Tree House Day Nursery

Inspection of Tree House Day Nursery Old Frome Road, School Lane, Wells, Somerset BA5 3DL

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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The provision is good

Children respond happily to the friendly, warm greeting they receive from staff and feel safe in their care. They interact positively with their friends and learn to manage their behaviour well. For example, when older children accidentally bump into a friend and fall down, they laugh together and help each other up again. Staff are keen to promote children's learning through their play. They have reviewed the planning of the curriculum and are now starting to establish ways to support children's more immediate interests in play. Staff provide related activities and help children to make good progress overall. Younger children explore the play resources with interest. They stamp their feet excitedly on an interactive colour mat and examine the patterns they make. They show curiosity in how a lid fits onto a pen and concentrate well taking this off and putting it back on again. Older children and their friends become absorbed pushing the toy diggers and trucks

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The provision is good

back and forth through crushed-up cereal. They enjoy drawing and begin to form recognisable letters and shapes. Parents comment that they are reassured by the procedures in place to help keep them and their children safe during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

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need to do better?

n The management team has established a clear supervision process to help monitor staff practice and support their development. Staff complete a variety of training. For example, they have raised their understanding of ways to encourage children's early mathematical awareness through their play. n Overall, the management team organises the day well to provide quiet and active times for children. However, the way that the older children's lunchtime is arranged does not encourage their independence skills well. In addition, although children show patience, they sit waiting at their lunch table for too long before being served their meal. Nonetheless, children enjoy healthy snacks and meals. Younger children like to help water the different fruits and vegetables they help to grow outdoors, including tomatoes, sweetcorn and French beans. n Staff are caring and friendly. They recognise when children are tired. Children

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need to do better?

confidently approach staff for cuddles, which shows that they feel safe, and they settle down for a comfortable sleep. n Parents comment positively about staff and say that they keep them well informed about their children's learning. Staff liaise well with parents and other agencies involved to support children's additional needs. Staff have discussions with parents about their children's likes, dislikes and interests to help them to settle in from the start. However, staff do not make as much use of information from parents about children's existing developmental abilities, to help them make their initial assessments of children's progress and identify more effectively what they need to do next.

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need to do better?

6 July 2021 n Staff promote children's physical development well. Young children learn to crawl or walk across gentle slopes and start to gain control of their balance. Older children are confident to jump down from a tree stump and land safely. n Teaching is good. Staff understand their key children's interests and how they achieve best. They provide meaningful activities to encourage children's learning through exploration and investigation. Children talk eagerly about the insects and creatures they find outdoors. Older children show great excitement at finding a worm and a woodlouse. They tell a visitor that they saw a butterfly and it was blue. However, staff do not always make use of further resources to build on children's spontaneous ideas and interests more securely. For example, staff do not always help children to find out more information about the creatures they find and extend their language and literacy skills more effectively.

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need to do better?

n Children develop positive attitudes to others and learn to take turns in their play. Staff help children to feel valued in the nursery. They help them to develop skills for the future, gain confidence and become active learners. n Children explore the inviting play areas and wide variety of activities with interest, and make independent choices in their play. Younger children show delight when they press buttons and spin wheels to activate lights and music on colourful interactive toys. Older children collect leaves, twigs and bark to make their creations using the mud kitchen.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The management team has supported staff to develop their understanding of all aspects of safeguarding. Staff recognise possible signs of concern and their responsibility to protect children's welfare. They are aware of the procedures to follow and authorities to contact should a safeguarding concern arise. The management team follows a clear staff recruitment process to help assess suitability. The management team has completed risk assessments of the new premises and has put appropriate measures in place to minimise accidents.

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should:

n review the arrangements for the older children's lunchtime to fully support their independence skills and reduce the time they wait to be served n make more use of information about children's developmental starting points to support the initial assessments and planning of activities more securely n develop further the ways staff monitor children's interactions in the outdoor play areas to fully support and extend their spontaneous interests and learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY476283 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 10107231 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 56 Number of children on roll 65 Name of registered person Tree House Day Nurseries Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01749 679 637 Date of previous inspection 3 May 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Tree House Day Nursery is privately owned and is located in Wells, Somerset. It originally opened in 1989 and re-registered in 2014. The nursery employs 15 members of childcare staff. Of these, one holds early years professional status and eight staff are qualified to level 3 or above. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday for 50 weeks of the year. Sessions are from 7.30am until 5pm. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the nursery received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the nursery. n The inspector observed children's interactions, indoors and outdoors, and discussed their learning and development with staff. n The inspector and the deputy manager carried out a joint observation of an activity and discussed the quality of teaching. n A sample of documentation was reviewed by the inspector, including staff's first- aid and qualification certificates. n The deputy manager took the inspector on a tour of the premises and discussed the use and organisation of the play areas. n The inspector took account of the spoken views of parents.

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Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection 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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Inspection activities

6 July 2021 regulates and inspects to 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, 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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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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