Tiny Tiggs Preschool

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders embed practices that support them to identify and assess children's individual needs quickly. They liaise with specialist trained professionals for support and implement strategies that help to reduce barriers children face. For example, leaders use 'now and next' boards to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to know what to expect, so they remain calm during activities and transitions. This helps children to focus during activities so they meet their milestones. Staff know the children well and use strategies that support children's individual needs. For example, children with SEND are interested in numbers, so staff put numbers and letters in areas that children like to play, such as the sand. This keeps children with SEND interested and engaged in play, so they consistently make progress.

Leaders use funding effectively to pay for additional staff to support children with SEND, so children can work in smaller ratios. This helps staff to work closely with children so they meet their individual needs. Leaders consistently make a demonstrable difference to all children so that children flourish from their starting points. For example, leaders know families well and the challenges that they may face. Leaders help to remove these barriers so families have time to meet their personal needs. This level of support means children achieve their best possible outcomes.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders create an ambitious, inclusive and well-sequenced curriculum for all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who may face barriers to learning, ensuring it is closely matched to children's individual needs. Leaders use their knowledge of children's next stages of learning effectively to ensure children make secure and sustained progress over time.

Leaders and staff precisely personalise learning, ensuring teaching is highly impactful. As a result, all children benefit from high-quality, targeted teaching that supports them to successfully meet their developmental milestones. All staff know the children well and clearly understand what they want children to know and be able to do next. Leaders share next steps with parents effectively, enabling them to consistently support learning at home.

Leaders prioritise children's communication and language development. For example, they share stories, sing songs and consistently use targeted questioning to encourage children to clarify their thinking and extend their ideas. Leaders also ensure that children embed secure mathematical vocabulary, supporting them to recall and use what they have learned with increasing confidence.

Physical development is a key priority. Leaders support children to strengthen both large- and small-muscle groups, indoors and outdoors, through carefully planned and purposeful activities. For example, children use pipettes to collect water, strengthening fine motor control in preparation for school. Staff consistently reinforce vocabulary, such as 'squeeze', 'fill' and 'empty', to embed language and mathematical understanding.

Leaders swiftly identify gaps in learning and respond with targeted planning to address them, ensuring that all children continue to make consistent and sustained progress across the curriculum.

Achievement: Strong standard

All children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), confidently choose activities that interest and engage them. For example, children with SEND happily play in the sand and confidently identify hidden numbers they discover. This supports the development of children's mathematical knowledge and encourages them to talk about and build on what they already know.

Children consistently develop secure and transferable skills across the curriculum that prepare them well for their next stage of learning and future school readiness. For example, children use tweezers to carefully pick up hidden bugs in soil, which strengthens their hand muscles effectively in preparation for later skills, such as writing.

Children confidently communicate about things that interest them, such as discussing their favourite ice cream flavours. They consistently count, recognise and match numbers, talk confidently about the marks they make, independently access books and enthusiastically join in with songs and rhymes.

All children, including those with SEND and children who may face barriers to learning and/or wellbeing, make strong and sustained progress from their different starting points. As a result, they consistently achieve well and successfully meet their developmental milestones.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders embed practices and policies that support children to develop positive attitudes and consistently good behaviours. Children form secure and trusting attachments with staff and consistently listen well and follow instructions. For example, staff encourage children to sing a tidy-up song so they know when to stop and begin tidying. Children respond promptly, tidying away resources quickly and sitting on the carpet facing the front, ready to listen. This routine supports smooth and efficient transitions between activities, ensuring that valuable learning time is maintained.

Staff implement targeted strategies to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who face barriers to learning to follow routines. For example, staff use visual supports to help children with SEND understand expectations, enabling them to remain calm, regulated and ready to learn.

Leaders and staff actively promote kindness and respect across the setting. They consistently use prompts such as 'kind hands' to remind children to play safely and considerately with their friends. Leaders have high and consistent expectations for behaviour, which are supported effectively by all staff. Children are also taught strategies to manage unwanted behaviour from others, confidently using phrases such as 'stop, I don't like it' to advocate for themselves.

Leaders and staff provide well-planned opportunities for children to collaborate and work together. For example, staff model how to use voices and percussion instruments, enabling children to make music and perform together in a shared, purposeful activity.

Leaders consistently support families who may find attendance challenging, working closely with them to promote regular and punctual attendance. They flexibly adjust session times to meet the changing needs of families. As a result, parents are supported to prioritise attendance, and children attend regularly and consistently benefit from the full learning offer.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders embed practices and policies that support the welfare, mental health and wellbeing of all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who may face barriers to learning and/or wellbeing. They consistently promote positive daily routines that support children's health and independence. For example, staff encourage children to wash their hands before eating, reinforcing good hygiene habits. Parents are encouraged to provide healthy lunch boxes and water, supporting children to develop positive attitudes towards healthy eating from an early age. All staff sit with children at mealtimes, providing consistent support and reassurance, including for children with SEND, to ensure children eat safely and confidently.

Leaders ensure that rest and sleep routines are securely embedded, supporting children's emotional and physical wellbeing. Safer sleep procedures are consistently followed, with staff regularly checking children while they rest. After eating, staff support children with SEND to remain calm and settled, enabling smooth transitions into their next learning experiences. Visuals and timers are used effectively so children understand expectations and can independently manage transitions between activities.

Staff consistently support all children to understand and manage their emotions. They encourage children to talk about how they feel and what they can do to help themselves feel better. Children are taught simple breathing strategies effectively, enabling them to begin to regulate their emotions independently when they feel upset or overwhelmed.

Leaders and staff actively promote healthy, active lifestyles. Outdoors, children confidently climb apparatus, ride tricycles and engage in chasing games with their peers, developing their gross motor skills and physical strength effectively. Children also use hammers to tap shapes and a range of one-handed tools, which successfully strengthens their fine motor control and supports early writing development.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders embed a culture of high expectations for children's learning and development, with a clear focus on meeting the needs of all children and their families so that children consistently flourish. They are refining the already excellent curriculum further to provide enhanced opportunities for children to gain knowledge about sustainability, supporting them to develop a wider and more secure understanding of the world in which they live.

Leaders ensure robust and effective safer recruitment procedures are followed so that all staff are suitable to work with children. They consistently support staff to maintain the same high expectations for themselves and for children, enabling children to achieve well from their starting points. Leaders regularly observe high-quality interactions between staff and children to ensure practice remains consistently strong and children receive the very best care and education. Leaders are warm, approachable and reflective practitioners, providing staff with constructive and supportive feedback that continually improves practice.

Leaders have recently completed specialist leadership training, which has had a positive impact on provision. As a result, they have developed a sensory room to support children's emotional regulation, helping all children to feel calm and secure. Leaders embed practices that ensure staff feel valued, supported and motivated in their roles. They prioritise ongoing professional development and training, enabling staff to feel confident and highly effective in their practice. For example, all staff regularly update their safeguarding knowledge to ensure children are kept safe at all times. Leaders also plan for all staff to undertake training in sign language so they can consistently meet the communication needs of all children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Leaders form highly positive and trusting partnerships with parents, who report that they are very pleased with the progress their children have made since starting at the nursery. Leaders work effectively in partnership with a range of specialist professionals, implementing recommended strategies to support children to achieve their milestones and be well prepared for the next stage of their learning and school.