Oak Tree Day Nursery and Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive at this well-developed, exciting nursery. They feel safe and secure. Children arrive happily and confidently leave their parents to immediately join in purposeful play. Practitioners provide an inspirational environment that focuses on the children. They seize every opportunity, indoors and outdoors, to enhance children's learning.

Practitioners provide a broad curriculum based on meticulous assessment, with children at the heart of their planning. Each experience is tailored to the children's learning. As a result, children show deep involvement in their play. For example, practitioners provide exciting additions such as sliced lemons and limes to the water tray. Children use these to make potions and 'pistachio ice cream'. They expertly pour the water and measure their liquids, working together to make their concoctions. Practitioners create a stimulating environment that ensures that children's learning occurs within every activity. For example, during small-group times, children learn to count in English and Spanish. Even the youngest children join in excitedly, proud of their new vocabulary.

Practitioners ensure that children have access to a variety of fiction and non-fiction books inside and outside. They read enthusiastically to the children, who enjoy listening to stories. Practitioners recognise children's love of books and have a book lending library to further encourage reading at home. They enthusiastically support children's unique care and learning needs. Practitioners provide many opportunities for children to take risks and develop their physical skills outdoors. For example, children show high levels of engagement when climbing up into the tree house and splashing excitedly in the puddles.

Practitioners have high expectations for children's behaviour, and attitudes to learning are exceptional. Children show high levels of respect for each other and the resources they play with. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and children who speak English as an additional language, make excellent progress from their starting points.

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

• Leadership is outstanding, and the team has a great vision for the nursery. The leadership team and practitioners commit to ensuring that children receive exceptional care and support. Staff receive regular supervision and informal 'chocolate chats' to discuss their well-being and ensure they feel valued and supported. Professional development is another key to the success of the nursery. All practitioners, from the leadership team down, undertake training to develop their skills, qualifications and knowledge. Unqualified practitioners have the opportunity and support to work towards a qualification through partnership with a local training provider.
• There are exceptional arrangements to support children with SEND. Practitioners attend training to ensure their knowledge is current and share new information with the wider team. This helps to ensure that all practitioners are as knowledgeable as possible to meet the needs of the children. Practitioners identify children with SEND swiftly. Additional help is sought to enable children to make the best progress. They use the skills and knowledge they have gained through training to help parents to support their children at home. Partnership working with other agencies and bodies is exceptional. The leadership team has developed strong links with professionals, and it works closely with them to address any concerns early.
• The leadership team and practitioners devised their own 'three pillars' curriculum to give the children essential life skills. They sequence the curriculum, building on the children's previous experiences. As a result, children make excellent progress in their development. Babies and toddlers demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. Practitioners encourage even the youngest children to have their own voice. They support the children as they manage situations themselves, such as asking if they can have a turn with a particular toy or resource.
• The dedicated practitioners develop children's uniqueness and characters. They know the children incredibly well and respond appropriately to their needs. A well-established key-person system helps to ensure children's safety and well-being. Hygiene practices are exceptional. Staff remind children to wash their hands at key times and educate the children about germs. They encourage children to wash their hands thoroughly and not to forget their 'cheeky thumbs'.
• The leadership team works hard to ensure that transitions for children are seamless. This begins in the baby room and continues through the age groups and on to school. This helps to ensure children's ongoing well-being and sense of security.
• Practitioners encourage children to learn about the environment and conservation issues. A committee consisting of practitioners and children meets regularly to set actions for the nursery. This includes ensuring that lights are turned off and the correct bins are used for recycling. In addition to this, as part of an initiative with the local authority, the nursery has adopted a lane next to the nursery. Children and practitioners take responsibility for collecting the litter and disposing of it using the resources provided.
• Partnership with parents is excellent. Practitioners involve parents in their children's learning and encourage them to share their experiences from home. Parents say the practitioners are amazing and the help they receive is incredible. The leadership team is committed to helping local charities and encourages parents and children to be part of this. Parents vote for which charity they wish to support. This helps children to learn about issues in their community.
• Practitioners support children's creative development exceptionally well. For example, children showed an interest in making hats and the practitioners followed this and encouraged children to decorate their own hats. This led on to a topic on designers, and practitioners encouraged the children to learn about fashion designers such as Coco Chanel. Practitioners also engaged the services of a mini nature artist, who creates art from natural materials. Children now regularly create their own models using clay, shells, leaves, twigs and other natural objects.