Five essential points

Positive, nurturing relationships support wellbeing

Across almost all settings, children benefit from warm, safe and inclusive environments where staff prioritise care, wellbeing and respectful relationships.

There is a strong commitment to improvement and partnership working

Staff and leaders are committed to improving outcomes for children and families through professional learning, reflective practice and engagement with parents, communities and partners.

Leadership, self-evaluation and quality assurance need to be more systematic

Leadership, self-evaluation and quality assurance need to be more systematic. Stronger strategic and pedagogical leadership, supported by robust monitoring and evaluation, is required to drive sustained improvement.

Curriculum depth, progression and challenge require further development

Children benefit from curriculum firmly based on play that provides meaningful experiences, but curriculum design and progression are not yet consistently strong enough. Planning for children who require additional support also needs to be more firmly embedded.

Assessment, tracking, moderation and use of data need to improve

Children are becoming increasingly confident, resilient and independent learners, but more systematic approaches are needed to plan appropriate support and challenge. Improvement is needed in approaches to recording learning, tracking progress, moderating evidence, and use of data.