YMCA Nursery at the Village

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders and staff spend additional funding that some children receive to meet their individual needs effectively. This includes providing some children with additional physical exercises to strengthen the muscles in their bodies. For others, extra staffing allows for one-to-one support to help children develop their communication skills. Additionally, staff take children to a sensory room which helps them to regulate their emotions.

Staff observe children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They work in partnership with other professionals to help identify how to support children's individual needs. Generally, when necessary, staff make adaptations for children with SEND and those who face barriers to their learning. For example, they provide additional equipment to support their safety. Staff help children to understand similarities and difference in people. This includes helping them to develop their knowledge of different cultures people celebrate and disabilities.

Staff gather information about children's home languages from parents and carers of children who speak English as an additional language. This information enables staff to use key words in children's home languages to help them follow routines and develop a sense of belonging in the nursery.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Staff gather information about children's achievements from parents and carers when their children first start attending. They use this, along with their own observations, to identify what children need to learn next. Overall, the curriculum supports children to progress well. When staff use bubble mixture to create bubbles, babies feel the texture as the bubbles land on their hands and face. This helps to build on their sensory development. Babies reach up high to pop the bubbles, developing their physical skills. Occasionally, staff do not support babies to develop their early speaking skills. For example, they do not consistently identify when to remove barriers to communication or read stories to enable babies to identify key words for them to copy.

Overall, staff support children to develop their social skills during their play. This includes asking pre-school children to work as a team to attach puzzle pieces of a car track together. Sometimes, staff do not support children, including those who face barriers to learning, to be fully involved and benefit from the learning offered during their self-chosen play. This sometimes results in children disengaging and not learning as much as possible from the experiences offered.

Achievement: Expected standard

Overall, children progress well from their starting points in learning. Generally, this helps to prepare them for their move on to school. For instance, babies develop strength in their legs as they access low-level equipment where they walk up steps and down a ramp. Toddlers develop their balance as they splash in puddles outdoors. Pre-school children learn how to move their bodies in different ways when they access the leisure centre gym. They play team games where they begin to understand rules of a game and resilience when they do not always win. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities learn how to use tools to help develop the strength in their fingers. They use brushes to paint their hands different colours and learn how to mix colours as they are supported to rub their painted hands together. Pre-school children build and construct for a purpose. They show their imaginations as they work together to move large blocks to make obstacle courses and pretend to race cars.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders support staff to attend training courses to help develop their knowledge of how to support children's behaviour. From this, staff implement 'golden rules' in the toddler room. This includes staff reminding children to walk indoors and to help them understand the possible consequences of their behaviour. For example, staff explain to toddlers the need for them to sit down when they eat, or else they may choke. Staff reward toddlers with stickers when they show positive attitudes to tidying away toys. This helps to raise their self-esteem. Staff ask pre-school children to show their peers how to complete tasks, such as to use tools and liquid to create bubbles. This gives children a sense of responsibility and encourages them to show kindness to others.

Overall, staff embed routines during the day effectively. Children show they understand these. This includes children who face barriers to their learning. For instance, they sit on the floor when staff ask them to join group times. Toddlers tap their knees in preparation for singing nursery rhymes. Children show positive relationships with staff as they listen and follow instructions.

Leaders and staff monitor children's attendance. They understand that regular attendance helps children to develop their social skills, learning and to prepare for their move on to school. Leaders use additional funding for some children to support regular attendance.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders and staff offer children a wide range of exciting and well-structured routines and activities that foster solid foundations to motivate children to develop long-lasting and healthy habits. This includes taking children to use facilities at the host leisure centre to learn how to promote their physical health. Pre-school children follow a progressive programme each week to extend their physical strength and abilities of using a climbing wall.

Leaders and staff provide children with motivating opportunities to make decisions about the food they eat. For instance, when children arrive, they invite parents and carers to support their children to choose what lunch they would like from a nutritious menu. Staff use children's interests effectively to help them understand about the benefits of healthy food on their bodies. For instance, when children talk about dinosaurs, staff help them to understand that some dinosaurs ate vegetables to make them strong. Staff support children to understand what they use their teeth for, such as incisors for cutting food and molars for chomping the food. Children have daily opportunities to brush their teeth to promote their oral health.

Children who face barriers to their learning are supported extremely well to be emotionally ready for changes they may face in their lives, such as new siblings in the home. This includes staff helping children to understand the experiences of other children who have siblings.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Staff attend appraisal meetings with leaders where they reflect on their practice and discuss their wellbeing. Staff complete training courses to secure their knowledge of child protection to promote children's safety and how to support children's behaviour. Leaders celebrate staff's achievements and provide team-building activities to keep staff morale high.

Leaders reflect on the experiences staff offer children. They identify further changes they intend to implement to enhance children's experiences. This includes sourcing funding to provide arts projects that will introduce children to different ways of being creative. However, they have not identified how to further support staff to develop their interactions with children during self-chosen play and to build on their early speaking skills.

Leaders and staff work closely with other professionals and the local authority to help support children who face barriers to their learning. This support helps staff to provide tailored care to meet children's individual needs. Staff invite community facilitators to provide additional activities for children. For example, babies engage in music sessions to support their understanding of songs, how to use musical instruments and sensory development.

Staff keep parents and carers informed about their children's day. For instance, they use an app to share children's care routines and talk to parents about their children's development. Staff offer parents ideas and suggestions about how they can continue to support their children's learning at home. This includes encouraging parents to read to their children to support their communication and literacy skills. Staff invite families in the community to attend special events throughout the year. They offer stay-and-play sessions, where parents and children can learn and play together as they engage in story times and messy play activities.