Tiny Town Daycare Ltd

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders have very high aspirations for all children. They monitor children's progress with precision and identify children's individual needs swiftly. Leaders prioritise referrals to agencies to provide early support, such as for speech and language. This helps children to receive the right support at the right time. Leaders and staff work closely with parents and carers and other professionals to meet all children's needs. Leaders have introduced a bespoke intervention programme to support children's communications skills. Staff have received specific training to enable them to implement this successfully.

Staff celebrate cultural diversity through meaningful experiences. They weave children's home languages, traditions and lived experiences into daily practice. Staff invite families into the nursery to share their skills and cultural heritage. Families enjoy plenty of opportunities to join the children for nursery events. For example, children and staff are preparing for the upcoming Mother's Day tea party.

Staff plan teaching carefully for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They deliver targeted speech and language activities that build children's attention, engagement and communication. Staff adapt learning through focused interventions and small groups, ensuring that children with SEND access the curriculum alongside their peers. They know how to use additional funding to make informed decisions that improve outcomes for children.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

The curriculum is well sequenced and builds on what children already know and can do. Leaders prioritise supporting children's personal, social and emotional skills to help them to thrive. Monitoring of children's development is part of everyday practice. Children are well prepared for the next stage in their learning, including moving on to school.

Staff weave books naturally into everyday routines. Story time is calm and engaging, with children encouraged to talk, predict and reflect. This nurtures a genuine love of books. Children regularly choose books independently and enjoy sharing stories throughout the day.

Staff teach communication and language well. They sing with children, pausing to encourage them to join in, and they read stories when children request them. However, staff do not support children's mathematical development as well as they support their communication and language. For example, during a cooking activity, staff do not encourage children to count or measure ingredients to develop their mathematical knowledge further.

Adult-led opportunities are typically matched well to children's individual needs and promote progress. At times, however, these are not organised well enough to consistently develop children's knowledge and understanding to help them to gain fully from the learning experience. For example, on occasion, as children have to wait for extended periods for a turn, they lose interest while they wait. Staff do not fully explain what is happening, and, as a result, children do not learn what happens next.

Achievement: Expected standard

Despite some occasional weaknesses in teaching, all children typically make positive progress from their starting points, particularly in their communication and language. Children develop confidence in their social and language skills. They generally achieve well across most areas of the curriculum. Children benefit from regular opportunities to develop their language through high-quality interactions.

Children who face barriers to learning continue to make consistent progress despite their needs. This includes children who are known or were previously known to children's social care. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities also make progress in relation to their individual starting points. For example, they engage in daily singing, storytelling and circle-time discussions.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

All staff have high expectations of children's behaviour and attitudes to learning. These expectations are commonly understood by staff, children and parents and carers. Staff take action to support children who need extra help to feel emotionally secure and safe. They consider children's individual needs to adjust routines to help them feel ready to learn. Staff teach children to be kind to others so that children play happily alongside one another. Staff encourage children's best behaviour. Children receive praise for being thoughtful and kind. They behave extremely well and are very motivated in their learning. Children are busy in their learning, working together to build structures with their friends or playing alongside adults who extend their thinking.

Staff work diligently to form deep relations with children from the very start. Babies have positive and secure attachments with their key persons, which promotes a positive learning environment. Staff have established daily routines and activities that foster confidence in children. Older children seamlessly transition between activities, such as story sessions, mealtimes and outdoor play.

Staff encourage children to share, and even young children show their understanding of this. For instance, toddlers wait patiently and say 'my turn' when their friends have finished stirring a cake mixture. Leaders know the importance of children's attendance and act promptly to help address any barriers families face. They monitor closely, working with parents and carers to help them to recognise the importance of their children attending.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Children's welfare and wellbeing are promoted consistently through thoughtful and individualised care practices. Leaders have established robust systems to review policies and procedures, adapting them promptly when necessary. Staff are sensitive towards younger children, giving them time and gaining consent before tending to their intimate care needs. Key-person relationships are very secure and responsive. This helps children to feel safe, confident and ready to explore. Staff know children very well. They use sensitive and purposeful interactions to help older children talk about their feelings. Staff model vocabulary to build on the language children need to express themselves confidently.

Care practices are adapted skilfully for children's individual needs, including for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those facing other barriers to their wellbeing. Staff work closely with parents and carers. This ensures that approaches are aligned and children receive consistency in their care.

Staff support children very well to learn how to be healthy. They enjoy plenty of opportunities to be physically active. Children are offered a range of appetising and healthy meals, and they can make their own healthy choices during snack times. Leaders collect detailed information about children when they start at the nursery. For example, they support all children's dietary requirements and offer alternatives. Children build their independence skills consecutively. For instance, during mealtimes, babies hold spoons and begin to feed themselves. Older children serve themselves from large dishes.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders monitor progress robustly. They accurately identify aspects of their setting for improvement and adapt provision to best support the learning and development experiences of children. Leaders are working on embedding the improvements needed. They have a consistent focus on securing excellence for all children at the nursery.

Leaders have a secure understanding of how the nursery operates daily. They have made consistent, timely and highly impactful improvements since taking over the nursery and its staff team. For example, they regularly observe practice first hand and talk with staff, giving valued training and mentoring where needed. Although there are some minor gaps in staff's teaching skills, improvements are rapid and highly effective. Leaders make informed decisions about what benefits children most. For example, leaders trialled a system where staff observed each other, giving praise and suggestions to improve practice. Although this is still in its infancy, staff have become more confident and value this peer feedback.

Leaders are reflective and prioritise staff's professional development through an established appraisal system, regular supervision sessions and coaching sessions. For example, staff receive training on creative circle times. This supports positive quality teaching and interactions. Leaders prioritise staff's wellbeing. They create a supportive culture, where staff's workload is carefully managed.

Partnership working is a significant strength. Leaders work very well with external professionals, particularly when securing support or clear information that is required to prioritise children's learning and wellbeing. They build trusting relationships with families and support them sensitively. Leaders recognise that close collaboration improves children's outcomes.