Tops Day Nurseries - Musgrove

Inclusion: Strong standard

Children's needs are extremely well identified and supported. Leaders work very closely with parents and carers from their first visit, to work out exactly what support children need in order to thrive. Leaders meticulously identify and reduce possible barriers to learning. For instance, they provide matched experiences for children who need to leave the room for medical attention, so that they never miss out. Leaders develop skilful adaptations to ensure that all children can achieve well. These are consistently understood and used by staff. For example, they use individually tailored visual images to help children to communicate their needs.

Children benefit from one-to-one specialist support sessions. These sessions are specifically tailored to support children in reaching their developmental targets and support children very effectively in making rapid progress. Leaders and staff regularly review children's progress together. They carefully adapt their approach to meet children's changing needs. Leaders use their high level of skill and experience to support staff in developing their practice. They also provide additional carefully matched training. This ensures that all staff have the knowledge they need to consistently meet all children's needs. Leaders have a very comprehensive knowledge of children who are known to children's social care. They consistently monitor their progress and their wider life experiences to ensure that all potential barriers are addressed swiftly.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders have a very clear oversight of their curriculum and teaching. They continually strive to improve every child's experiences. Staff provide a broad and balanced curriculum that focuses on developing children's curiosity and love of learning. Leaders ensure that all children receive the exact adaptations they need in order to be fully included. Staff consistently make effective use of questioning to encourage children's thinking skills. For instance, they ask children to explain what might happen when they try things in a different way. This builds children's depth of thinking and encourages them to share their ideas with confidence.

Babies develop their physical skills rapidly. For example, staff support them to tentatively start walking and to pull themselves up on furniture. Older children learn to control their bodies with skill during yoga sessions and build their coordination as they draw on large sheets of paper, for instance. Mathematical learning is skilfully embedded. Babies develop an understanding of size and shape as they compare cups. Older children work with staff to discuss the concept of time and relate it to a clock. They enthusiastically point out the numerals that they know. Staff carefully assess what children know and can do. They tailor their interactions to ensure that they continually move children's learning forward.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children make rapid progress across the curriculum. Babies learn to communicate their needs early as they use basic Makaton signs, such as for 'please' and 'more'. Older children become confident communicators as they readily share their thoughts. For instance, they compare their toy cars as they race them. Babies develop their sense of autonomy as they routinely make decisions for themselves, such as whether to have milk or water. Children become impressively independent in meeting their own needs. Their independence develops consistently as they move through the setting. For example, toddlers start to pour their own water and learn to serve lunch. Older children work together to lay the table and work out how many plates are needed. The children are very well prepared for their next stage of learning, including for school. Children who experience barriers to learning make excellent progress. Every child is fully supported to benefit from all possible opportunities.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders have established an extremely positive culture in the setting. All children and staff have complete clarity about the expectations for behaviour. Staff skilfully adapt their approach to meet each child's individual needs. Staff ensure that consistently effective routines support all children throughout the day. This means that they always know exactly what is expected of them. For instance, children work together to lay the table for lunch. Older babies know to stand by the door before they head in for snack. Children develop very positive relationships with staff, who know them well. For example, children hold up lemons to show staff, when they have managed to cut them. Staff praise children warmly for their perseverance, which helps them to develop consistently positive attitudes to learning.

Children learn to collaborate very effectively. They take turns and happily share equipment, without direct adult support. Children are consistently kind and considerate towards each other. For instance, children say, 'I am just waiting for my turn,' as they wait patiently. They offer resources readily to others if they notice their friends need something, such as passing a pen to a peer. Leaders promote the importance of regular attendance and punctuality. They act decisively where potential barriers to attendance emerge. For example, they alter attendance patterns to match the changing shifts of parents and carers.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders have ensured that all staff place children's care needs at the heart of everything that they do. Staff are entirely attentive in ensuring that children are always safe and happy. Where required, care practices for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are carefully adapted. This means that all children are fully included at all times. Staff have a comprehensive understanding of the children in their care. For example, they regularly check with parents and carers about children's sleep routines and weaning stages. Staff lead embedded practices, such as tooth brushing, effectively. This helps children to build and maintain healthy habits for life.

Children learn to keep themselves safe and well. For instance, staff remind them to wash their hands after blowing their nose. Children understand that they need to do this to stop germs from making them unwell. Children are supported to recognise and manage their emotions. They learn to name what they are feeling. They relate their feelings to colour images so that all children can share their emotions. Children learn about the importance of taking time to calm themselves. They take part in yoga sessions and choose from a board of calming strategies.

Mealtimes are social occasions, and children are attentively supervised throughout. Children learn to eat a healthy and balanced diet. They understand why this is important. For example, they say, 'Carrots help me grow big and strong.' Children sleep safely in comfortable rooms with continual staff supervision.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders have a comprehensive understanding of the setting's context. They consistently strive for excellence and have developed a real culture of continual improvement. Leaders ensure that all staff have consistently high expectations, for what children can achieve and also for how they can support the children in their care. Leaders are passionate about working with their local community. For instance, they have developed long-standing arrangements with local colleges. They regularly visit the college to run stay-and-play sessions to support the students in their training.

Staff consistently feel that leaders care about their wellbeing and workload. They value the open culture, where they can speak with a wide number of leaders to share their ideas and experiences. Staff benefit from regular tailored training to improve their practice. For instance, many staff have recently completed Makaton training. This is being used across the setting to support children's developing communication skills. Leaders ensure that all staff, including those who work at the setting on a less frequent basis, complete the same high-quality training. This enables all staff to deliver consistently high-quality teaching to promote children's learning.

Parents are overwhelmingly positive about their children's experiences at the setting. They really value their close working relationships with staff and can go to them for support and guidance. Parents appreciate how flexible leaders are in adjusting provision to meet the exact needs of every individual child.