to learning or children who might need extra support. Timely and effective communication means that this support or specialist input is swiftly and effectively sought and implemented.

The chef in setting, supported by the group's catering manager, has developed a varied, balanced and nutritious menu. Children are encouraged to serve their own food, and older children have a growing appreciation of where their food comes from. The setting takes advantage of their location and works harmoniously with the farm next door, passing on food waste for the pigs to eat.

Leadership and governance: Exceptional

Leaders have a clear strategic vision and ethos for the setting that they have developed and cultivated. Sustainability is integral to this vision. The eco-friendly building, on-site farm and innovative curriculum provide authentic opportunities for children to understand environmental responsibilities. Experiences such as recycling, growing and harvesting vegetables and caring for the on-site alpacas develop children's curiosity, responsibility, empathy and understanding of the natural world.

Leaders demonstrate excellent practice in their support and recognition for staff. There is a shared passion and effort among the leadership team that transpires into the highest-quality coaching. This includes leading by example. Staff are encouraged to develop, share and apply their expertise. This results in a highly-skilled, reflective and motivated team.

Children rush to leaders when they walk into the room and wrap their arms around them in a gleeful embrace. Leaders know all children and their families exceptionally well. They work with the dedicated staff team to tailor their support for them. This ensures that all children who attend receive first-class teaching.

Leaders demonstrate sustained transformational impact through their linked settings, sharing expertise and contributing to improvement beyond their own provision. Parents are valued as genuine partners in their children's learning.

Leaders are reflective and analytical. They have a clear understanding of their setting and evaluate this with astute precision. Children who face barriers to their learning receive precisely tailored support. There is a remarkable engagement of outside agencies and professionals. As a result, children achieve and thrive. The extent to which leaders are striving to develop the setting, including the enrichment opportunities that children have access to, highlights their vision for excellence. Parental engagement is high, and feedback from parents is warm and positive.