Your Co-op Little Pioneers Nursery and Pre-School, Newburn

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders are committed to making sure that all children are included. They work closely with staff to ensure that they quickly identify children's needs and put in place the right support for each child. Staff track children's progress and regularly communicate with parents and others who are involved in supporting children, for example speech and language therapists.

Staff have a secure understanding of the graduated approach and are proactive in seeking relevant support to help them meet the needs of children. They access appropriate training to help them support children. For example, staff use Makaton to develop the language and communication skills for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Furthermore, staff work closely with parents to ensure that they work together to support children in the setting and at home.

Leaders use funding appropriately to support individual children, including those with SEND, those who are known (or previously known) to children's social care, and those who face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, to make progress. For example, leaders purchase resources such as a walking frame to support the development of physical skills, facilitate additional staffing to enable one-to-one support and organise training for staff to enable them to support children who need specialised feeding procedures.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders create a carefully thought-out and progressive curriculum and ensure it is generally taught well. Staff typically show a secure understanding of what they want children to learn, and they can talk about how they adapt this to meet the needs of the children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), those known (or previously known) to children's social care, and those who may face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. For example, staff give extra time and verbal reminders to support individual children at key transition times, such as tidy-up time and nappy changing. However, high-quality teaching is not yet consistently embedded by all staff, and this leads to variance for some children at some times during the day.

Staff prioritise the development of language and communication skills. They talk kindly and positively to children and model key vocabulary. Staff encourage and praise children when they use new vocabulary in their play.

Mathematics is taught explicitly and incorporated into the daily routine, and children develop a secure understanding of mathematical concepts. For example, staff model and teach the children about capacity through filling plant pots with soil so they can plant seeds. They also develop their spatial awareness when tidying up by exploring which shelf is the right size for resources.

Staff prioritise the development of personal, social and emotional skills, particularly for those children with SEND. For example, staff help children to develop strategies to deal with big emotions by ensuring they have daily access to climbing equipment and physical activities and games to help them manage their feelings.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children are curious and enjoy exploring the environment. They ask questions so they can find out more information, and enjoy problem-solving. For example, they find solutions when they are unable to play a game because there are pieces missing. They make their own counters and talk about how they did this.

Children are confident and enjoy becoming increasingly independent. They help to put away the resources at tidy-up time, serve their own food at lunchtime and pour their own drinks.

Children concentrate for increasing amounts of time and build their levels of resilience when facing a challenge. For example, when watering the seeds they have planted, they persist when using the spray bottle until they achieve their goal.

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those known (or previously known) to children's social care and those facing other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, are well prepared for the next stage in their education.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Positive relationships are evident between children and staff. Children feel safe and secure, and seek comfort from their key person when needed. Staff respond kindly and sensitively to children, and this helps children to build warm and trusting bonds with their key person.

Children generally behave well because leaders and staff typically have high expectations. Staff treat children with respect and kindness, and children use this model to help them navigate their friendships with others. For example, staff model sharing the water spray so that all children can water their seeds. Children, particularly those who are disadvantaged, follow this example to make sure their friends have a turn and remind them to water their seed gently.

Staff praise positive behaviour and help children celebrate their achievements. They encourage children to share with their friends and help them develop their skills in taking turns and waiting for a turn, even when it is challenging.

Leaders understand the importance of attendance, and they support families, by developing positive relationships and working together, particularly for those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to ensure that children attend the setting regularly and make progress.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Positive key-person relationships are quickly established, and this supports children to feel safe and secure, particularly for those children who are new to the setting. Where children do become unsettled, they are quickly and sensitively supported by their key person.

Leaders ensure that there are effective policies and procedures in place to enable staff to meet children's personal care needs. Staff have a clear understanding of these processes, and they confidently and sensitively implement them.

Leaders and staff establish positive relationships with parents, and they ensure that the setting has all information needed to support each child. For those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, staff work closely with parents to ensure that all individual care needs are met. Parents are kept up to date with all relevant information to ensure continuity of care.

Children develop their awareness of a healthy lifestyle and have daily opportunities to play outdoors. They talk about how their heart beats faster when they have been running around and dancing. Children are encouraged to become increasingly independent over time. For example, younger children are supported to feed themselves, and older children independently serve their own food and pour their own drinks. They understand why it is important to wash their hands before they eat and can talk about this.

Leaders have recently reviewed and implemented routines to effectively and consistently manage allergies during mealtimes.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders are passionate about their role and are committed to supporting children and families. However, the setting has recently undergone a period of change and transition, and this has resulted in changes to leaders and other roles. Those new to their role are receiving effective support, and this is helping the recent changes to have a positive impact on the experiences of children.

Leaders take account of staff wellbeing and workload, and there are effective systems in place for staff to seek help and guidance if needed. Staff feel valued and recognise support and training they receive. Staff feel this helps them to do their jobs more effectively. Leaders work closely with families and outside professionals to ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those known (or previously known) to children's social care, and those who may face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing receive the support they need quickly. Parents speak positively about the relationships they have with leaders and staff. They welcome the help offered to their children. They say that leaders and staff are approachable, and that staff communicate well with them.

Leaders understand their responsibilities to ensure the safety of children, particularly when managing allergies. Following a recent incident, leaders took swift and effective action to review and update their procedures and have provided staff training that has strengthened practice.