Tall Trees Kindergarten

Inspection of Tall Trees Kindergarten Oldford House, Lullington Lane, Oldford, Frome, Somerset BA11 2NF

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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 Good

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The provision is good

Children are happy and content at this friendly, welcoming nursery. Staff are very caring and help children to feel secure. Leaders and staff are committed and have high expectations for children. They provide a well-organised curriculum and staff give a clear focus to helping children gain a secure foundation for learning and become confident and ready for school. This helps all children to make good progress from their starting points.

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The provision is good

Toddlers develop their fine motor skills very well. For example, they become absorbed trying to thread dried spaghetti through the holes in a colander. They have fun exploring colour and texture when painting with brushes and shape cutters. Babies watch with fascination at the bubbles floating around them. They smile and reach out to try and catch them. Pre-school children develop very good listening skills. They are confident to ask questions, such as when learning about the different pets their friends have. They carefully draw circles and lines in the mud outdoors to make a smiley face and say, 'It has two eyes and seven smiles'. Children show kindness to others and share well. They use good manners and ask their friends politely to pass the water jug to them at mealtimes. Staff praise children often for their efforts and help them gain a good sense of self-esteem and emotional well-being.

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need to do better?

n Leaders are supportive of staff and, together, they aim for continuous improvement. For example, staff have raised their awareness about forest school activities to provide children with different play experiences. This led to children enjoying learning about the life cycle of a butterfly and using woodworking tools with staff to make a model of a butterfly. n Children become confident communicators. Staff are skilled at extending their discussions and introduce more complex vocabulary. Pre-school children use words such as 'intestine' or 'oesophagus' when learning about their bodies. They enthusiastically join in with the repeated refrains of a favourite story and anticipate what happens next as, together, they excitedly say, 'It's a bear!' Babies enjoy their nursery rhyme songs and show interest as staff name the colourful pictures in a book. Toddlers confidently use three- and four-word sentences in context. They point to a picture and say, 'It's a flower'.

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need to do better?

n Leaders and staff continually monitor children's achievements and identify how to close any gaps in their development. Staff recognise children's individual ways of learning and, overall, support their good progress very well. However, at times, leaders do not monitor staff deployment and practice as well as possible. For example, to ensure all staff motivate and engage babies in meaningful learning activities that encourage their next steps of development consistently

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need to do better?

8 July 2024 well. n Staff promote children's early mathematical awareness very well. Pre-school children use numbers of personal significance and say, 'I am four and will be five next.' They develop their critical thinking skills, such as when categorising their friends into groups according to the pets they have. Toddlers start using numbers confidently in their play and say, 'there are two heart shapes' on their painting. n Parents state that their children love going to nursery and are making very good progress. Parents comment that staff keep them well informed about their children's activities. They speak about feeling reassured with how staff manage children's transition to each room in the nursery. n Children develop their imaginations very well, overall. They talk about the 'mud paint' and 'hot chocolate smoothies' they make using earth, water, and leaves. They make a duck's nest with twigs and use small apples for the duck's eggs.

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need to do better?

However, at times, staff do not consider providing further resources to extend children's learning even more effectively. For example, to ensure children have more choice of resources that support their interests and build on their spontaneous ideas and learning consistently well, such as in the outdoor areas. n Children behave very well. Staff keep clear, consistent expectations and help children to respect others. This supports children to play cooperatively and happily with their friends. n Staff promote children's personal development effectively. Children gain very good practical life skills. For example, they serve themselves healthy meals at lunchtimes. Staff encourage babies to start feeding themselves. All children have daily exercise and learn how to take safe risks in their play. Staff teach children about keeping their teeth healthy. Pre-school children know they have molars and learn how to brush their teeth and keep them clean.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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should:

n strengthen the monitoring of staff practice, with particular regard to the deployment of staff working with the babies, to ensure children's next steps of development are supported consistently well n make more use of resources to support and extend all children's spontaneous ideas and learning even further.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY340931 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 10356131 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 126 Number of children on roll 194 Name of registered person Tall Trees Kindergarten Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01373 465691 Date of previous inspection 19 July 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Tall Trees Kindergarten registered in 2006 and is situated in Oldford, Somerset. The nursery is open on weekdays from 8am until 6pm for 51 weeks of the year. The nursery employs 44 members of staff. Of these, one has achieved early years professional status, eight hold early years qualifications at level 5, 22 hold qualifications at level 3, and three hold qualifications at level 2. The nursery operates according to the Outdoor Scandinavian method as well as the Montessori ethos and provides funded early education for children aged two, three and four years.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The inspectors and the deputy manager undertook a learning walk and discussed their curriculum and what they want children to learn. n The inspectors observed children's interactions in play indoors and outdoors and had discussions with staff about children's learning and next steps of development. n The lead inspector viewed a sample of documentation, such as records of suitability for staff and nursery policies. n The lead inspector and the manager completed three joint observations of children's activities and discussed the quality of education provided. n The inspectors spoke with parents at the inspection and took their views into account.

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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

8 July 2024 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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