Treehouse - Cambridge Park

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy, settled and secure in this well-organised and welcoming nursery. Staff know the children well and form strong, nurturing relationships with them. They plan and deliver an ambitious and engaging curriculum that supports children to make good progress in their learning and development. As a result, children are well prepared for the next stage in their education, including school. Children benefit from regular visits to forest school, which helps to promote their physical health, confidence and independence. They learn to take appropriate risks, share and take turns, and they develop a growing awareness of the natural world. Activities such as climbing and balancing help children to build strength, coordination and resilience.

Babies thrive in the care of warm and attentive staff. Staff respond sensitively to babies' needs and engage them in purposeful play. Routines are well established, which helps children to feel secure and confident. Children are supported to form friendships and manage minor conflicts independently. Staff promote positive behaviour through consistent praise and encouragement, helping children to understand and regulate their emotions. Staff read stories and sing nursery rhymes linked to current curriculum themes. For example, during a topic on harvest festival, children make vegetable soup and later discuss the ingredients and process during group time, developing an understanding of the world.

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

• Staff identify and support children with additional needs effectively. They adapt activities thoughtfully to ensure that all children can access the curriculum and make good progress from their individual starting points. Staff work closely with external agencies to provide targeted support, ensuring that children's needs are met.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Staff keep parents well informed about their child's progress and next steps in learning. Parents receive regular newsletters and are invited into the nursery to take part in celebrations of cultural events, which helps to strengthen the home-nursery relationship. Parents speak highly of the staff, describing them as kind, considerate and consistent in the care they provide. The nursery's parent app is used effectively to share updates and receive information, which helps support ongoing communication.
• Staff engage positively with children and support their learning well overall. However, at times, staff do not always show that they understand the curriculum fully. As a result, they do not always make the most of opportunities to extend and challenge children's thinking.
• Staff generally engage in conversations with younger children to support their communication and language development. However, staff do not always make the most of opportunities to engage children in verbal interactions. This does not fully support the development of their early communication skills.
• Leaders provide effective support for staff through regular supervision and ongoing professional development opportunities. This helps staff to meet the needs of the children well. Staff morale is high, and the positive, supportive atmosphere contributes to a happy team. Staff feel valued and well supported in their roles.
• Staff support children well to develop independence skills that prepare them for the future. Children are encouraged to pour their own drinks, serve their own snacks and clear away their plates and cutlery. These everyday routines help children to build confidence, responsibility and self-care skills.
• Children develop their understanding of the world through exploration and imaginative play. For example, they learn about science as they use mini microscopes to observe small creatures during activities, developing curiosity and early investigative skills. Children use their imaginations well during role play, which helps support their creativity and social development.
• Staff provide children with valuable opportunities to explore and develop their senses through outdoor play. Children engage in messy play activities in the garden, which helps to support their sensory development and creativity. They enjoy spending time outside in the sunshine, where they learn about different types of weather and the natural world around them.
• Staff promote children's health and well-being effectively. Children are offered healthy, nutritious meals and are supported to understand the importance of making healthy choices. Staff supervise mealtimes well, ensuring children's safety and encouraging positive eating habits.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• further support staff to develop their skills in interacting with younger children, so they can extend children's thinking and ideas beyond what they already know or have experienced
• continue to strengthen staff's understanding of the curriculum through targeted training and support to help enhance children's learning experiences.