Partou Cherry Trees Day Nursery & Pre-School

Inspection of Partou Cherry Trees Day Nursery & Pre-School 179 Bedford Avenue, SLOUGH SL1 4RA

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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The provision requires improvement

Overall, the quality of teaching at the nursery is variable, due to inconsistencies in staff practices and breaches of statutory requirements. Although children show they are settled and secure at the nursery the teaching is not well sequenced to help them build on what they already know and can do. Not all staff are confident in the areas of the curriculum. Some lack the subject knowledge and teaching skills necessary to deliver a well-sequenced and ambitious curriculum that meets the needs of all children. For example, in the under-two's unit, learning intentions are sometimes pitched at a level that is too advanced for the children's age and stage of development. As a result, not all children make the progress they are capable of.

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The provision requires improvement

Nonetheless, children are happy, the key-person system is secure and children have warm trusting relationships with staff. This is evident when children confidently approach staff for cuddles and drift peacefully to sleep. Children play in a clean and well-maintained environment. However, staff do not always help children understand the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Older children behave well and are learning to resolve conflict between themselves and others successfully. However, staff do not consider how to manage younger children's behaviour, to help them to learn the consequences of their actions. Children's communication and language is supported through spontaneous songs and stories during the day.

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need to do better?

n The quality of education is variable across the nursery. While some staff deliver effective teaching that supports children's engagement and progress, others do not consistently promote purposeful learning. As a result, children are not sufficiently challenged or supported to build on what they already know and can do. n Children play in a clean and welcoming environment. They are provided with healthy, nutritious meals that meet their individual dietary needs. However, lunchtime routines are not always well organised, resulting in children waiting at the table for extended periods of time for their meals, which impacts on the time children have to engage in purposeful play. n Staff do not always maintain health and hygiene practices consistently in daily routines. For instance, children and staff do not always wash their hands before serving and eating after outdoor play, and younger children are observed sharing

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need to do better?

foods that they have started to consume. This does not effectively promote children's good health and potentially increases the spread of infection. n When teaching is of a better quality, staff encourage children's interests well. For example, children like to play outdoors, where pre-school children develop gross motor skills through climbing, balancing and exploring spatial awareness. Older toddlers are encouraged to take manageable risks, such as sliding down a pole

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need to do better?

19 August 2025 and exploring with different materials to build obstacle adventures. Younger children, including babies, engage in sensory activities, like water, sand and paint, which supports their movement and handling skills. n Children show that they feel safe at the nursery. They explore their base rooms with confidence, and all have opportunities indoors to climb on small apparatus to develop their coordination and large muscles. Overall, most staff remind children of the boundaries that keep them safe, such as holding on the rail when going up stairs. However, at times, some younger children do not receive consistent messages from staff to help them regulate their behaviour. Despite this, staff do offer children suitable praise, which promotes their self-esteem and confidence well. n Staff gather a good range of information from parents when children first start with them, this helps to support a smooth transition. Staff regularly share

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need to do better?

updates with parents to maintain continuity in care and learning. Parents comment that they are very happy with the care, education and support provided, and they acknowledge the effective communication through both verbal and written formats. n Staff feel well supported and describe leaders as contactable and approachable. They understand safeguarding procedures, including whistle-blowing and the mobile phone policy. Management has some monitoring systems in place, such as supervision and team meetings. However, these approaches are not sufficiently robust to identify weaknesses in teaching to raise the quality of care and education to a good level.

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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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Due date

take necessary steps to prevent the spread of infection and ensure children's health is not compromised 19/09/2025

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Due date

19 August 2025 improve and strengthen the implementation of the curriculum and tailor teaching more precisely to children's age and stage of development to extend their knowledge and skills further. 19/09/2025

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should:

n review the organisation of the lunchtime routine, to ensure that all children stay focused on purposeful learning n provide more consistent support for the younger children, to help build on their understanding of how to manage their feelings and behaviours n use self-evaluation effectively to identify any weaknesses, including any breaches of requirements, and take action to improve the quality of the provision.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY436012 Local authority Slough Inspection number 10405465 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 134 Number of children on roll 132 Name of registered person Partou UK Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01753 532 718 Date of previous inspection 21 June 2021

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Information about this early years setting

Partou Cherry Trees Day Nursery & Pre-School registered in 2012. It is situated on the Slough Trading Estate in Berkshire. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.45am until 6.15pm for 51 weeks of the year. It is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years old. It is also in receipt of early years pupil premium funding. The nursery employs 29 members of staff, of these 19 staff have relevant early years qualifications.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors Tracy Bartholomew Lisa Robinson

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Inspection activities

n One of the inspectors spoke with the management team about the leadership and management of the setting. n The acting deputy manager explained the nursery curriculum during a learning walk with the inspectors. n The acting deputy manager and one of the inspectors completed a joint observation of an activity together and discussed the quality of teaching and learning afterwards. n Staff and children spoke to the inspectors during the inspection. n Parents shared their views of the setting with one of the inspectors. n The acting deputy manager showed one of the inspectors documentation to demonstrate the suitability of staff.

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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

19 August 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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