Apple Tree Day Care Nursery

Inspection of Apple Tree Day Care Nursery 304 Cressing Road, Braintree, Essex CM7 3PG

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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 choose from a wide range of activities and have lots of opportunities to play outside. They learn how to germinate seeds and watch them grow until they can be planted out in the vegetable patch. Children help staff care for the plants. Together, they pick the herbs, runner beans and peas, which they try at mealtimes. This helps to support children's understanding of the world around them, including where their food comes from.

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The provision is good

Children behave well and are confident. They share and take turns while playing without adult support. For example, children enjoy playing hide and seek. They take turns to count to 10 before going to look for their friends, who giggle as they hide behind trees and staff.

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The provision is good

Children listen to staff and respond enthusiastically to their questions. They share their thoughts and ideas with staff, who challenge children to find solutions to problems they encounter. For example, when children build a long train track in the garden using wooden interlocking pieces, staff encourage them to look for curved shapes to bend the track around the trees.

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The provision is good

Children eagerly engage with staff who read them their favourite stories. Painted wooden figures depicting characters, such as a mouse, snake and the 'Gruffalo' are hidden among the trees. Children delight in spotting these. This helps to support their literacy skills and love of books.

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need to do better?

n Staff plan a good range of activities that help to support children's learning and interests. However, sometimes, they do not fully consider how to organise tools and equipment to ensure children have more opportunities to manage tasks for themselves. For example, children find adult-sized garden forks a little challenging and need help to dig out the weeds in the vegetable patch. n The educational programme for children is effective. Regular observations, along with knowledge of children's current interests, allow staff to plan a curriculum that supports what children need to learn next. Staff identify any gaps in children's learning and plan suitable next steps to help them catch up. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress in relation to their individual starting points. n Staff develop close bonds with children, which helps to support their emotional

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need to do better?

development and confidence. Key persons comfort and reassure children as they settle into the nursery or move into a new room. A good buddy system helps to ensure that even if their key person is not available, there is someone else they can turn to for help or a cuddle.

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need to do better?

26 July 2021 n Staff are supported well by the manager, who provides them with regular supervision meetings to enhance and extend their practice. They frequently access online training courses to improve their knowledge and raise their teaching skills. Room leaders encourage and guide the other staff working in the room, which helps to strengthen their skills. n Children are happy and settle quickly. They spend as much time as possible playing outside in the fresh air, which helps to support their physical well-being and good health. The mud kitchen gets plenty of use as children explore what happens when they mix sand and mud. Staff encourage children to pick the herbs and add to their mixtures. Children use watering cans to collect water from the water container and create 'mud sundaes', which they proudly gift to the manager and staff. n Partnerships with school teachers are good. Staff encourage teachers to visit the

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need to do better?

children. They provide information about children's development and interests, which helps to support their move to school. n Since returning from the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic lockdown, staff have noticed that many children have fallen behind in their communication and language skills. Staff access support from other professionals, such as speech and language therapists to help children to catch up. n Parents have good opportunities to find out about their children's learning and their achievements. They are happy with the care and support staff provide. Children and their families receive regular ideas and activity sheets that they can do together at home. This was introduced by the manager during the first lockdown and has continued, even though most children are now back in the nursery.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are aware of safeguarding issues which might affect children in their care. They attend regular training and understand the signs and symptoms that could indicate a child is at risk of harm or abuse. Staff know the dangers posed to children from extreme views and behaviours and how to report their concerns. They have a clear understanding of what to do if an allegation is made against a member of staff or they have concerns about a colleague's conduct. Risk assessments help to keep children safe. Staff are quick to react to any changes, such as damaged apples falling from the fruit trees. This helps to prevent any accidents.

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should:

n enhance staff's understanding of how to extend children's independence when

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Setting details

Unique reference number 650048 Local authority Essex Inspection number 10130484 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 51 Number of children on roll 71 Name of registered person Just Like Home Day Nurseries Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01376 321858 Date of previous inspection 29 October 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Apple Tree Day Care Nursery registered in 1997. The nursery is open five days a week from 7.45am until 6pm, for 51 weeks of the year. An out-of-school club operates from 3pm until 6pm through school term times and from 7.45am until 6pm in school holidays. There are 15 members of staff, including the manager. Of these, 11 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above, including the manager who holds a level 5 qualification.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The inspector viewed all areas of the provision and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. n The manager and inspector completed a learning walk together and discussed the early years curriculum. n Children spoke to the inspector during the inspection. n The manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation together. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.

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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

26 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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