Willow Tree Day Nursery Biddulph

Inspection of Willow Tree Day Nursery Biddulph Nursery House, Craigside, Biddulph, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST8 6BN

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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 are happy and contented in this nursery. They build close relationships with staff who are warm and nurturing towards them. This helps children to feel safe and secure in their care. Staff have arranged the play environments specifically to meet children's current and emerging needs. For example, babies have fun and enjoy bouncing on soft matting while they strengthen their legs, ready for crawling, while older babies strengthen their legs and the core of their bodies while standing to explore a range of farm animals. They giggle and smile when staff make the sounds of the animals. Older children learn how to respect and look after their toys. They are eager to help staff put away toys where they belong.

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The provision is good

Children behave well. They respond well to staff's gentle reminders to use 'kind hands' and to use their good manners. Staff model positive behaviours with children and with each other. This helps children to know the behaviour that is expected of them. The pre-school children begin to understand their emotions and the emotions of others. They learn how to resolve minor disputes between themselves. Children gain the skills, knowledge and understanding they need to prepare them for the next stage of their learning and their eventual move on to school.

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need to do better?

n The nursery curriculum is well designed with clear intentions for children's learning that enable them to make consistent progress, building on what they already know and can do. Staff use information that is gained from parents, and their observations, to decide what children are ready to learn next. They use children's interests to engage them in play and include the learning that children need during their play interactions. n Communication and language is generally supported well. Staff working with babies use lots of repetition of words during play to build on their understanding. Toddlers enjoy hearing a familiar story about a 'Tiger who came to Tea'. Staff further build on the children's understanding to create a play scene containing elements from the story. Children are excited to practise the process of making tea and collect the necessary ingredients. However, at times, staff ask closed questions that require only a limited response. This does not help children

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need to do better?

to think and respond in their own words with their ideas. n Pre-school children are confident to speak with visitors. They use clear speech and are eager to share what they know. For example, they talk about different animals that live in cold lands, such as polar bears and penguins. They talk knowledgeably about what they can see happen to the ice when it begins to melt. n Children who need additional support receive the specific help that they need to

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need to do better?

28 January 2025 make positive progress from their starting points. For example, staff use additional programmes to support speech development, which has helped children to quickly catch up. Staff liaise effectively with outside agencies and parents to help children make the progress they are capable of. n Independence is promoted very well in a range of areas. For example, at mealtimes, babies, toddlers and pre-school children drink from unlidded cups, learn to serve themselves and use appropriate cutlery with increasing skill. Children receive lots of praise for their efforts and achievements, which helps to raise their confidence in their abilities. That said, staff do not yet support all children to manage their personal care needs at the earliest that they are capable. n Managers provide staff with the support, guidance and training they need to continue their professional development. Staff receive the mandatory training

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need to do better?

they need, such as for safeguarding and regular team discussions, which helps this knowledge to remain current. n Parents are happy with the care that their children receive. They speak highly of the staff and say their children often speak of them at home. Parents are particularly pleased with the communication from the setting and say they value the information they receive about their child's care and learning.

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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 support staff further to develop their verbal interactions to enable children time to think and respond with their own ideas, practising their speaking skills n increase the opportunities for children to be even more independent, particularly to manage their personal care at the earliest they are capable.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2553057 Local authority Staffordshire Inspection number 10383293 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 40 Number of children on roll 52 Name of registered person Willow Tree Day Nursery (biddulph) Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01782 518484 Date of previous inspection 17 May 2024

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Information about this early years setting

Willow Tree Nursery Biddulph registered in 2019. The nursery employs 17 members of childcare staff. Of whom, one holds an appropriate early years qualification at level 5, seven hold level 3 and four hold level 2 qualifications. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round, except for bank holidays and one week at Christmas. Sessions are from 7.15am to 6.15pm. The nursery provides funded early education for children aged nine months and onwards.

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Inspection activities

n The manager showed the inspector all areas of the premises and discussed how staff ensure that they are safe and suitable for children to attend. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching throughout the inspection and considered the impact this has on children's learning. A joint evaluation of the quality of teaching during an activity took place between the leader and the inspector. n The inspector spoke to parents at appropriate times and also took account of their written views of the nursery. n The inspector spoke to children and staff at appropriate times during the inspection. n The inspector held a meeting with the manager and the deputy manager and discussed how the setting was organised. The inspector reviewed relevant documentation, including evidence of the suitability of staff working in the setting.

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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

28 January 2025 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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