Tiny Toes Day Nursery

Inclusion: Strong standard

There have been significant changes to the provision's approach to supporting children who face barriers to learning, in particular children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders now ensure that staff have a robust knowledge and understanding, as well as the skills, to quickly identify gaps in learning and implement appropriate strategies while working closely with external agencies to ensure the relevant referrals are completed. This helps children make more than expected progress in their learning and development. Leaders now ensure that parents have an active role in setting children's targets and reviewing these. This helps create a consistent joined-up approach that actively promotes and supports children's learning and development.

Leaders ensure that additional funding is used effectively, such as providing one-to-one care to ensure children's needs are being met well. Leaders ensure any resources that are purchased meet the children's individual needs, such as purchasing story resources to support communication development.

Staff now have a robust understanding of children's different communication styles and are highly in tune with these to enable them to effectively meet children's needs. For example, they respond quickly and appropriately when children wish to communicate by using staff's hands to point at things. Children take delight in being able to communicate their thoughts with staff and their peers.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

There is now a curriculum in place that is highly ambitious for all children and meets their needs. The curriculum is implemented consistently and to a high standard by all staff. Staff have worked intensively to develop a robust understanding of the curriculum aims and how to be adaptive to ensure the curriculum is age- and stage-appropriate for every child. This leads to high quality teaching that consistently supports children in all areas of learning. Staff prioritise their teaching and engagement with children over routine tasks. They ensure their engagement with children is purposeful and of a high quality. This helps children make beyond-typical progress in their learning and development.

Staff ensure mathematics is taught explicitly and frequently. For example, younger babies count ducks as they sing songs, and older children problem-solve as they learn about heavy and light while using outdoor scales.

Children benefit from purposeful physical development. For example, older children create a balancing course, which strengthens their balance and coordination. They learn to take risks safely. Staff encourage and frequently praise, which boosts children's self-confidence and self-esteem. They beam in delight as they succeed at balancing.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children make more than expected progress in their learning and development and are very well prepared for their next stage of learning, such as starting school. They are confident and well mannered and have a secure understanding of the expectations for their behaviour. Children from a young age are able to make independent choices about their play and are eager to explore the provision. They develop secure relationships with their peers and happily include each other in their play, even from the youngest age.

Children's language develops rapidly in relation to their individual stage of development. Children engage in meaningful back-and-forth interactions from a very young age. This means that very young children quickly learn the concepts of conversation and sharing of their thoughts, ideas and wants. They beam in delight as staff recognise their early attempts at communication.

Children's independence skills are prioritised throughout the nursery. From a very young age, children learn to use open cups and become increasingly more independent, such as self-serving their own lunch and snacks as they get older.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

The environment throughout the provision has been enhanced, and staff now have a robust knowledge and understanding of recognising the impact of noise levels and poor routines on children's behaviour and wellbeing. They have changed their practice to ensure that routines are now very calm and meet the needs of the children, and that sound levels are significantly lower. This has a considerable impact on children's behaviour, which is now calm and consistent, with children having a secure understanding of the expectations. Children behave exceptionally well. There are high expectations for all children that are age- and stage-appropriate and implemented consistently throughout the provision. Children from a young age learn to play collaboratively together. For example, babies eagerly take turns rolling the ball to each other and are keen to include others in their play.

Children demonstrate that they feel settled and secure as they have built very warm and trusting relationships with staff. If children become unsettled, such as during a transition period, staff quickly and effectively meet children's needs and help them settle swiftly. Children eagerly reach out to staff for cuddles, as well as excitedly showing them their toys.

Staff act as excellent role models for children in every aspect. They model manners and taking turns, as well as modelling extensive vocabulary for children. Staff and leaders promote the importance of attendance and work closely with families to break down any barriers to children attending regularly.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Children's wellbeing is now prioritised by leaders and staff. Children, including those who face barriers to learning, demonstrate that they feel safe and secure at the provision. They show secure attachments with their key person, and these are developed and strengthened from a child's first day. Children are becoming increasingly curious and explorative as they use their key person as a secure base. Leaders and staff have worked hard to strengthen their knowledge of supporting babies, and staff are now able to intuitively meet children's needs, such as knowing when children need a quiet space and providing them with this. Staff know their children exceptionally well, including their wellbeing needs and their next steps in learning and development.

Children develop secure habits to keep themselves healthy. For example, they learn to recognise hunger cues and serve themselves a corresponding amount at lunchtime. They recognise they need to drink plenty of water in the hot weather and eagerly and skilfully use the self-serve dispensers to pour their own drinks. Staff regularly share information with parents to support healthy habits, and children eagerly help themselves to the fruit bowl on the way home.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

There has been significant change and improvement at this provision since the last inspection. There has been a change in leadership, and the new leaders have a detailed and perceptive understanding of the provision's strengths and areas for development. Leaders are passionate about the work that they do and are continuously observing, reflecting and enhancing practice even further. Leaders have empowered staff and other leaders so they now feel able to have an active role in the continuing development of practice. They note that their contribution is now welcomed, valued and acted upon.

Leaders have worked exceptionally hard to improve the quality of the provision. They now ensure that they have effective oversight of staff practice and are implementing rigorous training, coaching and mentoring of staff to improve their knowledge of safeguarding and to improve the quality of teaching. There is now a positive culture around whistleblowing, and staff feel confident in the procedures to follow should they need to do this. Staff are now effective at identifying potential hazards and mitigating against these. For example, staff quickly and efficiently clean the floor during mealtimes to remove any potential trip hazards.

Leaders and staff work hard to develop key attachments with families before they even start at the provision. For example, they share videos of staff introducing themselves and singing songs. This helps children and parents to become familiar with staff, which enables a smoother transition into the provision. This partnership continues to strengthen once a family attends, with staff running regular events for families, such as 'Dad and Dens' day and encouraging families to borrow books from the lending library.