Willow Tree Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff create a warm and welcoming environment where children feel safe and secure. The key-person system ensures that children are well supported through a settling-in process, which is threaded through the whole nursery. This supports children's emotional well-being and sense of security. Babies develop close bonds with staff, who are attentive to their needs. Older children show confidence and resilience as they approach adults and engage in conversations about their play. Staff are positive role models, and they praise children, which actively promotes children's continued good behaviour.

Staff implement a curriculum that overall supports children's diverse needs. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works in partnership with parents and other professionals to ensure that early help and targeted support are introduced early. Additional funding, such as early years pupil premium, is also used effectively to support children's ongoing progress and development.

Children explore an exciting indoor and outdoor environment where their physical development is promoted well. Children confidently climb up climbing frames and use slides. Staff promote activities that enhance children's development of their large and small muscles and hand-eye coordination. For example, children use tools to make marks on walls and large chalk boards. This prepares children for the skills they require for learning to write when they eventually move on to school.

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

• The strong leadership team works alongside the staff to provide an ambitious curriculum for all children. It has a clear vision to continually improve the provision and the quality of practice in the nursery. Staff are provided with continuous professional development, support and training to ensure the continued good quality of education across the nursery.
• Children make good progress from their starting points. Staff assess children's development and plan the next steps for their learning following children's interests. Children who are funded and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are provided with support to help them to reach their full potential. For instance, a wealth of sensory play and resources is provided to support children to have calming influences on their behaviours.
• The curriculum intent for supporting independence, health and hygiene is for, the most part, promoted well. For example, children learn the importance of oral hygiene and confidently brush their teeth after meals. Staff support children in finding their own coats and encourage them to dress themselves when going outdoors. However, there are times during the daily routine, particularly with older children, where a consistent approach in supporting independence and hygiene practice is not as robust.
• Staff support children's literacy, communication and language. Children are given time to respond to questions, and they problem solve their ideas. Staff build on what children know and help them to recall past activities. Older children learn about autumn colours and mix paint to create them. They explore the shape of leaves while printing. Babies happily babble while feeling the texture of shaving foam and engaging with staff while reading stories and singing songs.
• Overall, staff help children develop an awareness of their local environment and the wider world. For example, children enjoy outings in the local community and learn about some cultural festivals through planned activities. However, the planned curriculum does not enable children to fully explore their similarities and uniqueness.
• Partnership with parents is good. Parents value the high level of care each child receives. The constant two-way flow of communication supports them to feel included in their child's development and the next steps that are planned for their learning. Parents state that these special relationships and the bespoke support they receive have helped their children to make continued progress in their development since starting at the nursery.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff practice to develop a more consistent approach in supporting children's hygiene practices and independence in daily routines
• support staff to increase opportunities in the curriculum for children to develop an increased awareness of their similarities and differences to enable them to understand what makes them unique.