Tops Day Nurseries - Mini Mariners

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders and staff constantly assess and review children's progress. This helps them to quickly identify any gaps in children's learning. Staff establish individual learning plans and adapt the curriculum well. This ensures all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those children known to children's social care, remain included. Staff focus activities appropriately, such as to encourage collaboration and interaction with others. Children with SEND receive support in their chosen play. Staff interact well, for example acknowledging children's verbalisations. They comment on what they see and hear, such as birdsong or an airplane.

Staff know their children well and when they are receptive to learning and take these opportunities to help children achieve. Staff support children's communication and language skills well, minimising any barriers to learning. For example, staff repeat and explain vocabulary for those children who speak English as an additional language so that they can engage fully in their learning. Overall, staff use visual timetables and points of reference to encourage those children with SEND into daily routines, helping them to feel safe. There are effective systems in place to share information and to work in partnership with specialists, other professionals and parents and carers.

Leaders use available funding appropriately to support inclusion and children's next steps. For example, they use funding to provide one-to-one support, meals, oral health and more precise resources. This helps children to engage in their full entitlement, feel valued and make progress.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders build an ambitious curriculum that includes all children. Staff have clear knowledge of children and know what they need to learn next. Children lead their play, and staff deploy themselves well to promote children's learning. For example, when young children show an interest in face painting and hairstyles, they share a book together. Staff adapt their teaching well to include all children, showing effective knowledge of what children know and can do and what they need to learn next. Staff tailor their questions to find out about children's experiences and to introduce vocabulary. For example, they name colours, animal names and their sounds, according to children's ability.

Children develop their fine motor skills with varied opportunities to explore and investigate. They are confident to take on new tasks and to explore independently, such as making roads for their diggers in the soil. Staff know when to offer support and instruction, and when to sit back and let children explore and persevere for themselves. Children are confident to ask for help when needed.

Overall, staff implement the curriculum well, and most interactions support children's learning. However, the organisation of some activities does not always promote effective learning. At times, staff do not consider noise levels during quieter activities and how these can distract children. Some transitions between learning experiences are disruptive and interrupt children's attention and focus. When this occurs, staff ensure those children that remain interested have the opportunity to make binoculars, taking all the materials outside, where they can continue.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children achieve well from their starting points. Children love stories and participate enthusiastically. Children respond well to posed questions, talking about the familiar characters. They recap on what they have remembered and ask questions to consolidate their learning. Those children with emerging needs listen well and engage in group interactions. Older children particularly like stories read in different languages. They respond well to questions and demonstrate detailed understanding of the story. Children are confident to ask for no translation when they choose a second book, enjoying building their own storylines and using their imaginations. On occasion, noise levels do not encourage children to listen well.

Older babies thoroughly enjoy exploring their environment, moving resources and using them in different ways. For example, they use the sieve in their water play and then remember they can use it in their role play to collect items of food. Positive interactions from staff help babies to develop their curiosity and make these connections in their own experiences.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

The nursery is inviting, with easily accessible and suitable resources throughout. This, alongside positive relationships with staff, supports children's confidence to make choices about their play and have a positive attitude to their learning. Children learn positive manners and to respect their friends. For example, pre-school children know to wait until all children have their meals before starting. Staff know children well and use a range of strategies to support children's behaviour according to their age and level of understanding. For example, they give young children time to calm down and then encourage them back into play alongside their friends.

Staff are calm and encourage children to take turns and share the resources. Overall, they receive praise for their 'good choices'. However, this approach is not always consistent with older children and, at times, children are not sure of the expectations for their behaviour. Staff work closely with parents and carers when needed to ensure consistency in practices between home and the nursery to support younger children's behaviour further.

There are successful daily routines that help children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to feel safe and understand the pattern of the day. Children are keen to attend the nursery. Leaders and staff encourage regular attendance. They support parents and children to establish these routines in readiness for their move to school.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Children develop an excellent understanding of healthy habits. They love their time outside, exploring nature and developing their physical health. For example, children competently negotiate the space on tricycles and talk about their journeys. They listen very carefully to expectations. For example, when staff explain the potential dangers of riding pillion on the tricycles, children come up with solutions for how they can all have turns but still be engaged in the play. Highly supporting care practices ensure children's needs are exceedingly well met. There has been close partnership working with parents and carers to ensure children remain safe and protected when playing in the sun, for example. This means all children are included, learn how to keep themselves safe and can enjoy all that the nursery offers with adaptations to practice and policy.

Children develop lovely relationships with caring staff. Children are fully involved in nurturing and responsive care practices. For example, young children competently lead staff to their peg by the hand and point to show where their bag is hanging when they need a wet top changing. Children fully cooperate with care practices, such as nappy changing. They develop effective independence and self-care. Staff promote children's independence from an early age. For example, older babies master handwashing, press the soap dispenser and dry their hands on paper towels. Children thrive in the close relationships they form with staff. For instance, they laugh together as they wash their hands and sing a song about a little turtle.

Staff are exceptionally well organised at mealtimes, particularly in the baby room. Staff ensure that everything is ready for snack time so that they can give children their full attention and implement safer eating practices highly successfully. They make sure that young children are not kept waiting and have some fruit on their plate while they wait for their turn to chop their chosen fruit for their snack.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders act in the best interests of all children. They have high expectations and, overall, provide the support required to maintain these high standards. Leaders have an accurate understanding of what the nursery does well and what needs to improve. They have a wealth of ideas to redevelop the outside space, such as a gardening plot, to further support children's love of the outdoors and nature. Leaders understand that stability in management will improve staff morale and confidence to deliver high-quality care, learning and development. Nonetheless, staff have shown resilience in this time of change and keep children at the forefront of what they do.

Staff wellbeing is a clear priority. Leaders support staff appropriately to manage their time. They ensure staff access relevant training opportunities in order to deliver the curriculum and to support those children with emerging needs. For example, recent sign language training is showing a positive impact, particularly for babies' social and emotional wellbeing.

Leaders understand the importance of working in partnership with parents and carers to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children. Parents value the adaptations made in sharing information while the online app is unavailable. There is effective engagement with other professionals and specialist services to support those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and for those who are known to social care.