Westerham Day Nursery

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders promote a consistently inclusive culture in which children's individual needs are identified promptly and assessed with care. Staff use a clear, graduated approach to understand the needs of disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children previously known to social care. As a result, barriers to learning and wellbeing are recognised early and appropriate support is put in place. Leaders work strategically to reduce these barriers through well-planned adaptations to routines, environments and adult interactions.

Leaders ensure that reasonable adjustments are personalised and practical so that children can participate fully in daily experiences. Leaders monitor children's progress closely, meeting regularly with staff to evaluate the impact of support and adapt plans where needed. This ensures that intervention is purposeful and results in steady progress for most children, including those with more complex needs. Staff receive relevant training that strengthens their confidence in applying the graduated approach and responding to children with differing needs.

Leaders work effectively with families and external professionals, ensuring that shared information shapes children's experiences and helps to maintain continuity of support. Funding is used to enhance key learning opportunities and improve outcomes for disadvantaged children. Children who are known to social care are supported sensitively, with close oversight that promotes their wellbeing and progression. For example, funding is used to support the recent development in the outdoor provision and children's opportunities to benefit from outdoor play.

Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention

The curriculum requires further development to ensure that clear and purposeful learning intentions are in place for all children. Leaders recognise the need to strengthen the design and sequencing of the curriculum. However, their oversight is not yet sufficiently rigorous to secure consistent practice across the provision. While the provision for special educational needs and/or disabilities is secure, with well-considered adaptations and knowledgeable practitioners who tailor experiences effectively, learning intentions for the wider cohort are often unclear. This means that activities do not always build purposefully on what most children know and can do.

Staff's knowledge of child development is variable, which results in the inconsistent implementation of the early years foundation stage educational programmes. Although staff gather regular assessment information, it is not used well enough to plan precise next steps for the majority of children. As a result, teaching does not consistently ensure that children's engagement leads to meaningful learning, particularly in developing vocabulary, communication and early mathematical understanding. Children's personal, social and emotional development is given appropriate priority, and interactions are caring and supportive. However, the curriculum does not yet provide all children, beyond those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, with clearly defined, sequenced learning that enables them to make secure progress in gaining the knowledge and skills needed for future success.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children make steady progress across the seven areas of learning, developing the foundational knowledge and skills needed for future learning. Most children, including those who are disadvantaged or children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make progress appropriate to their starting points and benefit from targeted support where needed. Children who face additional barriers to learning are supported effectively to engage with activities and develop key skills, ensuring that no group is left behind. As a result, children are generally prepared for their next stage of learning, including school, with age-appropriate independence and curiosity. For example, children engage well in painting activities. They communicate confidently with staff and independently squeeze out the amount of paint they need from paint bottles.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders create a welcoming and supportive environment where children understand the expectations for behaviour. Staff consistently model positive interactions, which help children to develop strong relationships with adults and peers. Children are learning to cooperate and take turns. Staff provide gentle guidance to support sharing, listening and collaborative play.

Routines are well established, enabling children to engage confidently in daily activities. Staff are attentive to children's individual needs and adapt approaches to support children's behaviour and engagement appropriately. This includes considering children's age, stage of development and personal circumstances, ensuring that all children are able to meet the setting's expectations.

Overall, the setting promotes positive attitudes to learning and provides a stable and structured environment. Children demonstrate expected levels of engagement and cooperation. The consistent routines support their developing independence and understanding of appropriate behaviour. In addition, leaders have secure processes in place to monitor children's attendance.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Children's welfare and wellbeing are supported effectively through consistent and caring routines that meet children's individual needs. Practitioners know the children well and respond sensitively to their emotional and physical needs, ensuring that babies and young children feel secure and develop trusting relationships with their key persons. Daily routines, such as feeding, napping and weaning, are managed thoughtfully to reflect children's individual patterns, helping them to feel safe and supported.

Children are encouraged to make healthy choices through regular opportunities to explore nutritious foods, engage in daily physical activity and learn about personal hygiene. Staff provide gentle guidance to help children recognise and express their emotions, offering strategies to manage feelings and build resilience. For children with additional needs, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or who face barriers to learning, support is appropriate and ensures that they can participate fully in all activities. Children are beginning to develop an understanding of personal safety and wellbeing, including discussions about the safe use of digital technology.

Leaders have established routines and practice that create a caring and inclusive environment, supporting all children to thrive. Children demonstrate a secure sense of emotional wellbeing and are developing confidence in managing their own needs.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Leaders have begun to identify key priorities to improve the quality of the curriculum, including the need for clearer learning intentions for all children. However, these intentions are not yet consistently understood or applied across the setting. Staff are at varying stages of developing their skills to deliver the curriculum effectively, which limits the consistency of learning experiences for children. Leaders demonstrate awareness of the setting's strengths and weaknesses but have not yet fully embedded systems to ensure all policies and procedures are applied consistently. While steps have been taken to support staff professional development, the impact on practice is uneven, and some staff require further guidance to ensure high-quality delivery. Leaders are committed to improving outcomes for children and have started to take action, but improvements remain at an early stage and are not yet fully reflected in daily practice. Staff workload is managed well, allowing them to focus on children's learning and care. Partnerships with parents are positive and supportive, helping to enhance children's learning and wellbeing across the setting, though leaders continue to develop these further.