Willows Day Nursery

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders and staff strive to create a consistently inclusive environment and culture. Regular observations and assessments ensure that leaders and staff quickly identify when children need further support to meet their individual needs. This includes for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and for children who have other barriers to their learning. They make swift referrals to external agencies to ensure that children and their families get the help and support they need in the quickest time possible. Staff work with these other professionals to put targeted and highly effective support in place to meet children's individual needs. This supports them to plan appropriately for children's ongoing learning.

Staff complete additional training to ensure that they continue to meet children's changing needs. For example, staff complete training for simple sign language to support communication with all children. Leaders and staff recognise that some children do not have access to outdoor play spaces at home. They understand who is entitled to additional funding and use this to provide experiences that children may not receive at home. In addition, this is used to provide staff with training and resources to further support children's progress and development. Strategies used to support children are regularly reviewed and evaluated to ensure that they continue to support the child. Robust systems to monitor children's progress are in place. As a result, all children make the progress they are capable of, as staff provide additional targeted experiences. Children are valued as individuals, develop a strong sense of belonging and thrive within this nurturing and inclusive environment.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum that fully prepares children for their next steps in all areas of development. Staff prioritise getting to know children through a robust settling-in process. As a result, they make accurate assessments of children's starting points. Staff use this knowledge to implement unique plans that support children's development effectively. They make timely adjustments, so all children can access the curriculum. Leaders are highly evaluative and consistently reflect on how they can further improve teaching and learning for all children.

The quality of interactions between staff and children is a particular strength of the setting. Staff engage purposefully with children. They respond to their ideas, narrate their play and introduce new concepts. For instance, when children make dinosaur prints in the dough, the staff encourage them to compare the prints to the prints they can make with their hands. Children are encouraged to explore, solve problems and develop their interests.

Staff embed mathematical language within daily routines and play with children from the earliest ages. Leaders place a great emphasis on children's personal, social and emotional development, recognising these as foundations for learning. Staff encourage children to be resilient, and active, supporting them to develop their confidence and independence in their abilities.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children are well prepared for the next stage in their learning, such as moving to another setting or starting school. They develop the skills they need for the future, such as independence and resilience. Children are highly motivated and demonstrate high levels of concentration, both during adult-led activities, such as a communication and language programmes, and their own instructed play. They develop the love of books and stories, explore pictures on the page, join in with pauses and answer questioning on what they have just learned and heard.

All children persevere during activities, such as when trying to collect water from the water butt in forest school, or to climb in the garden. They are confident to approach their peers to ask for help and to work alongside each other to achieve a goal. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit widely from individual support that consistently reduces the barriers to learning that they face. All children, including children who face barriers to learning, make significant progress in their learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Children consistently demonstrate positive behaviour and high levels of kindness and cooperation towards one another and adults. Leaders and staff have established a calm, nurturing and inclusive environment where expectations for behaviour and routines are consistently demonstrated, understood and embedded across the setting. As a result, children feel safe, secure and confident within the daily routines.

Children form warm and trusting relationships with staff and their peers. Staff support children effectively to recognise and manage their emotions, helping them to understand feelings and develop positive social skills. For example, children enthusiastically take part in activities where they help each other to locate animals with their correct homes. This shows kindness to one another and promotes effectively children's self-esteem and sense of belonging within the nursery community.

Children develop a strong sense of community and belonging through meaningful experiences with the wider community. For example, inviting the community in to share their roles and responsibilities, such as the fire and police service. There are also sessions for parents, grandparents and wider family members to attend. These experiences help children develop empathy, respect for others and confidence in social situations beyond the setting.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Children develop a strong sense of wellbeing and belonging at the setting. Staff foster strong bonds with the children and are highly responsive to their needs. Staff and leaders create a warm, welcoming environment where children feel safe, valued and able to thrive. Well-established routines give children a secure sense of security and help them feel confident and settled throughout the day. For example, when the music comes on, babies know that they are about to start their music session. During this time, staff clearly introduce the activities available, encouraging children to make independent choices about what they would like to explore next. Staff provide meaningful opportunities for children to develop healthy and active lifestyles. They encourage independence in daily routines, such as washing hands before and after mealtimes.

Children have access to a wide range of activities outside, including their own allotment and forest school. These opportunities help to build children's experiences of the world around them. Parents mention that staff have been supportive to ensure smooth transition when settling, have embraced children's cultural backgrounds and integrated them into everyday routines in a way that supports growth and development. Staff are very skilled at teaching the children to be resilient and always give things a go.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders demonstrate an ambitious vision for the setting. Since the previous inspection, they have embedded the curriculum and continually strengthened teaching through new initiatives. They take a highly strategic approach to improvement, recognising they can make continual enhancements to ensure the best possible outcomes and experiences for children as their needs change over time. They are fully committed to giving every child the best possible start in life. This can be seen in the thoughtful decisions they make and in the inclusive environment they have created, where all children, staff and families are valued. Leaders recognise the importance of staff's knowledge and wellbeing. During supervisions, leaders arrange targeted professional development opportunities, such as outdoor, communication and language training. This supports staff further in enhancing opportunities for children, so they achieve the best possible outcomes.

Parents and carers are an integral part of the setting's community. Leaders build warm and trusting relationships from the start. Families receive regular updates through newsletters, emails, leaflets, an online app and daily conversations. This ensures that they feel well informed about any changes or events at the setting and are included in their children's learning and development journey. Leaders take actions that are in the best interests of children.