Cherry Tree Children's Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff make song and rhyme time engaging for babies. They use props and instruments that babies enjoy holding and playing with. Babies independently say and repeat single words. When responding, staff expand on what has been said. For example, when a baby says 'fish', staff say, 'green fish'. Staff provide comfortable areas for toddlers to share books. Toddlers repeat words and phrases from familiar stories, such as 'squash' and 'squeeze'. They ask questions about the book, make comments and share their own ideas. Toddlers link five words or more together when speaking with staff. Pre-school children ask questions of staff to find out more information. For example, following their spontaneous interest in birds, pre-school children ask why birds may use pieces of wool to make their nest. Children demonstrate their positive attitude to learning through their curiosity, concentration and enjoyment. Children's learning is built sequentially. The curriculum is planned to ensure that children practise and embed each step of learning throughout the nursery. Children are well prepared for their move on to school.

Staff place a great emphasis on helping children to learn how to manage their own emotions. Children behave well. They are happy and safe in the care of warm and friendly staff.

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

• Since the last inspection, the provider and manager have worked hard to improve practice. Daily checks have been implemented to ensure the nursery is safe for all children and adults. Staff have a good awareness of emergency evacuation procedures. Good arrangements for recruitment and supervision of staff, including the manager, are in place. However, systems to evaluate the teaching of the curriculum are not yet fully embedded to help ensure a consistently high standard across the nursery.
• Pre-school staff confidently follow children's spontaneous interests. For example, following pre-school children's interest in birds, they go outside and create a nest. Pre-school children work together to gather leaves and twigs. This learning is continued inside as children use creative materials to design a nest of their choice. Pre-school staff have a secure knowledge of the children they support to continue to build on the skills children already have in these unprompted situations.
• Staff plan to enhance children's small- and large-muscle coordination and physical development. They place babies on their tummy to help them develop strength in their neck and arm muscles. Toddlers and pre-school children eat with cutlery and use scissors safely. They climb the steps of the slide outside and show the physical risks they are confident and able to take.
• Pre-school children eat their lunch in the dining area and serve their own food. They mirror learning that they will follow at school. Staff ensure all children are supervised at mealtimes. Children enjoy healthy snacks and home-cooked meals.
• Parents report how they are happy with the care and learning afforded to their children. They say that staff provide good information about what their children are learning and how this can be supported at home. Parents say that they have seen good progress in their children's confidence and speech since being at the nursery. They particularly note the emotional literacy their children have to express their feelings. Parents also report the care their children show to other family members because of this learning. For example, they explain how they observed their child asking grandparents how they are feeling today.
• Staff disseminate training that supports them and colleagues in their role. For example, staff share strategies to support and prevent babies who try to bite others. Staff now ensure that they say 'bye' to babies when they leave the room for a short period of time. This is to support their emotional security and well-being and to reassure them that they will be coming back.
• Children enjoy group time activities, such as creative play and song time. However, staff do not always encourage quieter children to join in to extend their learning further.
• The manager checks staff's well-being on a daily basis. She asks staff a safeguarding question to keep their knowledge fresh. The manager checks on a child's progress in each room and their next steps. This helps her to have an overview of all children's good progress.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• continue to monitor staff's practice to enhance the already good quality of teaching of the curriculum
• support staff to provide high-quality interactions with quieter, less-confident children during group time activities to extend their learning further.