The Lemon Tree Nursery School

The Lemon Tree Nursery School Lemon Tree Nursery School, Orchard Portman, Taunton, Somerset, TA3 7BQ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 9 November 2017 Not applicable

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1

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This provision is outstanding

 The provider and manager provide highly inspirational support and opportunities for staff to enhance their practice. The manager very effectively supports the well-being of her staff, so the extremely enthusiastic staff team shares an ambitious commitment to children's learning and care. They achieve excellent outcomes for children.  An outstanding, nurturing environment means children are extremely confident and have exceptionally high self-esteem. Their behaviour is exemplary. Staff provide exceptional support for children to understand their feelings and consider others, for example, by using puppets. Older children manage their own behaviour really well.  Staff plan the extremely well-resourced environment and highly challenging activities exceptionally well. Children make independent choices and lead their play in every area, indoors and outdoors. Staff very skilfully teach and help all children to make rapid

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This provision is outstanding

progress in their learning and development from their starting points.  Excellent partnerships with parents, outside agencies and other providers have an excellent impact on children's care, learning and development. Parents praise highly the thorough exchange of information and their children's enthusiasm to attend the nursery.  Staff know the children extremely well. They assess children's progress very accurately to plan superbly for their individual next stages of learning. The manager uses highly effective tracking to monitor children's overall development and promptly respond to any gaps in their learning to ensure they catch up quickly.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 help older children to use numbers in their spontaneous play.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities and the quality of teaching in all rooms and the outdoors.  The inspector spoke with staff, parents and children during the inspection and took account of the provider's self-evaluation.  The inspector held a meeting with the provider and manager and carried out a joint observation.  The inspector checked safeguarding information and the safety of the premises.  The inspector sampled documentation, including policies and procedures, children's development records and planning.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

Safeguarding is effective. Staff receive an intensive induction programme to understand their responsibilities. They follow policies and procedures extremely well to keep children safe. The manager and staff attend regular training to ensure they have a very good knowledge of what to do should they have a safeguarding concern. Highly reflective self- evaluation is integral to the nursery's success. They constantly evaluate practice to drive ongoing improvements. For instance, the manager now works in the two-year-old room and is an excellent role model to ensure the highest standards. She recognises staff's individual skills and targets their responsibilities and training very effectively. Through training in yoga, staff very skilfully engage children in imaginative ways to be calm, such as breathing deeply to smell imaginary flowers and exhaling to blow away the seeds.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff greatly enthuse children to learn by skilfully observing their interests and adapting activities extremely well to sustain their concentration. For instance, older children learned about the meaning of habitats and knew the difference between evergreen and deciduous trees. When children mentioned crocodiles living in the Amazon, staff used a globe to help them find it. Staff expertly help children to experiment and encourage them to recall their learning with others. For example, two-year olds described how they used warm water on ice and, 'it came off'. Staff explained that it was melting. Staff very skilfully interact with the youngest children and have an excellent understanding of how best to support their learning. For instance, they helped babies to blow bubbles to build the muscles in their mouth and support their speaking skills, and for children who love transporting things, they provided a small rake and wheelbarrow to collect leaves. Staff plan excellent

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

mathematical activities, although they very occasionally miss opportunities to extend older children's use of numbers in their spontaneous play.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Staff recognise each child's uniqueness and are highly skilled at helping them to feel valued. For instance, they include children's additional languages in their daily routines. Children thrive in the very healthy environment. Outdoor learning is a priority. Children have excellent opportunities to be active. Babies and children wear waterproof clothing to protect their health while they enjoy the outdoors all year round. The extensive settling-in process is invaluable for staff getting to know children and their families. Staff are excellent role models and help children of all ages to share, take turns and value others.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children develop a highly enthusiastic attitude to learning and outstanding skills that prepare them exceptionally well for their next stage of learning and school. They are very motivated to persist with new skills and are extremely inquisitive. Children have outstanding relationships. They work together extremely harmoniously and welcome each other's help. For example, older toddlers spontaneously helped each other with putting on their boots. Older children created a joint collage and used books with their friends to discuss nocturnal animals. All children become highly independent learners.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY494576 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 1027302 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 1 - 4 Total number of places 44 Number of children on roll 82 Name of registered person Ian Parker

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01823 251307

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reference number

The Lemon Tree Nursery School registered in 2015. It is situated in Orchard Portman, on the outskirts of Taunton, Somerset. The nursery opens on Monday to Thursday from 8am to 5.15pm and on Friday from 8am to 2.15pm, during term time only. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are 12 staff, one of whom holds early years professional status and one who has qualified teacher status. Two members of staff hold an early years qualification at level 6 and one has a qualification at level 4. Seven members of staff hold early years qualifications at level 3.

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reference number

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

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reference number

procedures set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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reference number

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reference number

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reference number

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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