Tipton Toddlers Day Nursery

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders and staff demonstrate expert commitment to inclusion. They place children and families at the heart of their practice. They are highly skilled in identifying and assessing the individual needs of children, utilising tools such as starting point assessments, early intervention strategies and a watchful eye to monitor progress and identify gaps promptly.

The support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning is a significant strength. Leaders take swift, strategic action to reduce barriers, such as rearranging the physical environment and securing early intervention funding. They maintain effective partnerships with other professionals, including speech and language therapists, local authority support officers and child psychologists, to ensure that play and learning plans are sharply focused and individualised.

Leaders consistently go above and beyond what is expected to support disadvantaged children and those facing significant barriers. This includes providing free childcare for families during difficult times and organising day trips to the seaside. For children known to social care, leaders act as solid advocates. They attend all support meetings and secure access to early help processes, such as helping families access support workers. This holistic, sensitive approach ensures all children, regardless of their background and circumstances, make consistently secure progress.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders and staff have established and embedded an ambitious and well-structured curriculum that is consistently implemented for all age groups. Rooted in the setting's ethos of family values, the curriculum is expertly sequenced to ensure children build on their skills and knowledge. Leaders maintain a sharp focus on continuous improvement, using the skills and knowledge staff gain from intensive professional learning to successfully enrich the learning environment and further enhance practitioners' expertise.

The quality of teaching and interactions is a significant strength. Staff demonstrate a deep understanding of child development and their role in facilitating teachable moments to extend children's learning. They skilfully use various strategies to support and extend learning based on children's individual interests as they see these developing. Communication and language development is prioritised through expert interactions, purposeful storytelling and the effective use of a rich vocabulary.

Inclusion is seamlessly threaded through the curriculum and teaching. Staff know all children extremely well and use this deep knowledge of children's development to quickly tailor activities. They adapt their teaching and the environment to ensure every child is fully included. This focused approach effectively reduces barriers for all children and helps them to become motivated, confident and independent.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children are happy, confident and enthusiastic learners who make consistently secure progress from their individual starting points. They demonstrate high levels of curiosity as they confidently explore, investigate, communicate and solve problems, learning through the well-balanced curriculum. Children's emotional security is prioritised, and this helps them feel safe to test out their ideas in their learning. They develop secure relationships with staff and their peers.

Children are confident communicators and develop robust physical and independence skills. They enjoy familiar stories, such as 'Dear Zoo', and develop mathematical ideas as they physically make themselves 'tall like a giraffe', for instance. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those from disadvantaged backgrounds, are successfully prepared for their next stage of learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders and staff successfully create a positive environment with commonly understood expectations for behaviour. Children display excellent attitudes to learning and are well mannered and respectful. They are happy, confident and enthusiastic learners who approach activities with curiosity and motivation. Through a well-balanced curriculum, children learn to collaborate, show respect for their peers and follow simple, clear rules. Staff skilfully use inclusive techniques, such as visual timelines, simple signs and 'now and next' prompts, to nurture children and maintain calm routines.

There is a sharp focus on positive relationships. The key-person approach is embedded and ensures children feel safe, valued and emotionally secure. Staff successfully prioritise emotional wellbeing at all times. For example, they comment, 'I'm proud of you', as children successfully pour their own drink for the first time. Staff carefully consider the ethos of family values in everything they do.

Attendance is fostered through an inclusive culture and the sensitive support leaders provide to families. Through their intuitive and compassionate support for removing barriers to attendance, leaders ensure children benefit from consistent learning. Leaders and staff expertly promote an inclusive approach that ensures all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those who face barriers to their learning, are noticed, valued and supported to meet the high expectations.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Children's welfare and wellbeing are nurtured well by kind, caring and thoughtful leaders and staff. The embedded key-person approach ensures children develop secure attachments and are supported to manage their emotions. Children benefit from these secure, warm and trusting relationships with staff. Babies seek out their special people for cuddles, while older children's achievements are noticed and celebrated.

Leaders and staff place a sharp focus on children's physical health through an active curriculum. Children look forward to and thoroughly enjoy Zumba-style dance sessions, moving rhythmically to music. They develop their physical health as they play outside regularly and develop their understanding of oral health and healthy eating. Visits to the setting by a mobile farm help children begin to understand where food comes from. Care practices, such as safe-sleep procedures and meticulously-supervised lunchtimes, are rigorously implemented to ensure children's safety and comfort.

Sensitive early intervention for disadvantaged families and those known to social care ensures that all children's welfare needs are met with compassion and precision. Leaders are extremely adept at supporting and including all families, including those facing barriers. This includes providing flexible childcare, signposting to a range of local services, such as the library, and organising special events to welcome everyone into the nursery.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders are highly effective in their leadership and demonstrate an unwavering commitment to their 'family values' of friendship, achievement and integrity. They have a deep understanding of the strengths of their provision and use robust monitoring, self-reflection and regular supervisions to drive continuous improvement. Governance and oversight are rigorous and focused. Leaders prioritise children's needs, particularly for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or where there are other barriers to learning, by making swift strategic adaptations and securing necessary funding.

Staff's wellbeing and workload are central to the leadership philosophy. They provide an extensive support package, including health care, practitioner of the month awards and practical support, such as providing treats and healthy snacks. This creates a positive work culture where staff feel valued and nurtured. There is a targeted focus on professional learning and developing expertise. Staff benefit from an intensive induction and an ongoing training programme, including specialist training in early years teaching and safe eating.

Parent and carer partnerships are extremely secure. Leaders consistently go above and beyond what is expected to support and include all families in the nursery. For example, they organise a very successful monthly book club for parents, alongside a book library for children, which nurtures a love of reading. Leaders welcome parents into the nursery to discuss children's progress. This inclusive, sensitive partnership ensures that parents are deeply involved in their children's progress.