The Learning Tree Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff create a warm and welcoming environment for children. They know that children learn best when they feel safe and secure, so they spend time getting to know the children and helping them to settle. Babies are confident to explore, and they giggle with delight as they investigate flour and water play. Staff respect children's wishes and feelings. For example, when children say 'no' to having their nappy changed because they are engrossed in play, staff listen and accept this. They return a few moments later when children are ready.

Staff have high aspirations for children's behaviour. They help children learn to take turns and share their resources. Children behave well and are kind and considerate to their peers. For example, they rush to help their friend find a grey item to complete a game. The children call out 'we did it' when they locate the grey koala bear. Children have a keen sense of belonging and are emotionally secure and content. They provide comfort to their friends when they are upset.

Staff help children to develop a love of reading. Babies crawl onto staff's laps to listen to a favourite story. Older children learn the flow of a favourite story and eagerly anticipate what will happen next. Staff encourage children to be as independent as possible. For example, they help children to learn how to put on their coats and see to their own toileting needs. This helps to prepare children for the next stage in their learning.

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

• Since the previous inspection, there has been a change of manager. The new manager and staff are coming together well as a team. The manager shows commitment to improving the quality of education for children. However, there are gaps in less experienced staff's knowledge of how to implement the curriculum, such as for communication and language development. This does not help children to make the best possible progress.
• Many aspects of the curriculum are carefully sequenced to meet the children's needs. Staff assess what children already know and can do, and plan ways to support the next steps in their learning. This supports children's good progress.
• Staff pose interesting questions that enable children to think and solve problems. They introduce new describing words to children, such as 'pop' and 'splat', which help to expand children's vocabulary. However, staff do not consistently build on informal language, such as 'froggy', or model the correct words as labels. This means that children are not consistently helped to learn how to pronounce some words correctly.
• Babies relish opportunities to explore sensory activities, such as mixing flour, water and food colouring. They use a range of tools with increasing control to scoop the flour and mix the water. Older children concentrate intently as they create spiders out of pipe cleaners. This helps them to develop the muscles in their hands that they will need for early writing.
• Staff use songs and rhymes to help children to learn to count. Staff introduce children to concepts, such as matching and sorting, as they play 'pairs'. Children excitedly call out 'I found it' when they find a match. Children begin to notice similarities and differences as they compare the spiders they have made. Children's early mathematical skills are developing well.
• Staff help children to learn about good health and hygiene. Children understand the importance of washing their hands before meals or after going to the toilet. They explain about the need to drink water to remain hydrated, along with the benefits of eating healthy meals and snacks. This helps them to stay fit and well.
• Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is sound. Staff work in partnership with families and other professionals to support the individual needs of the children. For example, staff have introduced a bespoke curriculum of targeted support. This helps children to make as much progress as they can.
• The new manager has placed a strong focus on collaborating with parents. Parents say that the communication has improved and that they are now aware of what their children are doing and learning in nursery. This means that they are able to continue to support their child's development at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance staff's understanding of how to implement the curriculum to support children's speaking skills, including the importance of modelling the correct pronunciation of words
• support staff to further develop their understanding of how to implement the nursery's curriculum in a way that continually enhances children's learning and development.