The Learning Tree Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are very happy and content. They are very aware of their environment. They know where they can play and what they can play with. Children approach staff for support, to request further activities and to ask for help in their play. They interact well with the kind, caring staff, who show a passion towards the ongoing development of children.

Children develop kind friendships with their peers and close bonds with the staff. They show a clear understanding of right and wrong. Children have the confidence to inform staff when they see inappropriate behaviour from others. They observe positive role models from staff who work cohesively as a team, giving support to each other.

Children confidently learn new skills through staff's explanations and demonstrations. For example, young children learn to use scissors while sitting observing staff and listening to instructions. Children develop good dexterity skills by making simple snips and then purposeful cuts in the paper. They gradually increase their confidence and show great pride in themselves.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive very good levels of support towards their care and ongoing development. Staff positively implement individual plans to support their learning. Children's achievements, however small, are celebrated by everyone. Children's targets are successfully shared with all staff. Children show determination to meet these through all aspects of play. Staff successfully work alongside other professionals and the children's parents to provide a consistent approach to their care and learning.

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

• Children are making good progress in all areas of learning. They flourish in a friendly child-led play environment, making choices for themselves in their play. Staff ensure that all activities and play are stimulating and interesting to engage children in their focus and concentration. However, some learning opportunities are not as effective as others. During snack time, staff do not always engage children effectively in conversation or social interaction. This does not fully support their identified language development needs or their social skills during this time.
• Parents make very positive comments about the quality of care that their children receive in the setting. They have a positive sense of trust and reassurance that children's needs are thoroughly met. Parents feel supported and communicated with to promote children's learning at home. They confidently share children's achievements at home through clear information- sharing systems.
• Staff know the children very well and work closely together to share information about their ongoing learning. They concentrate on children's particular needs well and spend quality time engaging children in focused activities on a one-to-one basis. However, some children who engage happily in their own play alongside their peers or on their own, are not always interacted with or their learning challenged in the same way as other children.
• Children develop good communication and language skills. Staff identify some children with delayed speech and language and provide positive support systems to give them the confidence to communicate their needs. For, example, they use simple signing and pictures to help children express themselves. Some children use complex language to describe their play. For example, they describe their paintings and what animals do in their natural habitat.
• Children explore natural materials and the space available to them. They confidently transport the water to the sand, watching the effects it makes as it is poured in. They describe the changing colour and the texture. Children develop positive physical skills, using large movements on bikes and ride-on-toys. They develop their fine motor skills through scooping, digging, mixing, spooning and using tongs, which develops the muscles they need for more complex tasks.
• Children develop a good understanding of healthy lifestyles. They confidently use the toilet and wash their hands after messy play, before eating and after toileting. They talk about healthy food through role play. For example, children confidently describe their favourite fruits and vegetables as 'healthy'. They tell staff when they need drinks and mainly help themselves, with good levels of support from staff to develop their self-help skills.
• Staff have a positive attitude towards their professional development and practice. They are eager to learn more and adapt the routines and play for children to support their learning further. They gain information and share this throughout the team to provide a consistent approach to children's learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide all children with consistent challenges and extension to their learning, especially those who play happily and independently
• evaluate and review the effectiveness of some aspects of the setting's routine to provide children with the same positive social interactions and rich language as in their free play.