The Learning Tree Nursery & Kids Club

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders and staff work in partnership with parents, carers and other external professionals. For instance, they meet with health visitors before new children attend. This supports leaders and staff to quickly identify any concerns about children's development and put in place strategies or adaptations. Leaders continually review and adapt the learning environment to meet the changing needs of the children. When appropriate, staff use refined assessment tools to monitor the progress of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Staff receive targeted training on topics such as autism or communication and language. This ensures that staff have the skills and knowledge to provide consistently high-quality support for children with SEND. Staff put in place and review individualised learning plans for children with SEND. Consequently, children with SEND continue to thrive and achieve well. This is particularly evident for their speech and language development.

Leaders target the use of additional funding to provide children with more one-to-one time with staff. They use it to purchase specific resources to support children's learning. Leaders work with parents to ensure that funding for disadvantaged children provides the most benefit. For example, leaders understand the value of providing hot meals for children with disadvantage. This meets children's needs and supports them to make the most of the learning opportunities available to them.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Staff monitor children's progress and plan their next steps in learning using child development guidance. They precisely adapt activities and their teaching. This supports children to consistently work towards their next steps in development. Staff cleverly support children to build on and make links to their prior learning. Their interactions with children are of a consistently high quality. For instance, they frequently introduce children to new and challenging vocabulary and concepts. Staff expertly use story-time sessions as an opportunity for conversation and to support children's wider learning.

Leaders identified that staff would benefit from further support in their approach to teaching mathematics. Staff are now highly skilled at ensuring that children learn about mathematical concepts as they play throughout the day. They support children to be exceedingly independent in carrying out tasks. For example, children use the water dispenser to pour their own drinks. They learn how to use a safety knife to chop fruit at snack time. Leaders and staff place a high priority on outdoor learning. Children receive varied opportunities to support their large-muscle skills, coordination and balance. Staff use strategies such as Makaton sign language to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They embed this into children's daily routines to support their understanding and communication. This approach helps to promote ongoing inclusion and access to the curriculum for all children.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children flourish and make excellent progress from their starting points in development. Those with disadvantage or special educational needs and/or disabilities make admirable advancement in their communication and language skills. For instance, some children arrive at the nursery with little to no language skills. These children receive highly impactful support and learn how to hold conversations and retell stories. Consequently, this supports these children to benefit from and make progress in other areas of the curriculum.

All children are very well prepared for the next stage in their education. They show great levels of confidence and are self-assured in their own abilities. Children have highly positive attitudes to their learning. They show that they enjoy all aspects of their time in the nursery. Even the youngest children who attend learn how to concentrate and listen for long periods. Children repeatedly show that they remember previously learned knowledge and consistently build on their prior learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders and staff have embedded highly effective daily routines. For instance, children learn how to be patient as they wait for their food at snack time. Staff are considerate of children's ages and stages of development while maintaining high expectations for all. They know the children in their care very well and make an effort to spend time with their key children. This promotes secure and nurturing relationships between children and staff.

Children repeatedly show that they understand the rules for their behaviour. They consistently listen well and follow instructions from staff. Staff swiftly and sensitively manage any minor and rare behaviour incidences. Children learn how to show kindness to others. They help to resolve conflicts and support their friends. Staff play games with children to help them to learn important skills, such as waiting for a turn or that they might not win every time. As a result, children play extremely well with each other. They show their independence in setting up their own games, taking turns and sharing.

Parents and carers value the rich opportunities for children's learning provided by the nursery. This, in turn, promotes children's ongoing attendance. Leaders are thorough in following up on any absences and liaise with the local authority funding team when necessary. Leaders continue to emphasise and promote the importance of regular attendance with parents.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders constantly review and enhance the provision. This ensures that care practices and children's experiences are of a high standard. Staff adapt routines to ensure that all children can be included. Leaders have enhanced the snack-time routine especially well to ensure that children get the most out of this daily routine. Children learn how to handle real China cups and plates with extra care during snack time. They learn that not doing so might cause these delicate items to break. Staff choose a different child each day to be the snack-time helper. They help to set the table and prepare and serve snacks to their friends. This fosters children's sense of responsibility and kindness, which in turn promotes positive self-esteem.

Children hear consistent messages from staff about how to stay healthy. They know that washing their hands prevents germs and that germs can cause them to be ill. Staff teach children yoga and set up games to encourage children to be physically active. This promotes children's enjoyment of exercise. Staff use story- and circle-time activities to support children to be able to identify and express different emotions. Leaders work with parents and carers to provide flexible settling-in arrangements that are tailored to meet children's individual needs. As a result, children feel happy and emotionally secure when they begin to attend the nursery.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders and committee members work in close partnership. They show high levels of dedication to their roles. The committee members hold frequent supervision sessions with leaders. They speak regularly with staff to ensure that their wellbeing is supported and nurtured. Leaders work alongside staff to observe and monitor their practice. These approaches help to ensure a thorough oversight of the nursery and support leaders to continue to identify areas for development.

Since the previous inspection, leaders have vastly extended the opportunities for professional development. They ensure that training for staff is specifically targeted to meet the individual needs of the children who attend. This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff carry out training on children's patterns of behaviour in response to observations that they have made on children. This helps staff to further understand and support children's repeated behaviours. Staff speak enthusiastically about the positive impact that their training is having on their practice. They are eager to continue to strengthen their practice to support the ongoing development of the nursery.

Leaders seek the views of parents and carers and act on their feedback. This supports the ongoing evaluation and enhancement of the nursery. Staff update the parents' communication board with information about what children are learning in the nursery. This supports parents to further build on children's progress at home.