Toad Hall Farnborough

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders and staff value children's individual characters and personalities. They have created an environment that is inclusive and promotes respect for all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff help children to understand similarities and differences between them and others. In turn, children begin to recognise diversity in backgrounds, abilities and cultures. Staff use appropriate assessment to swiftly identify children who may face barriers to their learning. These children typically benefit from individualised plans, which help them to make progress in-line with their abilities. The prompt action ensures that steps are taken to seek additional and specialised support if needed. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals to seek guidance and support. They receive bespoke training to help them use specialist equipment that children may need. This builds their confidence and ability to help children with SEND when engaging in all activities that are on offer. Leaders share how additional funding can be used to support gaps in children's learning and life experiences. They ensure that these funds are spent well to have a positive impact on children's care and learning.

Children who speak English as an additional language receive tailored support from staff, enabling them to develop language skills and make consistent progress alongside their friends.

Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention

Although leaders and staff have a broad sense of intended learning, weaknesses in the curriculum design mean it is not carefully structured to build on children's skills in a clear, sequential way. For instance, some older children develop mathematical awareness through activities that encourage them to talk about capacity, volume and weight. This supports communication and language as they learn mathematical concepts. However, learning experiences are not adapted well enough for the varying age groups of children, such as mathematics being taught from an early age. The activities staff plan are well-thought out, inviting and fun, yet inconsistencies in the calibre of interactions and quality of teaching mean some learning is incidental rather than by design.

There are effective arrangements in place to observe and assess what child know and can do. Staff use assessments to provide all children, including those with barriers to their learning, appropriate targets to achieve. This helps to narrow gaps in children's learning. Staff support children to build on their physical skills, as they encourage them to run around open spaces with pleasure and freedom. Additionally, they help children learn cause and effect and develop their hand-eye coordination as they use litter tongs to grab small balls out of a tray of water. Staff support children to turn take and praise their kind behaviours. This supports their personal, social and emotional development well.

Achievement: Needs attention

Although children make some progress from when they start, gaps in some children's learning are not closed as swiftly as they could be. For example, the youngest children spend long periods of time with their dummies when they are happy and content, which may limit children's ability to develop clear speech and language. This does not prepare them well for their next stage of learning as they transition through the rooms. Despite this, children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, demonstrate a love of learning. They become engrossed in their investigations and seek to find out more by asking questions and exploring. Children enjoy their time at the setting and place trust in those who care for them. Children develop a positive sense of self as their achievements are celebrated.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

On the whole, leaders and staff have created a calm yet stimulating environment for children to play and learn. Staff place emphasis on children feeling safe and secure to enable them to learn. They promote punctuality to ensure that children receive the full benefit of daily routines and learning. Children feel safe as they develop solid routines, which help them understand what is happening next. Staff work hard to establish secure relationships with children and their parents. Children, including those new to the setting, swiftly build warm and nurturing bonds with staff. This promotes their confidence and self-esteem.

Staff are positive role models and talk to children with respect. They consistently reinforce children's behaviour through positive praise, distraction and promoting kind behaviours, such as being kind and sharing. Staff, generally ensure that expectations for behaviours are clear and appropriate for the age and stage of the child. For example, the youngest children receive gentle redirection when they put paint brushes into their mouths. Staff alter their tone of voice and facial expression when explaining this is not good for them and does not taste nice. Older children are encouraged to take turns and play cooperatively together. Staff talk to children about their own and others' feelings. This helps them develop self-awareness as they learn to navigate their vast growing emotions.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Overall, staff fully understand their responsibilities as a key person. They work hard to ensure that attachments are secure, and they know their own and other staff members' key children well. This means children are always supported, even in the absence of their key person. Staff gather a wealth of information to ensure that care routines are followed as closely as possible to those at home. They offer guidance to parents regarding weaning, sleeping and toilet training. During care routines, staff are nurturing and attentive. For instance, when feeding the youngest children their bottles, they maintain eye contact, speak gently, smile and offer reassurance while they drink. This helps children to feel secure and strengthens their emotional wellbeing.

Children, including those who may face barriers to their learning, have ample opportunity to exercise. They love being outside in the fresh air and run around with confidence and pleasure. Typically, staff talk to children about being safe as they run around and help them recognise obstacles that are in their way. This helps children develop an awareness of dangers. Children generally follow good hygiene routines and learn good manners as they sit down during mealtimes. Older children learn to become independent as they pour their drinks and scrape their plates when they have finished. Children grow their own vegetables in the allotments, which helps them understand where food comes from.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Following a significant incident, leaders have reviewed and strengthened their risk assessments, and additional training has been implemented for both staff and leaders. As a result, staff have a clearer understanding of identifying and minimising risks more effectively to ensure that children play in an environment that is safe and secure.

While leaders have recognised the curriculum needs improvement, their actions have not been focused or effective enough to secure the necessary improvements. Additionally, leaders have not swiftly identified weaknesses in the provision, teaching and the variable interactions children receive. They have not yet considered how to raise the quality of education to a consistently high level for all children. Despite this, staff receive regular supervision sessions where their wellbeing and workloads are considered. Staff share that they feel supported and feel valued as part of the team. They confidently share how recent training, such as promoting children's behaviour, has a positive impact on their practice. This supports children as they learn behavioural expectations. Leaders have demonstrated their commitment to make the improvements necessary.

Leaders work effectively with other settings children attend or have previously attended to share information and establish a joint understanding of children's development. This ensures continuity of care and learning.