Treetops Barlborough

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children's sheer excitement for the day ahead is evident as they enter the nursery. After being warmly greeted on arrival by the nursery manager, they confidently guide parents and carers inside and instantly start to engage with their surroundings. They stop to look at photos and talk about their key staff. They show delight as they point out the familiar bee mascot, carefully counting the bee symbols as they climb the stairs. From the moment they arrive, children are immersed in their learning. They are eager to enter their rooms to discover the wealth of stimulating activities that staff have carefully planned. Children beam with joy as they reconnect with their key person and friends. Children form positive and trusting relationships with staff and each other. Staff recognise the importance of helping children to adopt healthy lifestyle choices with regard to oral hygiene, being physically active, and eating a balanced diet.

Children demonstrate exceptionally high levels of confidence and independence as they are cared for by highly trained and skilled practitioners who nurture and promote children's development to the highest level. Children quickly learn how to attend to their own needs and are consistently encouraged to make choices about their learning. This successfully promotes high levels of engagement as children are extremely motivated, stimulated, and keen to participate. Children's behaviour is impeccable. They are polite and treat one another with kindness and respect. During group activities, they learn to listen and take turns when speaking. All children develop an extremely positive attitude to learning, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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

• The manager is an inspirational leader who ensures that all staff have the highest aspirations for children. Staff are fully supported to further their careers and professional development through robust supervision, mentoring and training opportunities. Staff demonstrate high levels of commitment and are immensely proud of their individual contributions in helping all children to achieve their full potential.
• A carefully sequenced curriculum and high-quality interactions with staff give every child the best opportunity to succeed. When playing outside, children show immense excitement as they use telescopes to search for characters from a much-loved story. Staff use careful questioning techniques to fully promote active learning and enhance children's understanding of the story and characters. Learning is further extended throughout the day as children initiate discussions about other things they can see with their telescope, such as stars and planets.
• Managers and staff provide tailored settling-in sessions around the individual needs of children. This ensures that all children start nursery feeling secure and confident to access the provision at their own pace. It also provides staff with a valuable opportunity to establish strong foundations with families. The views, interests and experiences of children and parents are highly valued and respected. When some children show a keen interest in dinosaurs, staff ensure that this is reflected in their provision planning. They provide sensory experiences, books and songs that enhance children's enjoyment and engagement in their learning.
• Staff are highly skilled in helping children to manage their behaviours. They do this in a way that acknowledges and respects the child's voice. Babies are fully involved in their own care needs as staff talk to them and provide reassuring guidance throughout the day. They narrate what they are going to do together and ask questions, such as 'shall we go and find your changing bag?'. Older children use pictures and props to express their feelings and emotions. For example, when children feel happy, they express their joy by hugging the 'happy monster' and exclaim, 'this is how I feel, and he is my best friend'.
• Children with SEND are very well supported at the nursery. Staff engage extremely well with parents, schools and other professionals to ensure that every child makes substantial progress from their starting points.
• Staff are extremely successful in involving parents in their children's development and have excellent strategies in place to engage parents in lifelong learning. A wealth of information is available for parents within the nursery. Parents frequently use the library to support children's language and literacy skills and use online resources to extend children's learning experiences at home. Parents speak very highly of the nursery and appreciate how staff tailor care routines around the needs of each child. Parents praise the dedication and support they receive from the nursery team to provide the highest quality care and education.