Lote Tree Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and settled in this homely environment. Staff are intuitive to babies needs, playing musical instruments while babies babble happily along to their favourite songs. Older children play happily alongside their key person, building structures and talking about their creations. Staff extend children's learning by asking questions and encouraging them to think about what happens next.

Children develop a love of reading and have access to a wide range of books. They benefit from regular story times with staff, sitting comfortably and sharing picture books where they are encouraged to join in. Babies eagerly anticipate lifting the flap to see what animal is underneath, while older children tell their own stories using the pictures. Visual timetables and secure routines provide behavioural expectations for children. Staff gently remind them of the rules, such as using walking feet inside. Children learn about the local community and the diverse cultures that make up their local area. They celebrate each other and learn to respect their similarities and differences. Interactions between staff and children are positive and promote politeness. Children learn how to speak with respect to others and how to show kindness to their friends, with older children modelling positive behaviour to younger children.

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

• The key-person role is securely embedded, and staff demonstrate a good knowledge of the children. Staff confidently talk about their routines, next steps and current areas of focus. Children know who to go to for comfort and reassurance and, as such, are confident and self-assured.
• Staff are starting to implement the new curriculum and have a better understanding of the intent, implementation and impact of activities. However, this is very much in its infancy and is not always consistently applied. This means that at times not all children are benefitting from specifically planned learning opportunities which securely build on their next steps.
• Staff are keen to support children to prepare them for school. Children practise skills to help them to write their name and learn early phonics. However, at times some of these skills are not always age-appropriate or planned to reflect children's individual stage of development. This prevents some children from getting the most from their experience.
• Children are encouraged to do things for themselves throughout the setting, such as take off and put on their own shoes and to manage their own care routines where possible. At snack and mealtimes, children support staff by emptying the food waste and clearing away their plates and cups. This helps children to gain important independence skills in preparation for school.
• Parents are offered the opportunity to attend workshops which provide them with valuable information about their child's learning. Staff share ideas on how parents can extend their child's learning at home. They encourage parents to share children's achievements at home so that staff can see the progress children are making at home as well as in the setting. This promotes a coordinated approach to learning and support.
• Staff suitability, training and supervision procedures are robust and supportive. Coaching and modelling from leaders helps staff to develop their roles effectively. Staff are clear in what they need to improve and how this supports children's learning and development.
• Staff work with parents and other agencies to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They implement structured routines and specific planning to support their needs and to reflect the targets set by the agencies working with the child. This helps to ensure children make progress, regardless of their abilities or starting points.
• Leaders have made significant improvements since the previous inspection. They have taken steps to improve risk assessments and safety. Leaders have also put in place procedures to ensure they are meeting the requirements of the early years foundation stage.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• continue to support staff in fully embedding the curriculum so that all children are benefitting from specifically planned learning opportunities which build on their next steps
• further develop staff knowledge so that activities are appropriate to children's individual stage of development.