The Orange Tree Day Nursery @ Hucknall

Inspection of The Orange Tree Day Nursery @ Hucknall Beardall Street, Hucknall, Nottingham NG15 7JU

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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 applicableNot applicable

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The provision is good

Children receive a warm welcome on arrival at this inclusive nursery. They arrive excitedly and leave their parents with ease. Children are curious learners, who are keen to explore the stimulating environment. The youngest children show considerable concentration as staff involve them in interactive singing sessions. Babies pop bubbles, play peekaboo and bang on musical instruments. Toddlers explore wet sand using their fingers, spades and sieves. Less-confident children are supported by staff to take part. Older children develop their finger muscles as they use different tools, such as garlic presses and potato mashers, to create play dough shapes and patterns.

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The provision is good

Older children develop their emotional literacy in the 'Zen Den'. Staff support them in expressing how they feel as they introduce children to words, such as happy, sad and angry. This also helps to support children who speak English as an additional language, contributing to their sense of security and belonging. Babies learn to crawl, toddle and climb small indoor apparatus. Toddlers ably climb and slide down ramps. The supportive staff encourage children to take turns to use the slide, which helps build on their emotional resilience. Older children learn how to handle tape measures as staff encourage them to take turns to measure and count how many bricks they need to build a tower. This helps to increase the muscle strength in their fingers and hands. The nursery has a purposeful atmosphere as children enjoy learning experiences appropriate to their age and stage of development.

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need to do better?

n Leaders provide a creative and supportive culture that motivates and inspires the staff. They organise regular team meetings and involve staff in planning and identifying priorities for the nursery curriculum. Staff implement this curriculum to ensure sequential learning that builds as children move up the nursery. All staff maintain a performance development diary and complete regular online training to help further their knowledge and skills. Consequently, teaching is strong, and children progress well. n Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, or those on the pathway to diagnosis, are supported well. Staff build close and professional relationships with other agencies and parents. Additional funding is well used for all children to meet their needs and prepare them for future learning. Consequently, children with additional needs show good progress from their starting points.

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need to do better?

n Staff act as strong role models for sharing and taking turns with others. They recognise children's achievements and continuously praise them for their efforts, boosting their self-esteem and confidence. However, at times, staff do not make the most of daily routines to support some older children's learning. For

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need to do better?

23 April 2025 example, on these occasions, some children become restless while waiting for meals and snacks. n Staff provide good support for children to develop their self-care skills. At mealtimes, children practise pouring drinks and serving food. Older children learn to use knives safely as staff help them to cut apples and pears and encourage them to keep trying when they find it tricky. Younger children learn to handle cutlery and are encouraged to look at their reflections in small mirrors while wiping their faces after eating. Staff provide excellent support, when children are starting to be toilet trained. n Overall, the staff promote the children's communication and language well. They provide ongoing commentary for children's play and generally engage older children in age-appropriate conversations. Children of all ages enjoy singing and sharing stories. However, on occasion, staff sometimes talk in very long, complex

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need to do better?

sentences and forget to wait for children to respond to questions. Therefore, support for children to build on the range of words they know, and practise is less well established. n Staff focus on outdoor learning and provide children with a broad range of experiences to support their interests. Older children develop physical skills, such as climbing trees in the secret garden and using small tools to plant seeds in the growing area. Staff support younger children to develop hand-eye coordination as they roll hoops and practise new skills using bats and balls. n Staff carefully plan activities to build children's independence ready for school. For example, children collect and put on outdoor clothing and know to wash their hands after visiting the bathroom. However, staff interactions and direct teaching are sometimes inconsistent with their assessment of what children need to learn next. This is because, sometimes, staff do not adapt activities or

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need to do better?

their teaching to focus on individual children's learning needs.

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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 to make better use of daily routines to enhance children's learning even further n strengthen support for children to build on the range of words they know and practise to further their language skills n develop planned activities and the support offered to children to ensure teaching focuses on their next steps in learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2826520 Local authority Nottinghamshire County Council Inspection number 10400156 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 160 Number of children on roll 310 Name of registered person Childcare Matters Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01332321943 Date of previous inspection Not applicableNot applicable

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Information about this early years setting

The Orange Tree Day Nursery @ Hucknall re registered in 2025 and is located in Nottinghamshire. The nursery employs 43 members of staff. Of these, 30 hold an appropriate early years qualification at level 2 or above. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. It is closed for all public bank holidays and for one week at Christmas. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. The nursery provides government funded places for children aged nine months to four years.

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Inspection activities

n This inspection was prompted following Ofsted's risk assessment process. n The inspectors completed a walk around the nursery with the manager and the deputy manager and discussed the plans and reasoning for the early years curriculum. n The inspectors observed the quality of the curriculum during activities indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The inspectors spoke with staff and children during the inspection. n The inspectors completed joint observations with the nursery managers. n The inspectors held a meeting with the nursery management team. They reviewed relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery. n The inspectors spoke to a small number of parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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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

23 April 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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