Rose Tree Day Nursery Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at this nursery keen to learn. They settle quickly because staff are gentle and welcoming. Children know that staff will wait for them if they want to go back to their parents for one last cuddle before saying goodbye. When children hold out their arms to staff, they experience a warm welcome. Children feel happy and at ease about their day ahead.

Children enjoy learning through the well-thought-out activities that leaders and staff provide. They develop essential new knowledge. For example, children learn that some books hold important and interesting information about numbers. Staff share fiction and non-fiction books playfully and regularly with the children. Children find that staff pay much attention to their ideas, comments and interests. This helps every child to feel included. They enjoy time with staff who genuinely want to talk with them. Children become confident to talk, play and experiment. They feel safe at the nursery.

Children learn to act responsibly and to manage their own feelings and behaviours well. This is because staff guide children to know what adults expect. Children learn about different families and people. For instance, they relish their regular visits to meet with elderly people at a local care home.

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

• Leaders have established a well-designed curriculum. They have thought carefully about how to improve their work, including by using the advice that they have received from the local authority. Leaders have identified the key knowledge that they intend for children to learn at the nursery. Leaders make certain that children develop their communication, language and physical skills and their confidence and well-being.
• Staff talk, sing and read often with the children. They help children to enjoy playing with words and sounds so they have lots of fun with language and want to learn even more. However, at times, staff use some questions that are too advanced for some children to understand. Staff allow some babies to keep dummies in their mouths when practising talking. This affects how well some children learn to speak.
• Leaders ensure that staff focus on the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) effectively. Leaders draw on expert advice from other agencies and from children's parents to guide the work of staff. Children with SEND learn and achieve well.
• Staff make regular checks on children's learning. They consider carefully what knowledge children have and remember. Staff act to help children so they develop the skills and knowledge that they need.
• Leaders make sure that staff understand the curriculum that they teach. For example, staff have recently attended training on mathematics. Staff model counting to children to help them understand that mathematics is fun and can be found in many daily experiences. Children develop a secure understanding of the curriculum, including in mathematics.
• Leaders ensure that staff are supportive and encouraging with the children. For instance, staff gently reassure babies when they change their nappies. They sing favourite songs and talk gently with the children. Staff's skilful support to babies helps them to feel valued and loved.
• Leaders and staff provide children with many opportunities to develop their confidence. For example, some older children learn how to show younger children to use the large jugs for pouring drinks. Children become competent learners.
• Staff prepare healthy home-made meals for children, such as Mexican bean stew. They make sure that the ingredients they use are fresh and nutritious. At lunch and snack times, children become excited as they anticipate their healthy meals.
• Leaders and staff teach children how to communicate to adults about how they feel. Children learn helpful new words to use to describe their emotions. Children learn to manage their feelings very well. They develop respect for themselves and for other people.
• Parents and carers welcome the support that they receive from staff. Parents said that their children learn lots of new information because of what staff teach them.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff knowledge about how children develop communication and language skills so they can support all aspects of children's development in this area effectively.