Cherry Tree Nursery & Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children show that they feel settled and secure with the attentive staff. They create a child-centred environment where children enjoy selecting from a wide range of engaging resources. Staff plan activities based on children's needs, such as supporting children's emotional development. For instance, children confidently use pens and paper to draw pictures of their faces to show how they are feeling. They join in with discussions about different emotions, such as being happy, sad or angry, and how to manage these. As a result, children learn to express their feelings and begin to understand how to behave towards others.

Children show a positive attitude to their learning. They are curious and happily join in with adult-led activities. For example, they listen attentively to stories and demonstrate actions related to nursery rhymes and songs. Children use their imaginations well when they play with toy dinosaurs.

Children have fun using their physical skills outdoors. They enjoy pushing wheeled toys and show that they are confident climbers as they use climbing apparatus. Children eagerly show visitors their 'bug hotel' and explain how they helped to make it by collecting lots of sticks and twigs. They talk about the creatures that may be living in their hotel and what they might like to eat.

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

• Staff get to know children well. They gather information from parents to help tailor settling-in sessions to support children's individual needs and interests. As soon as children start, staff monitor children's speech and their understanding. Staff share this information with parents. This helps all children, including those who speak English as an additional language, become more confident in expressing themselves.
• Overall, staff support children's emerging communication skills well. They introduce new vocabulary as children play. Younger children repeat new words that they hear, such as the names of animals during story sessions. All children eagerly join in with craft activities. Staff successfully engage children in discussions and ask them questions to support their learning. However, on occasion, staff's questions do not provide enough challenge for the most-able children to help broaden their knowledge and understanding.
• Staff routinely discuss and share information about children's individual needs. They found that, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, some children need extra help to develop their social skills. Staff model play to help children learn how to behave with others. This has a positive impact on children's social and emotional development, such as sharing and taking turns.
• Children are well behaved. They form strong attachments to their key person.
• Staff are knowledgeable and ensure that children are well cared for. When younger children are occasionally unsettled, staff respond sensitively with care and warmth to reassure them.
• The nursery provides nutritious meals and snacks for children. Children are encouraged to be independent and develop skills for the future, such as correctly using cutlery during the sociable mealtimes.
• The manager and deputy are experienced practitioners. They work well with the staff and the provider to continually evaluate the service provided to children and their families. They recognise that children do not always have access to a full range of outdoor opportunities to meet the needs of those who learn best outside.
• Staff are committed to providing an inclusive environment where all children and their families are welcome. Children are helped to understand what makes them unique and how to treat others with respect.
• Managers place a high priority on staff well-being. Staff are happy and feel well supported in their roles. Some staff are completing higher level qualifications to enhance their knowledge and skills. They have regular staff meetings and opportunities to share their views and opinions.
• Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, staff have reduced the time parents are in the setting. Children are now met at the door by their key person. Staff report that this arrangement has helped the children to settle more easily. Parents say that they are happy with the information they receive.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on staff's questioning techniques to enable children to have more time to think, respond and demonstrate what they know and understand
• enhance the outdoor facilities for children and broaden the range of learning opportunities, particularly for those who learn best outside.