Treetops Pudsey

Inclusion: Needs attention

Leaders do not consistently monitor the support that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive or ensure that staff are equipped with the training and skills or the time to implement support strategies identified on children's individual support plans. Leaders do not have oversight and so do not consistently ensure that children receive their educational entitlement. When it is identified to them, they do not act swiftly enough to equip staff with the training they need to fully support children or act on concerns that staff raise about deployment. This means that children who face barriers to their learning are not fully supported to build on their skills and knowledge to make progress towards their milestones.

Where possible, staff work with other professionals to develop support plans for children who face barriers to their learning, that include targets and suggested interventions. However, the implementation of these is inconsistent and children rarely receive their educational entitlement. As a result, these children do not make the expected progress. Key persons strive to provide children with sensitive support to help them take part in daily routines and play with or alongside other children. They use simple language and repetition of phrases to develop children's language-processing skills and build on their communication. Families typically speak positively about the support their children receive and reflect adoringly at the relationships their children have with nurturing key persons.

Leaders have procedures in place to identify children and families who may need extra support. They maintain communication with them and external professionals to improve children's engagement and attendance. Leaders understand how early years pupil premium funding is used to support children's learning and individual needs, helping children to make progress from their starting points. This helps to support children's wellbeing and ensures that they receive the care and support they need.

Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention

Leaders implement a curriculum that focuses on the prime areas of learning, with specific areas incorporated into children's daily routines and play. For example, children develop an interest in books through shared reading experiences and learn early mathematical concepts through number rhymes and songs. However, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are not consistently supported to access the curriculum. Although support plans are in place, leaders do not deploy staff effectively to ensure these are followed consistently. As a result, some children do not receive the targeted support they need and do not make the progress of which they are capable.

Leaders identify what they want children to know and be able to do, and planned activities provide opportunities for children to develop new skills. For example, toddlers explore mark making using water and their hands, strengthening their finger muscles and developing control before progressing to using paintbrushes. However, teaching is not consistently matched to children's age, stage of development or individual needs. For instance, some mark-making experiences provided for young babies are overly adult-led and do not reflect how babies typically learn and explore. Leaders have not ensured that staff have the knowledge and skills needed to accurately identify children's next steps and adapt teaching accordingly. As a result, learning experiences are not consistently appropriate or ambitious for all children, including those with SEND.

Achievement: Needs attention

Children do not consistently make the progress they are capable of across all areas of learning and development. In particular, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not receive the support they need to help them build on their skills and knowledge from their starting points. As a result, some children are not well prepared for the next stage in their learning.

Many children develop appropriate social, emotional and communication skills. They learn to express their thoughts, share their ideas and build relationships with others. For example, pre-school children talk about their favourite foods at lunchtime, listen to the views of their friends and show respect for different opinions. Younger babies begin to notice and interact with other children and learn to take turns during play. Children also develop some independence in managing age-appropriate tasks. For example, younger children learn to feed themselves using cutlery, while older children pour their own drinks and clear away their plates after meals.

However, not all children build securely on these skills over time. Children, particularly those with SEND, do not consistently receive the targeted support they need to access learning and make expected progress. Consequently, some children do not develop the knowledge, skills and confidence needed for their next stage of learning, as well as they could.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Generally, leaders and staff establish clear and consistent routines that help children feel safe, secure and part of the nursery community. Expectations for behaviour are broadly appropriate to children's age and stage of development and support them to develop responsibility and respect for others. For example, children take an active role in caring for their environment by tidying away resources at key points throughout the day, such as before mealtimes. This helps children to develop a sense of ownership and belonging in the setting.

Staff treat children with warmth and respect. They communicate sensitively, gaining children's attention, getting down to their level and responding to their verbal and non-verbal cues. During care routines, staff explain what will happen and seek children's cooperation, helping them to feel valued and respected. As a result, children learn to consider the feelings of others and develop positive attitudes towards their peers and adults.

Generally, staff know children well and use their interests to engage them in play and learning. For example, children enjoy making their own dough or transporting farm animals in toy tractors. Staff have appropriate expectations of children's behaviour and recognise when they need additional support to regulate their emotions or meet their physical and sensory needs. For instance, toddlers are not expected to remain seated for extended periods and are provided with opportunities to move freely and remain engaged in their learning. Consequently, children develop positive attitudes to learning and are supported to participate successfully in daily routines and experiences.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Overall, leaders and staff promote children's welfare and wellbeing through secure key-person relationships and positive partnerships with families. Children develop trusting relationships with adults who know them well and respond sensitively to their individual needs. For example, key persons know that an early wake up means that babies will tire early and they revise the timetabling to support this. Key persons typically respond sensitively to children's individual needs, recognising signs of tiredness and offering comfort and reassurance. Through nurturing interactions, they encourage children to access opportunities for rest and relaxation when needed, helping them to manage their emotions and maintain their emotional wellbeing. This generally supports children to develop an understanding of their own needs and promotes healthy habits that contribute to their overall health and development. Leaders and staff understand the factors that may make children and families vulnerable, and they take appropriate steps to provide support when needed. For example, parents are welcomed into the setting and encouraged to seek advice and support from staff, who prioritise their wellbeing and build positive relationships with them.

Staff are responsive to children's care needs and support them to develop healthy lifestyles. Children benefit from healthy and nutritious meals and snacks, and staff typically use everyday interactions and mealtimes to promote children's understanding of healthy choices. As a result, children, including those with special educational needs, feel safe, well cared for and supported to develop emotional wellbeing, confidence and a sense of belonging within the nursery community.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Leaders do not monitor and evaluate the quality of practice effectively enough to identify weaknesses and take timely action to secure improvement. Leaders do not effectively gather, communicate and monitor information relating to children's individual needs. This means that support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning is not implemented consistently across the setting. Furthermore, weaknesses in staff deployment are not addressed effectively, resulting in missed opportunities for children, particularly those with additional needs, to receive support that extends their learning and development.

Leaders have identified a vision for the curriculum and the knowledge, skills and behaviours they want children to develop. However, this vision is not yet sufficiently implemented or embedded across the setting. As a result, practice is not consistent and children do not benefit from a coherent approach to their learning. Although leaders have identified areas for improvement and recognise the need to strengthen both the curriculum and staff's delivery of it, they have not acted swiftly enough to secure these improvements. While plans are in place to work with managers to develop staff knowledge, teaching skills and understanding of the curriculum, these actions do not yet have a positive impact on practice. As a result, the curriculum is not implemented consistently, and outcomes for all children, particularly those who face barriers to learning, are not good enough.

Leaders have begun to review supervision arrangements and professional development opportunities. However, they do not consistently ensure that staff receive the coaching, guidance and training they need to carry out their roles effectively. Consequently, weaknesses in practice are not addressed promptly, and the quality of education and care that children receive is variable. Leaders work with parents and the wider community to help children and families access additional support when needed, including signposting them to relevant services, such as early help provision and local food banks. They encourage parents to be actively involved in nursery life through events and shared experiences, such as stay-and-play sessions and pre-school graduation celebrations, helping families to feel connected to the setting and supporting children's sense of belonging.