Wow Kids

Inclusion: Needs attention

Some children, particularly those who need additional support, do not always receive the same learning experiences as their peers. Staff do not consistently implement children's next steps, and some are not appropriate for their age and stage of development. These weaknesses affect the progress children can make.

Leaders and staff identify gaps in children's learning during their settling-in period and regularly assess their development. Staff know the children well. They understand children's needs, routines or interests and can explain the progress children have made so far. They build positive relationships with parents to maintain continuity between home and the setting. Leaders demonstrate how they will use additional funding. They are beginning to make reasonable adjustments to reduce barriers to children's learning. For example, for children who show an interest in spinning objects, staff provide resources to support the children's interests and develop their engagement. Leaders and staff have begun liaising with external agencies, such as social workers and speech and language therapists, and are attending training to shape children's support and experiences in the setting. However, this is in the early stages and has not yet had an impact.

Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention

Leaders have recently begun taking action to improve the curriculum and teaching. However, the curriculum is not yet fully implemented or differentiated to meet the needs of all children effectively. Staff observe and assess children's development. However, children's next steps are not always unique to the gaps in their learning. Therefore, activities do not always build succinctly on what children know and can do, and some lack a clear purpose. For example, children explore mark-making with paint and begin to recognise that they are mixing colours. Staff do not build on this to expand on children's ideas. This does not maximise all children's learning and impacts on the progress of all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Leaders have some broad ideas of the key skills they intend for children to learn. They focus on children's personal, social and emotional development. They recognise that children must first feel safe and emotionally regulated before they are ready to engage in new learning. Staff spend time building secure attachments with children. Leaders emphasise the importance of developing children's communication and language. They expose children to books. Children excitedly choose their own books, and staff read to them with enthusiasm. They encourage children to repeat words and phrases from the story. This fosters a love of reading.

Achievement: Needs attention

Some children do not make the progress they are capable of because the curriculum and daily experiences do not consistently build on their knowledge, skills and understanding. This means gaps in children's development do not close quickly enough. Although children explore activities that support their interests, they do not always extend their thinking or secure new learning. Children who may require additional support are not always provided with learning experiences that precisely meet their individual needs, limiting their opportunities to achieve as well as possible.

Some children make progress in some aspects of their learning. Children demonstrate progress in their language development and social skills. For example, children smile and play cooperatively as they push the cars down the ramp. Additionally, children begin to use single words as they explore books with staff. This supports children's early language development.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Needs attention

Staff support children's overall wellbeing. However, there are inconsistencies in how staff support children's behaviour. For example, when children continually stand on furniture or splash water on their friends, staff do not always support children to understand their actions and the impact their behaviour has on others. This means children do not develop an understanding of boundaries.

Leaders prioritise children's attendance at this setting. They have procedures in place to follow up on concerns and log reasons for absences. These procedures are shared with parents and carers to maintain continuity in children's care and learning.

Staff are positive role models. Children develop warm, respectful relationships with their key person and peers. For example, children help each other to build the train track. Staff support children in a caring manner when transitioning into the setting. This helps children to settle. However, staff do not always organise themselves effectively, particularly when routines change. This means that during these times, children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, often become less engaged in their learning.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders and staff provide a welcoming space where children explore their interests. Staff support children to develop an age-appropriate understanding of their physical health and wellbeing. Children learn hygiene routines suited to their stage of development and have access to outdoor play. Staff work closely with parents and carers to gather information on children's feeding routines, promote healthy eating, and they offer guidance on balanced packed lunches. Children show independence skills at mealtimes and enjoy the healthy, balanced meals and snacks provided. As a result, children are supported to understand how to keep themselves healthy.

Leaders and staff gather information about children when they start about their sleeping routines. Furthermore, they have attended training to ensure safe sleep practices are followed. This ensures that children have a calm, safe space to sleep. Staff teach children how to keep themselves safe. For example, children are supported to help with tasks such as tidying up. This helps children to manage and identify potential risks around them.

Children develop secure, trusting attachments to staff. They seek out their key person for cuddles, which helps them to settle. Staff encourage children to talk about how they are feeling. Children smile and give a 'thumbs-up' when asked whether they feel happy. This supports children's emotional wellbeing from an early age.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Leaders understand the setting's strengths and the areas for development. They have begun taking action to improve the curriculum and staff's knowledge of it. However, this has not yet been implemented effectively to meet children's individual needs and next steps in learning. Leaders engage positively with parents. However, engagement with external professionals is within the early stages. As a result, children do not yet benefit from the timely, coordinated support that external professionals can provide, which limits how effectively staff can meet some children's emerging needs.

Leaders prioritise staff wellbeing. They provide regular meetings and training to enhance staff knowledge in their areas for development. For example, recent safeguarding training has strengthened staff's understanding of the procedures to follow if they have a concern about a team member. Staff report that they enjoy working at the setting and feel well supported by leaders.

Since the last visit, leaders have taken action to improve staff's knowledge and understanding of safe sleep arrangements. They have worked closely with parents to ensure children receive healthy meals and snacks, and they provide children with access to fresh drinking water. Additionally, leaders have implemented information and record-keeping systems to ensure the safety and safeguarding of children. Furthermore, leaders have strengthened their key-person system to ensure that all children receive a key person and that staff know the children in their care well.