The Oak Tree Nursery & Pre-School Ltd

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive to a warm welcome from familiar staff who know their needs well. They enjoy a wide range of experiences and show an eagerness to learn.

Staff play alongside children with great enthusiasm. They successfully capture children's attention and skilfully adapt the play to suit the various needs of the group. Children are captivated by an imaginative activity linked to promoting good dental hygiene.

They expertly floss the dinosaur's teeth and talk about healthy foods. Staff creatively support children's continued interest through skilful use of character voices, while successfully introducing new vocabulary.... Children learn to take turns in the conversation and listen to the views of their friends.

They giggle in delight as the dinosaurs ask for pasta for their dinner, which they then prepare.Staff prioritise children's emotional well-being effectively. They provide clear and consistent support so that children can regulate their feelings and resolve disagreements for themselves.

For example, older children use a sand timer to make sure they each have equal time playing with a popular toy. Babies and toddlers benefit from cuddles, praise and reassurance from staff, who help them understand simple rules, such as sharing toys. Children show a can-do attitude and determination to try things for themselves.

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

Leaders have a clear vision for the nursery and have taken effective action to address previous challenges linked to staffing arrangements. Newly recruited staff benefit from an induction that helps them understand their responsibilities. Overall, the manager supports staff well to develop their teaching skills.

For example, the manager provides supervision, and staff undertake training to gain recognised qualifications. However, some newer staff have just started their journey in childcare and further support is required to ensure consistently high-quality interactions across all age groups.Leaders have good oversight of curriculum priorities that accurately set out what staff want children to know and learn to do.

Staff who work with older children present information clearly and are skilled at checking children's understanding. Overall, there is a strong focus on adapting teaching to meet children's individual needs, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, variations in staff's confidence affects the success with which they follow the intent for activities.

Despite this, children develop a good range of skills in readiness for their future learning.Leaders ensure effective oversight of the provision for children with SEND. The appointment of an experienced and well-qualified special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) ensures that the individual needs of children are quickly identified and planned for.

Working relationships with outside agencies are developing. A clear plan is in place to ensure that children reach their full potential.Staff's passion and enthusiasm for storytelling is contagious.

Older children benefit immensely from uninterrupted group times, where they play an active role in reading popular stories. Staff promote children's communication well, through emphasis on rhyming words and the introduction of new vocabulary. Children respond with enthusiasm, offering ideas of what might happen next and working out how the character feels by looking at the illustrations.

Younger children benefit from staff who model simple language, with good attention to repetition, and quickly acquire new words.Staff promote children's continued good health well. Children tuck into nutritious, home-cooked meals that are reflective of their dietary needs and stages of weaning.

Children show competency with cutlery, and staff readily support children's independence, such as to pour their own drinks. Children relish opportunities to cultivate fresh fruits and vegetables in the on-site allotment. They energetically explore the exciting outside spaces and take managed risks under careful supervision of staff.

Partnership with parents is suitably established. Staff use information shared by parents effectively to help new children settle into nursery life. They share information on children's progress through regular updates and more widely through newsletters.

On the whole, parents report positively about their experiences. Newly introduced procedures ensure that the regional support team have oversight of any concerns raised and can resolve these quickly.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders and staff have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities to keep children safe. This includes the procedures to follow if a baby presents with unexplained bruising. Leaders show vigilance in following up on patterns of non-attendance so that children benefit from their full funding entitlement.

Checks are in place to assure the ongoing suitability of staff working with children, including additional checks, where required, for overseas staff. The premises are well maintained, and all staff show good attention to minimising risks.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: strengthen how staff practice is monitored and provide relevant support to ensure that the quality of teaching is consistent and all children continually benefit from good-quality learning experiences support staff to have a clearer understanding of the curriculum intent so that their teaching consistently focuses on what they want children to learn.