Violet Day Nursery - Erith

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders with responsibility for supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have the knowledge and skills they need to support children's learning. They regularly attend training that helps them to identify children with SEND and support them in their development. Leaders consider the needs of disadvantaged children and children known to social care; they work collaboratively with families to identify how to spend funding to help children to reach their goals. For example, they identify resources that help children to feel confident and engage with others in activities.

Overall, staff typically support children with SEND to access the support they need and make progress in their learning. They regularly assess the progress of children with gaps in their learning and create support plans that highlight areas of development that they need to work on. However staff are not systematic in implementing these strategies across the nursery. As a result, children with SEND are not fully able to use tools to promote their learning at all times of the day. This limits the opportunities of children with gaps in their learning to excel in all aspects of their development.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders create a flexible curriculum that enables staff to adapt their planning to inspire children through their interests. Staff skilfully identify children's next steps and plan activities that target any gaps in learning. They regularly assess children's progress and use this to inform what they should teach next. For example, they identify when children need to move from using single words to phrases and think of activities that promote communication, such as role play or singing sessions. Staff work together to develop a love of books and stories amongst children at the nursery. They read to them in a way that ignites their interests and supports their understanding in preparation for school.

Staff typically teach children mathematical skills to promote learning. They consider children's age and stage of development to create opportunities for children to explore numbers and solve problems. However, highly effective teaching of mathematics is not fully embedded at the nursery. Staff do not consistently extend children's thinking, for example by allowing children to repeat activities when they get the wrong answer. When children get things correct staff do not consistently challenge their thinking. This limits children's opportunity to excel in their mathematical thinking.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children develop a core set of skills at the nursery that help them to prepare for their future lives. For example, they learn to take turns as they participate in circle time activities that help them to listen to others and be patient. Children develop independence as they feed themselves and get ready to go to the park. They benefit from staff who encourage them to try harder when they find physical activities or self-care skills difficult to remember or understand. This helps to promote children's resilience, as they experience setbacks they learn to try again. Children are confident.

Children learn to think about others as they learn social skills. They learn to take care of babies and younger children at the park as they push each other on the roundabout. This helps children to think about how their actions impact other people. When children find managing their feelings difficult, they receive the support they need to control their feelings. Babies build trusting relationships with a range of staff to help them to feel safe. Children develop a solid foundation of skills ready for their future education.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders support staff to have clear expectations of children's behaviour. They work collaboratively with families and children including those with barriers to their learning and wellbeing to develop routines that promote children's attitudes to learning. Staff develop warm and sensitive attachments with all children, including disadvantaged children and those known to social care. They consider how to adapt their approach to help children to trust staff and go to them with their worries. Staff's kind approach helps children of all ages to feel safe and happy. For example, staff engage warmly with children, celebrating their achievements and helping them to feel proud of themselves. Children develop self-respect that helps prepare them for their future lives.

Staff teach children about how to keep themselves and others safe. They teach children about what can happen if they do not listen and meet the expectations. For example, they talk to children about how to cross the road safely and look for hazards. Children behave well as they learn how to be responsible members of the community.

Leaders generally work with staff to understand strategies to promote children's positive behaviours. This includes providing training for staff to help children to regulate their emotions. Staff typically anticipate and mitigate any incidences of poor behaviour.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Staff help children to develop healthy attitudes to eating and nutrition. For example, they plan a varied and healthy diet for all children that helps them to develop positive habits for their future health. Staff plan enriching opportunities for children to develop their physical health. They encourage children to be physically active as they play on large equipment at the park with children. Children develop confidence and independence as they take risks in their play. This supports children's physical development well.

Leaders typically create policies to support children's wellbeing and health. For example, they complete risk assessments and give staff training on how to consider children's safety and wellbeing at all times of the day. Leaders are not consistently rigorous in how they adapt policies to meet the changing needs of children. For example, collaborative approaches to creating support plans for children with gaps in their wellbeing with parents are not fully embedded. This limits the ability of staff to strategically adapt their approach to support children with barriers to their wellbeing to thrive in all aspects of their development.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Staff have high levels of wellbeing. They feel able to talk to leaders when they have concerns or experience challenges. This helps them to enjoy working and contribute to the smooth running of the nursery. Leaders create effective induction procedures for new staff. They make sure that staff feel confident in their roles and give them additional time to spend on their own training and research to help promote their experiences.

Leaders generally engage well with parents. For example, they sign post parents to a range of services to support children's development. Leaders work effectively with external partners in social care and health to support disadvantaged children and those known to social care to support their experiences. Leaders typically have oversight of staff practice, however they are not always robust in how they strategically lead staff to adapt their practice to meet the changing needs of children.

Leaders are reflective of their practice. They work with staff to identify suitable professional development opportunities. Leaders typically support staff to think about how to adapt practice for children with gaps in their learning and wellbeing. For example, they generally encourage staff to share good practice and this helps the quality of provision at the nursery continue to develop over time.