Willow Tree Day Nursery

Inspection of Willow Tree Day Nursery 31 Junction Road, Bolton BL3 4LT

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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 Not applicable

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The provision is good

Children settle quickly on arrival at this warm and welcoming nursery. Children are happy and feel safe, settled and assured. Children form strong and caring bonds with their key persons. Babies who are settling in get plenty of cuddles and individual care, which helps them to become confident within the nursery environment. For example, leaders carefully consider the individual needs and experiences of children when allocating staff as key persons, to nurture strong attachments. Staff learn words in children's home languages to help children who speak English as an additional language (EAL) feel welcomed and understood.

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The provision is good

Staff have high expectations for children. In turn, children's behaviour is good. Staff give children clear boundaries and encourage them to manage disputes amicably. For example, when two children play with sand and want to use the same spades and forks, staff ask them what they could do. Children decide to let one child have the equipment for a few minutes and then to swap. As a result, children are beginning to manage their emotions and behaviour and to understand the impact their actions have on others.

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need to do better?

n The manager and staff have a clear understanding of what they want children to learn. They provide a range of activities that fulfil this and allow for children to make their own choices. However, the curriculum for communication is not implemented consistently well across the nursery. For example, support for some children's thinking skills and language structures is not as effective. This results in children not consistently benefiting from high-quality interactions that promote their all-round language development. n Children's literacy skills are well supported. Staff share books with children and read with excitement in their voices as they become the characters from the story. Children identify their own name cards and are beginning to write independently. For instance, toddlers make marks and patterns in sand. Older children begin to practise hand-muscle strength using dough. This helps to develop children's early reading and writing skills.

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need to do better?

n Children who need extra support are swiftly identified, and interventions are quickly put in place. Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who speak English as an additional language (EAL) effectively. Staff speak regularly with other professionals to share information about children's learning and development. This helps staff to actively plan to move children with SEND and EAL forward in their learning. n Staff have thought clearly about how children develop their independence skills. From an early age, children learn to pour their own drinks. Two-year-old children begin to serve themselves their meals and use cutlery with increasing control. By

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need to do better?

25 July 2023 the time children reach the pre-school room, they serve themselves competently and learn to cut up their food. n Overall, partnerships with parents are good. Parents feel supported and are kept informed about their child's care and learning daily. They receive detailed information about their children's experiences. However, staff do not always ensure that some parents know what their children's next steps in learning are or how they can continue this learning at home. n Children flourish in the large outdoor space. They run, negotiate space, climb and balance. This helps to develop their large physical skills and enables them to have lots of fresh air daily. Indoors, babies negotiate objects, such as climbing up and down soft-play equipment. Two-year-old children work out how to move their bodies to go up, over and down a climbing frame. Pre-school children concentrate as they complete threading tasks and design intricate hair designs.

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need to do better?

This helps them to continue to engage in learning. n Additional funding, such as early years pupil premium, is used effectively to support children's development and experiences. For example, additional training and resources have been purchased, such as 'Mini Minds Matter' and the story 'The Colour Monster', to help children learn more about their feelings and to support them to settle at the nursery. Furthermore, staff ensure that children have access to the wider community and enjoy a variety of outings, such as to farms, local shops and on the bus. This helps to widen children's experiences of the wider world.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have a secure understanding of how to protect the children in their care. They have good knowledge of the signs and symptoms which may indicate a child is at risk of harm. Staff know the procedures to use to report concerns to protect the welfare of children. Additionally, staff know how to report inappropriate behaviour by another member of the staff team. Robust recruitment arrangements ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children. Staff use good risk assessments to help keep children safe when at the nursery, both indoors and outdoors. Staff share information with parents straight away if any accidents occur.

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should:

n help staff to implement the curriculum for communication and language more precisely n enhance ways of sharing more detailed information about children's learning with parents, enabling them to know how and why to extend this at home.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2629779 Local authority Bolton Inspection number 10301418 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

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

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inspection

Total number of places 81 Number of children on roll 117 Name of registered person Willow Tree Day Care (Bolton) Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 07540928228 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Willow Tree Day Nursery registered in 2021 and is located in Bolton. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round from 7.30am to 6pm. The nursery employs 16 members of staff. Of these, one holds qualified teacher status and 12 hold qualifications from level 2 to level 6. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider 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 owner/manager and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n Children and parents spoke to the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector talked to the provider and 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 that this was having on children's learning. n The manager and the inspector carried out joint observations of group activities together. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed 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

25 July 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.

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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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