Cherry Tree Day Nursery

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders demonstrate a highly effective and deeply embedded approach to identifying, assessing and meeting children's needs. They have rigorous systems in place to remove barriers to children's learning. Leaders prioritise early identification and precise ongoing monitoring. This ensures staff recognise children's emerging needs swiftly and adapt provision without delay. Staff use high-quality observations and assessments to inform individualised support that matches each child's stage of development. Leaders and staff work in close partnership with parents and carers and external agencies. This ensures timely, coordinated and impactful support for children.

Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities very effectively through carefully tailored strategies and clearly defined support plans. They demonstrate an in-depth understanding of children's individual needs. Staff consistently adapt teaching approaches, environments and resources to maximise children's engagement and progress. They actively champion inclusion and independence. For example, staff narrate alongside childrens play, exposing them to language during their interactions. This ensures all children fully access the curriculum and experiences on offer.

Staff provide highly effective support for children facing additional barriers to learning or wellbeing, including social, emotional and communication needs. They deliver nurturing and consistent care alongside well-targeted interventions. For example, staff recognise challenges parents may face at home. They proactively share practical resources and strategies, such as visual timetables, to ensure continuity and children's sustained progress. Leaders create a fully inclusive, aspirational environment where every child thrives and makes sustained progress from their starting points.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders and staff typically construct and deliver a curriculum with a clear and ambitious vision for high-quality early education. They set expectations, monitor practice closely and support staff through ongoing professional development. Leaders build a reflective culture where staff evaluate their work, share expertise during regular staff meetings and take responsibility for improving outcomes for all children.

Staff design a curriculum that reflects children's developmental stages, interests and prior experiences. They typically sequence children's learning carefully. This helps children to build knowledge and skills over time, and staff use what they already know about children to inform planning. For example, babies develop physical skills and learn to take risks when they climb and explore in the soft-play room. Older children develop their listening and attention skills when they take part in small-group activities. Staff encourage children to recall their home experiences and confidently share these with the small group. Staff balance adult-led activities with opportunities for child-initiated play. This ensures the curriculum remains engaging and meaningful.

Staff generally support learning through positive interactions, modelling and questioning. However, staff do not consistently consider a range of ways to model and extend children's learning. They typically rely too heavily on questioning rather than purposeful interactions. This does not consistently extend and deepen children's understanding.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children generally participate purposefully in learning while at nursery. Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), engage confidently with activities that are adapted to meet their individual needs. They communicate with increasing confidence and develop physical coordination. They build secure relationships as they learn to share, take turns and show empathy.

Children begin to enjoy stories and rhymes and develop mathematical understanding through play. They investigate the world around them and express themselves creatively. Older children enjoy dressing up as people who help them. They develop their understanding of the world, while creating imaginative narratives with their friends. Children develop independence as they manage their own self-care, such as removing their wellington boots and coats after garden play. With effective support, all children, including those with SEND, typically made steady progress alongside their peers.

All children typically develop the essential knowledge and skills for their age and stage. They become increasingly independent, resilient and curious. This ensures children are well prepared, confident and ready to move on to the next stage of their learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Staff typically establish clear routines that help children to feel safe, secure and ready to learn. Leaders generally provide a clear oversight of behaviour and expectations. This creates a calm and nurturing environment. Leaders and staff implement an effective key-person system. Staff know all children very well and use their knowledge of each child to support their needs. Staff carefully tailor transitions, including when families start at the nursery and when children move to older rooms. This helps children to settle quickly, confidently and feel secure in the nursery.

Staff build warm and trusting relationships with children and their families. They model and reinforce positive behaviour. For example, when babies have a disagreement over a toy, staff support them to share effectively. When older children accidentally bump into a friend, they independently say 'sorry' and check their friends are okay before moving on. Staff support children to learn to share, take turns and show respect for others. Inclusive approaches help to ensure that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, access routines and expectations successfully.

Staff generally promote positive attitudes to learning by encouraging children's curiosity, sustained attention and perseverance. They use established routines to support smooth transitions and work closely with parents and carers to promote positive attendance. Children develop resilience, skills to regulate their emotions and confidence in their learning.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Staff typically prioritise children's welfare and wellbeing through clear leadership and effective care practices. Leaders set clear expectations to help ensure that staff implement procedures that promote children's safety, health and emotional wellbeing. Staff create a warm and nurturing environment where children feel valued and secure. This supports children's confidence to explore and engage in learning. Children of all ages have daily access to outdoor areas. This supports children's physical wellbeing and provides them with opportunities for fresh air and active play.

Staff develop positive and responsive relationships with children. This helps children to feel safe and valued. Children enjoy discussions with friends and staff. They are confident to approach staff for support. Staff use the key-person approach effectively to build a clear understanding of each child. This enables staff to respond thoughtfully to their emotional and physical needs. Staff support healthy lifestyles through daily routines, including handwashing, rest, safer eating and safer sleep practices. They adapt mealtimes effectively to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, enabling them to join their peers, even if only for short periods. However, staff do not consistently use mealtimes as a learning experience for all children. Babies do not always have opportunities to socialise with their peers. Also, staff do not routinely support older children to develop independence in cutting their food and using cutlery in preparation for the next stage of learning.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders typically provide clear direction for the setting and place children and families at the centre of their practice. They are approachable and supportive, helping staff, children and families feel valued and listened to. Leaders ensure that daily provision reflects the setting's focus and meets the needs of those who attend. They monitor provision, identify areas for development and strive for steady improvements in the quality of care and learning. Leaders implement robust safeguarding procedures. They ensure staff understand their responsibilities and act promptly to keep children safe.

Leaders prioritise staff wellbeing and manage their workload effectively. They deploy staff efficiently and set manageable expectations. Staff feel supported, which contributes to a positive and stable working environment. Leaders implement clear induction procedures. They provide ongoing professional development opportunities that enhance staff knowledge and skills. For example, staff attend targeted training, including specific baby training, to strengthen their understanding of early development and care practices. Staff share learning from training during regular meetings, where they discuss children, room practice and curriculum planning.

Leaders build effective partnerships with parents and carers and external agencies. They know families well and tailor support to meet a range of needs, recognising different family structures and circumstances. Leaders work closely with external professionals to secure timely and appropriate support. They organise regular parents' evenings and use an online app to maintain ongoing communication about children's care and development. Parents share positive feedback about the setting and staff, and the progress their children make. They feel informed and involved in their child's experiences at nursery.