The Learning Tree Kindergarten & Nursery School

Inspection of The Learning Tree Kindergarten & Nursery School 115 Thorpe Road, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire PE3 6JQ

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

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

p.1

The provision is good

Children are happy and thrive at this friendly nursery. Their emotional security is prioritised. Children settle into nursery life quickly and establish strong attachments with the warm and caring staff team. Babies babble and smile as staff interact with them tenderly. They freely and curiously explore the sensory properties of sound. For example, babies bang wooden spoons on a range of different surfaces. Staff extend their learning and introduce other objects for them to bang. This helps to sharpen babies' listening skills as they learn about volume, pitch and rhythm.

p.2

The provision is good

Children behave well across the setting and understand the nursery's expectations of conduct. For example, children must climb several flights of stairs throughout the day to access the garden, sleep room and dining room. They listen carefully to staff when they are reminded of the rules to keep themselves safe. They take it in turns and wait patiently for their friends to go on to the next step before following in a sensible way. In addition, children develop strong leg muscles, coordination and physical endurance.

p.2

need to do better?

n Staff know the children well. They plan a broad curriculum and introduce them to a range of experiences. Parents talk positively about the education their children receive and say they are kept well informed of their progress. They are involved in their children's learning journey and are supplied with regular activities to help them continue their education at home. n Additional funding is used in a variety of ways for pre-school children. For example, staff have focused on raising children's literacy skills. They have developed a 'lending library' for children and introduced sessions from a professional storyteller, to captivate and fuel children's imagination and listening skills. n Children develop a genuine love of books as they listen to familiar stories such as 'The Three Billy Goats Gruff'. Staff are engaging and encourage children to re-enact parts of the story in their play. Children work well together to construct

p.2

need to do better?

a bridge and assume roles. They join in with repeated refrains and squeal in excitement when the troll appears. Children practise narratives and build rich language relating to the story. n Staff provide many opportunities for children to build their understanding of the world around them. They enjoy learning outside the nursery, visiting areas of interest within their community. For instance, staff take children to farms to harvest pumpkins and strawberries, which helps them to understand where food comes from. Furthermore, children discover the natural world and frequently walk to the local woodland with staff. They see the bluebells and wild garlic growing in spring. This helps children to obtain an understanding of the

p.2

need to do better?

28 February 2023 variations in seasons. n Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are very well supported. They benefit from small-group sessions to help them catch up and make progress in their learning. The special educational needs coordinator works closely with families and other professionals to develop strategies and build individual plans for children. As a result, children are prepared well for the transition to school. n The leadership team has sufficient overview of the nursery. Leaders have identified strengths and areas for further development. For example, the younger children are working towards being more independent at serving themselves during mealtimes. The well-qualified management team is keen to keep improving and aims to offer high-quality early education. However, systems for monitoring the quality of staff practice are not firmly embedded, to raise the already good teaching skills to a higher level.

p.2

need to do better?

n Generally, staff support children's communication and language development well. However, where children speak English as an additional language, some staff do not know the child's home language. This means that they cannot use this information to support their communication skills and personal development.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Staff fully understand their responsibility to safeguard children. They attend child protection training to keep their knowledge up to date. Staff are able to recognise the signs and symptoms of potential abuse and neglect, including the wider issues, such as radicalisation and extremism. Staff know the procedures to follow and the appropriate agencies to report to should they have any concerns about a child in their care. The designated safeguarding lead tests and refreshes staff's knowledge during meetings to ensure they remain confident in their processes.

p.3

should:

n strengthen the monitoring of staff practice so that it focuses more specifically on developing staff's teaching skills to an even higher level n support staff's awareness of any additional languages that children speak or hear at home and consider how to use this information to support children's development.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number 256834 Local authority Peterborough Inspection number 10265289 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

p.4

Registers

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

p.4

inspection

Total number of places 48 Number of children on roll 99 Name of registered person Grys, Valerie

p.4

reference number

Telephone number 01733 313391 Date of previous inspection 1 June 2017

p.4

Information about this early years setting

The Learning Tree Kindergarten & Nursery School registered in 1990. The nursery employs 19 members of childcare staff. Of these, 17 hold an appropriate early years qualification at level 2 or above. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 8am until 5.30pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

p.4

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 provider. n The manager and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n Children communicated with the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector spoke to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact on children's learning. n The inspector observed the interactions between staff and children. n The manager and inspector carried out a joint observation of a group activity. n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector.

p.5

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.

p.5

Inspection activities

28 February 2023 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.

p.5

Inspection activities

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.6

Inspection activities

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk

p.6

Inspection activities

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.6

Inspection activities

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.6