Cherry Tree Nursery

Inclusion: Expected standard

Commitment from leaders and staff has a positive impact on outcomes for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Those with lead roles for SEND are skilled, knowledgeable and ensure support for the team as and where needed. This includes for the implementation of specific approaches to support children. In this way, staff working with children with SEND appropriately assess, implement plans and collaboratively review the progress children make with parents and involved professionals.

Early identification and implementation of individual plans means all children are given the opportunity to thrive. Leaders are proactive in seeking support from other professionals and securing funding so that children receive timely, targeted help. For example, leaders provide one-to-one support for those children with more complex needs. Some strategies are still in the early stages, to ensure children's needs are supported in all aspects of nursery life. Leaders are aware of this and working towards improvements.

Parents speak positively about the work of the staff and support received for their children. They comment on the quality of communication in place to ensure they are kept up to date with the progress their children make.

Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention

Leaders have not been successful in designing a curriculum that is precisely focused and well informed from what they want children to know and learn. The curriculum lacks breadth or substance and is not sufficiently well sequenced to ensure that children's learning builds cumulatively over time. Due to leaders lack of top-level plans, staff working directly with children are not clear on what they want children to learn. This results in many activities being solely based on children's interests, rather than balanced with what they need to learn. This means that while children enjoy play, they are not being supported to learn the skills they need. Leaders have been yet to recognise that some improvements are needed to meet the learning needs of all children.

Staff are enthusiastic and bring joy to children's play. As such, interactions that staff have with children do have a positive impact on their learning and development. Older children sit and enjoy listening to a story. Staff's animated approach and lively reading of the story help children to become engaged. Staff explain the purpose of the front cover and the 'blurb', promoting well an interest in reading. Children are supported to develop a growing vocabulary. Staff working with young children use words, such as 'pat', 'wet' and 'splash' during sensory play with water. Staff model patting and poking the shaving foam, in support of children's physical skills. Staff introduce mathematical language through everyday play, including number rhymes and counting items.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children progress through the curriculum owing to aspects of staff teaching, rather than the curriculum design. Older children are confident communicators. They approach visitors to the nursery and invite them to join in play as say, 'come and run up here with me'. Outside, children use a range of large and small muscle as they navigate the steep hills and then make castles in the sand pit. They tell their friends, 'my bucket is full now, let's tip it out'. Children enjoy the opportunity to sing songs often. They join in with familiar nursery rhymes and copy actions. Younger children, and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities show their understanding as they follow instructions including joining in with the routine. Older children capably wash their own hands and feed themselves at lunchtime. They use their hand-eye coordination well as they scoop up their chicken curry.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders adapt the staffing of the nursery to accommodate parents' needs. This flexibility promotes children's attendance well and means that all children access the funded hours they are eligible for. Children know the routine of the day well as they line up to be counted to come inside and know to wash their hands before snack. For some children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, their lack of understanding of what is happening next can cause upset. Staff are aware of this and are working to implement strategies to support this.

Children know and follow the rules very well. For example, they remind their friends and new visitors to the setting about the rules when playing outside, 'be careful, don't run down this part'. Staff support children's positive behaviour very well. They are warm, calm and patient as they encourage children to join in with routines such as carpet time. When children do follow the rules, staff offer lots of enthusiasm and offer specific praise.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Staff treat all children with care and professional love. Morning handovers from parents are explicitly shared with all staff, meaning children's individual and changing needs are known and well met. As a result, children settle particularly well and enjoy close, secure and trusting relationships with their key person and all staff. Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to be alert to risks. Staff use simple vocabulary and clear hand signals to indicate children cannot climb on certain equipment, such as tables. Staff's use of emotions vocabulary helps children to recognise their emotions, supporting later skills in managing their feelings.

Staff promote healthy habits through everyday routines. Children brush their teeth daily and learn the importance of good handwashing, for example, when they talk about stopping germs from getting into their tummies. While the nursery menu is healthy, balanced and nutritious, staff are working with parents to ensure that packed lunch items are equally as healthy, to ensure that all children receive clear messages about healthy diets.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Since registration, there have been several changes to the management of the nursery. The provider has failed to notify Ofsted of these changes, which is a legal requirement. These frequent changes in a short space of time mean that the leadership team is not yet established. As a result of the lack of clear leadership and oversight, those in charge are not aware of some of the legal requirements, leading to further breaches. For example, the manager at the time of the inspection did not hold the required qualification. However, the provider was able to take action to put in a place a new manager who holds a level 5 qualification. Leaders have also failed to ensure that half of all other staff are qualified to level 2.

Those in charge are highly supportive of one another and the staff team, creating a positive atmosphere. There are strategies in place to support staff, such as through wellbeing chats and professional development opportunities. While there has been a lack of focus, vision and strategy to identity and drive improvements, leaders show a determined attitude and commitment to taking action where required.