Unicorn Nursery

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders have established a highly stimulating culture of inclusion, where every child's needs are recognised, valued and swiftly acted upon. From the earliest stages, staff identify and support children's starting points with care and precision, ensuring that those with physical needs or special educational needs and/or disabilities receive tailored support. Leaders and staff are very quick to seek support and advice from other professionals and to create meticulously detailed individual support plans. Staff rigorously monitor and review these plans, taking into account the thoughts of the key person and parents and carers.

Leaders and staff truly care about the children and see each child as unique. They are dedicated and passionate about making a positive difference in children's and families' lives. Staff fully support and celebrate every step of progress each individual child makes and celebrate each and every child's achievement. This supports children in wanting to achieve and in developing the confidence they need to be capable, happy and independent learners.

Leaders carefully consider any additional funding that children receive to specifically help individual children with their development. For instance, funding is used to purchase specialist equipment to support core muscle strength and to provide additional staffing to ensure highly effective, one-to-one, intensive interaction time.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have a clear understanding of the quality of staff's teaching of the curriculum. They have created a well-considered curriculum that covers all areas of learning. Leaders ensure that children develop important knowledge about language, books, mathematics and being independent. Staff skilfully select activities to build on children's previous learning. However, the curriculum is in its infancy, and it is too soon to see the full impact of the consistency of staff's delivery of the curriculum.

Staff focus on getting to know each child when they first start at the setting. This helps integrate them into the nursery and feel part of the nursery family. Leaders and staff identify children's starting points when they arrive. This helps them to understand what children already know and can do. Staff are positive role models and provide opportunities for children to develop their next steps further. Children develop skills that support their future learning. For example, they enjoy sharing stories with staff and using resources to bring the story to life, building on children's early literacy skills.

Children enjoy positive relationships with their key staff, who follow their interests well. Children benefit from sensory activities, playing with bubbles as they 'pop, pop, pop' them. This supports children's creativity, and they smile with delight as they immerse themselves in play. Staff teach children to become independent and ready for school. Children enjoy following instructions and complete tasks to enhance their learning and development. For example, children tidy up after themselves and follow simple instructions well.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children are happy and settled and immerse themselves into the daily routine. They are praised during play and have a 'positive attitude' to their learning. Children make steady progress from their starting points and develop key skills across all areas of learning. Children benefit from the organisation of the environment, allowing a broad range of skills to develop. They enjoy using outdoor equipment to climb, run and balance, which helps to promote their physical development.

Babies show their emerging confidence as they pull themselves up and cruise around equipment. Others show delight as they start to walk. Older children access books and retell stories, such as 'The Gruffalo', with increasing confidence. Children show confidence in their fine motor skills as they use small hammers to release dinosaur toys trapped in blocks of ice. They demonstrate a great sense of pride when they are able to do things for themselves, such as pouring their own drinks at mealtimes.

Children develop their early mathematical understanding. They count and use mathematical language during play. They explore blocks of ice and know that when the ice melts it turns into water. They describe different objects and use the words 'heavy', 'small' and 'big' in context. All children, including those children who face barriers to their learning and have special educational needs and/or disabilities, make suitable progress.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Children build warm relationships with staff and other children. They are encouraged to work together and accept each other as they play and learn. Leaders and staff model expectations for behaviour and use effective strategies that support children to manage their emotions. Leaders and staff are positive role models. They remind children to use 'kind hands' and 'indoor feet' to ensure that everyone is safe. Staff utilise sensory spaces and resources, which provide children with a safe and organised space to regulate their feelings. As a result, children generally behave well and demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. Collaboration with parents and carers ensures these approaches are shared beyond the setting to help children self-regulate at home. Older children develop independence in their self-care routines. They wash their hands, use the toilet confidently, pour their own drinks and clean their faces after meals.

Children access resources independently and get on well with one another as they play. Staff encourage all children, even the youngest children, to take part in simple routines and tasks, such as tidying up. This helps strengthen their independence skills in readiness for the next stage of their learning. Leaders and staff create a generally positive and welcoming environment, with clear expectations for behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines. Alongside this, attendance is monitored effectively. Leaders encourage families to bring children regularly, and they attend well.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders and staff generally provide nurturing care, enabling children to build positive relationships and secure attachments with their key person. Staff typically understand children's interests and use these to create engaging learning opportunities, adapting experiences for children who may face barriers to their learning. Children seek cuddles and enjoy staff joining in their play, which supports their sense of security and emotional wellbeing.

Leaders and staff ensure children's wellbeing is a high priority. They support children and families in leading healthy lifestyles, by providing a healthy, balanced diet for all children, for instance. Children enjoy home-cooked meals served at the nursery, and recipes are shared with families to support healthy choices at home. Children learn to be increasingly independent, for example, by wiping their own nose and feeding themselves at lunchtime. Children are happy and content at the nursery. They build bonds with their key staff and seek reassurance when required throughout the day.

Children are encouraged to take part in physical activities outside that support their wellbeing. They enjoy being active, use climbing equipment with confidence and play games with their friends. Staff encourage children to think about how they can use the equipment safely, supporting their early understanding of how to take risks.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders have a clear vision for the setting. This is shared with the staff team and is in the early stages of development. Leaders and staff spend time getting to know the children before they start, so they know more about them and their families. This helps children to settle into the setting, as staff are aware of their likes and dislikes and what comforts them.

Leaders support the staff team well. They regularly review their practice and support their wellbeing. Staff feel valued and well supported by leaders. They feel listened to and are able to share ideas to support their practice. Professional development is ongoing and in its early stages. As such, it is too early to see the full impact that any training and coaching has on staff's development and practice.

Leaders have developed effective partnerships with parents and carers. Advice and expertise from outside agencies is sought when children face barriers to their learning and development to secure further support for them. Leaders work closely with the local authority to monitor the quality of provision. Leaders provide parents with home learning ideas to help extend children's learning even further. Parents speak highly of the setting's communication and how they feel like nothing is ever too much trouble.