Cherry Blossom Education LTD.

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provider has not ensured that there is a common understanding of the nursery's curriculum. Leaders have a clear understanding of their intentions for children's learning and development. However, this is not evident enough in staff's practice. For example, some staff provide activities that are less effective at building children's knowledge than intended. Some staff do not recognise when there are gaps in children's learning of key knowledge. This means that children do not receive a consistently good quality of education at the nursery.

Staff encourage children to learn about their emotions. Staff are skilful in tuning in to how children feel. They teach children the names of the emotions they are experiencing. This supports children to understand emotions and the boundaries of behaviour, such as to be kind to their many friends and to learn how to wait their turn. Children benefit from a range of activities that staff provide. For instance, children hold their attention well when they listen to stories and join in with singing songs. Children adore using the nursery's well-equipped outdoor play area. They develop strong muscles when balancing, jumping, sliding and climbing. They are settled and happy at the nursery.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

• Following a recent concern that Ofsted received about the nursery, the provider has taken effective action. She has made changes to how qualified staff are deployed, including who is in charge when the manager is not present. Additionally, staff have received coaching to improve their understanding of supporting children's behaviour. Mostly, children are beginning to understand the nursery's rules of how to behave.
• Some of the curriculum does not outline clearly what core knowledge children will learn and in what order. As a result, some children have gaps in their knowledge, such as in mathematics and literacy. This negatively affects some children's understanding and they do not make the progress of which they are capable.
• Staff at the nursery are enthusiastic about teaching and playing with the children. However, the provider has not ensured that all staff have the skills and knowledge to deliver the intended curriculum effectively. Staff observe children and plan activities in response to children's interests. However, some activities lack purpose and do not build on children's previous learning well.
• The provider has failed to identify, assess and remove the risks to staff when working at the nursery. For example, the office where staff work and hold meetings contains stacked boxes and other resources that pose trip and fall hazards. This failure of statutory requirements exposes staff to risk of being hurt.
• Staff supervisions are not effective. Staff at the nursery are not supported well enough in their work. They report that their workload and well-being is not considered well. This impacts on how staff feel about their personal effectiveness and happiness in the workplace.
• Staff read and sing with children often. Children join in with gusto when singing familiar action rhymes, such as 'The Wheels on the Bus'. Staff also place high value on holding back-and-forth conversations with children. This helps children to become confident communicators.
• Staff develop close relationships with children. Babies benefit from the caring interactions from their special key person in nursery. Staff ensure they know the children well and what helps them to feel secure. This helps children to feel settled and safe in the care of staff.
• Mostly, staff promote children's personal development well. For example, older children are encouraged to be independent. However, at times staff are too eager to help children, such as to dress themselves, use cutlery and put on aprons. This does not develop children's skills well or support them to persist at completing tricky tasks for themselves.
• Staff provide opportunities for children to learn about being healthy. They hold important conversations with children about eating healthy foods and being physically active. Children benefit from daily experiences of playing outdoors in the fresh air. They use their bodies to climb, run and play on the wheeled outdoor toys. Children develop strong, healthy bodies, ready for their future development.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider must:

• ensure all staff understand how to implement an effective curriculum that supports children to make consistently good progress (by 30 June 2025)
• ensure existing arrangements for staff supervisions identifies workload and well-being issues and promotes a culture of mutual support to improve personal effectiveness (by 30 June 2025)
• take all reasonable steps to identify and remove risks in a timely manner. (by 9 June 2025)

The provider should:

• strengthen staff's knowledge of how to develop children's independence so they become resilient to persist at tricky tasks.