Apple Trees Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children quickly settle when they arrive at the nursery. Staff build positive, warm and caring relationships with their key children.

When visitors come into their room, children are curious and bring their toys to share with them. This demonstrates that children feel safe and secure in their environment. Younger children explore activities with determination.

They concentrate as they place cereal hoops inside their tractors and roll them along the tray. They display great confidence when using the climbing equipment in the environment. As children come down the indoor slide successfully, they beam with happiness.
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Staff offer an abundance of praise at their success. Children instantly show an interest in the activities available to them and share their excitement with staff. They are eager to create their own musical instruments.

Staff provide opportunities for children to talk about their emotions during their learning. For instance, children learn to label their emotions through colours and talk about how they feel as they construct their instruments using different materials. Staff talk to children about the way they are feeling, which helps them understand why they might be feeling a certain way and how they can overcome their emotions.

This promotes children's emotional resilience from an early age.

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

Staff gather information about each child when they start at the nursery. They carry out regular assessments of children to gain a better understanding of their development.

Staff use this information to plan activities and experiences to help close gaps in children's learning. Staff share this information with parents to support children's learning at home.The special educational needs coordinator (SENDCo) works closely with staff and other professionals who have identified children with delays in their development.

She puts plans into place to ensure children are fully supported and make good progress in their development.Staff support children's learning during activities and help to build on their knowledge. Children concentrate as they use craft materials to make pretend houses.

Generally, staff ask children a broad range of questions to help gain a better understanding of what they already know. However, at times, staff move on too quickly and do not allow enough time for children to respond to help expand on their knowledge even further.Children's behaviour is good.

Staff support children during their time at nursery to understand their behaviours. Children are polite and respectful to their friends. Staff talk to children about any undesirable behaviour and how this may affect how others feel to support their understanding.

Parents speak highly of the care provided by staff at the nursery. They comment that they feel reassured that their children settle so well into the nursery. They add that they value the positive relationships children develop with their key person.

Children enjoy time outside in the garden. Staff recognise the importance of allowing children to develop their physical skills and be active while outdoors. However, staff do not always plan effectively when outdoors.

For instance, some activities set up for children do not always enable them to fully engage in their learning to develop their skills and knowledge. This means some children often wander around and struggle to stay focused.Staff benefit from supervision meetings to discuss their ongoing performance and how they are supporting the children in their care.

Staff comment they have the opportunity to discuss their own well-being, which supports them to feel a valued member of the team.Children enjoy nutritional, home-cooked meals. Staff implement good allergy management procedures to ensure that children eat the correct foods.

At mealtimes, children discuss what foods they enjoy the most and how they make them feel happy.Staff prepare children well for transitions, including to school. They explain that they aim to develop children's independence skills and confidence to support them in their next stage of learning.

Children enjoy carrying out tasks throughout the day that enable them to make independent choices. For example, children put their coats on to go into the garden and wash their own hands in preparation for their meals.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Managers and staff have a good understanding of how to keep a child safe from harm and recognise possible signs that a child is at risk. They are confident to act on their concerns and know they must report to their local safeguarding partnership swiftly. All staff have a clear understanding of the role of the local authority designated officer and how to report any concerns about an adult in a position of trust.

They have all attended training to ensure their knowledge remains up to date with safeguarding issues. Staff implement robust risk assessments to ensure environments and equipment are safe where children play.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: consider how to encourage staff to plan effectively for the outdoor provision, to consistently engage children in high-quality learning opportunities build on staff's already good teaching strategies to enhance children's experiences even further.