The Learning Tree @ Manor Farm

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive ready to learn and separate happily from their parents and carers. They demonstrate that they feel safe and secure. They are busy and engaged throughout the day, choosing what to do and what to play with. For example, older children enjoy making pretend cupcakes in the sand with their friends. Children of all ages enjoy the rural surroundings. They comment on the cows that have been moved into an adjacent field, and staff take babies to a 'tea and toast' event at the village church. This helps children learn about their local community. Children are well behaved and there is a calm atmosphere at all times.

Staff know the children well and confidently identify what they need to work towards next. They use what they know to provide learning experiences that help all children, including those who have additional needs, to make good progress. Staff have high expectations of all children and take steps to ensure that those at risk of falling behind are identified and supported.

The nursery remained open during the COVID-19 pandemic to support key workers. Staff kept in touch with the families of those children who were not attending. They sent home ideas of how parents could support their children's learning at home. Since children returned, leaders and staff have noticed the impact of the pandemic on children's communication skills and their personal, social and emotional development. They are providing activities to help children catch up in these areas, such as using specialist programmes with small groups of children to develop their language skills.

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

• Leaders and staff have worked together to establish what the curriculum for children should be and how it applies to the different age groups of children. Staff assess children's progress regularly and involve parents in this process. For example, they have a focus week for each child every six weeks. This includes asking parents for updated information about their child's interests, likes, dislikes and life at home. This helps staff to tailor activities to children's individual needs.
• Children enjoy using the pleasant learning environment where they can easily access resources and move around freely. They operate independently. For example, they explore the outdoor water tray and discover that they can use pipettes to squirt water. They then use the water to make marks on the building.
• Children respect one another, learning to play amicably and building friendships as they get older. Staff talk to them a lot about sharing and taking turns, and children respond well. They listen to instructions and show patience when they have to wait for others before having lunch.
• Leaders are keen to extend children's understanding of the wider world. They ensure that staff provide children with ongoing opportunities to see and use resources that reflect positive images of diversity. These include books and dolls. Extra-curricular activities, such as yoga, are included in the fees to ensure that all children have the opportunity to experience them.
• Leaders place a strong focus on staff's well-being. They have an open door policy and arrange activities, such as paddle boarding, to help staff manage stress and also to build team spirit. Staff report high levels of support and good opportunities for professional development. For example, one member of staff has trained as a well-being adviser and several are currently working towards relevant qualifications.
• Partnerships with parents are a particular strength. Staff work closely with parents to ensure that they are fully involved in their children's learning. They update them regularly online and through discussions and there is information for them in the nursery magazine and on the blog on the website. Parents are regularly invited to social events, such as a picnic, to get them involved in the nursery. Leaders and staff also work closely with other agencies to support children who need additional support.
• Staff are not always deployed effectively enough. There are times when some do not consider where they would best be positioned to support children's learning, and leaders do not step in and redirect them.
• Leaders regularly monitor and coach staff to develop their practice. However, there are some inconsistencies in staff's ability to respond to, and build on, children's learning to help them make the best possible progress.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the deployment of staff to ensure that they engage more fully with children and seize every opportunity to support their learning as much as possible
• provide further coaching for staff to develop consistent practice across the nursery with regards to their ability to extend children's learning.