Apple Blossom Day Nursery

Apple Blossom Day Nursery

Unique reference number (URN): EY450875 Address: St. Catherines Court, 2 & 3 Timber Beach Road, Sunderland Enterprise Park, SUNDERLAND, Tyne & Wear, SR5 3XJ Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 18/09/2012 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Apple Blossom Childcare Limited

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children are settled, happy and familiar with the daily routines. For example, they know where to hang their coats on arrival and know where to wash their hands before eating. Children behave well. Some children are learning to play cooperatively and develop positive relationships with their peers and staff. This supports children's emotional wellbeing, social skills and sense of belonging. Children demonstrate a positive attitude to learning. They are interested in and happily engage in the various activities available. Staff work well with parents and carers to encourage and ensure children's regular attendance, which is a particular strength of the setting. Staff know the babies in their care really well. They are very attentive to them and are quick to meet their individual needs. For example, staff are fully aware of each child's routine, preferences and behaviours. They know when children are tired and also what activities the children love to engage in, such as finger painting.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Where children have additional needs, staff are aware of situations that might upset them and try to limit these, such as a certain member of staff being out of sight. Although this is limited, where possible, staff are beginning to help children to understand, discuss and manage their feelings. This helps to support children's emotional wellbeing.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders and staff ensure a nurturing environment that supports children to build positive relationships and form secure attachments with the adults caring for them. Staff generally know children's abilities and interests and use these to create learning opportunities they know the children will enjoy. Some children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive additional support when they arrive, or additional encouragement from staff to join in certain activities. This ensures all children are included and involved if they wish. The caring approach of staff ensures that children feel secure and helps them to settle.

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Needs attention

Parents and carers report very positively about the care and education their children receive, including for children with SEND. Children also receive encouraging support from staff with personal care routines, such as toileting. Staff are very aware of children's individual sleeping routines. They know when they are ready for a sleep and approximately how long each child usually sleeps for. Staff sit with children at lunch and snack times to ensure their safety and to support routines. All children, including babies, have regular opportunities for developing their independence skills. They confidently feed themselves and access drinking water when they want it.

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Achievement Needs attention

Leaders do not always focus sufficiently on monitoring and evaluating the learning experiences for children. That said, children are making some progress in their learning and development, particularly in the prime areas of learning. Although children have regular opportunities for developing creativity when engaged in different craft activities, their learning in mathematics and literacy is limited. This means children are not stretched as much as they could be and so are not as well prepared for the next stage of their learning.

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Achievement Needs attention

Babies develop balance and coordination as they practise standing and walking. Older children negotiate obstacles such as tyres when running around outside. Their hand–eye coordination, confidence and social skills are promoted when children engage in throwing and catching balls and bean bags with staff. Children's language and communication skills are developing during singing and story sessions, as well as conversations with staff. Children have opportunities to understand the world around them. They engage in activities around different themes. For example, when learning about springtime, children use real flowers and petals in their play, such as when painting and adding flowers to their play dough designs.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders and staff generally deliver a basic curriculum, but with mathematics and literacy being less routinely planned for or taught. There is also a lack of clear intention or planning for children's outdoor learning. Staff provide adequate teaching that reflects children's interests and supports their development in most areas of learning. Although leaders and staff are clear about the aims of the curriculum and what they want children to learn, they are less clear about how they will support children to learn the skills they need in order to meet the aims. Leaders do not always focus sufficiently on monitoring and evaluating the learning experiences for children.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Staff are not always fully aware of some children's capabilities. For example, where some children display very advanced skills, staff do not plan effectively to support those skills and continue to challenge children's learning. This means that children are not making as much progress as they could with more targeted and specific support. That said, children are engaged and interested in their learning, including when playing outdoors. Staff ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are included and involved in the range of activities available.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Overall, support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is generally effective, although it is not yet fully consistent. Leaders recognise this and are taking steps to strengthen practice further, including ensuring that staff with lead responsibilities have access to appropriate training courses.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Although adequate procedures are in place for staff to monitor and assess children's learning, including the 2-year progress checks, these are not fully completed to ensure they include all relevant information. For example, they do not include activities and strategies the provider intends to adopt to address any issues or concerns about a child's learning.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders and staff work with parents, carers and other professionals to identify children's needs and put some suitable strategies in place. For example, additional funding has been used to create an attractive and well-resourced sensory room. Staff aim to ensure that all children benefit from the sensory room. For example, for children who do not have any additional needs, the area is used for relaxation and to help children to become calm if they are upset for any reason. Leaders and staff support children and families in receipt of other additional funding appropriately. They ensure that parents are made aware of appropriate funding entitlements to assist children to attend.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders are passionate about their role and are committed to supporting children and families. However, the setting has recently undergone a period of change and transition, with 2 previously separate nurseries combining. This also resulted in changes to leadership and other roles, with some staff still getting used to new responsibilities. While managing the transition and supporting staff and children to settle, there has been less focus on promoting leaders' and staff's continuous professional development. Leaders are aware of this and are taking steps to secure relevant training courses for staff in the near future. However, all staff have ongoing access to safeguarding and paediatric first-aid training.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Staff comment that they enjoy working at the setting and receive effective support from management. There are also procedures in place to support staff's wellbeing. Leaders work with external professionals to assess children who may have special educational needs. They also work closely with parents and carers to ensure they are kept informed about their child's development and progress.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children are settled and happy in the nursery. They demonstrate that they feel safe, familiar and confident with the daily routines. They develop positive relationships with their peers and staff. This supports children's emotional wellbeing, social skills and sense of belonging. Some children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive additional support when they arrive, or additional encouragement from staff to join in certain activities. This ensures all children are included and involved if they wish. Staff's caring approach ensures that children feel welcomed. Leaders and staff ensure a nurturing environment that supports children to build positive relationships and form secure attachments with the adults caring for them. Staff in the baby room know the children in their care really well. In other rooms, staff generally know children's abilities and interests, and they use these to create learning opportunities they

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

know the children will enjoy. Children engage well and enjoy the varied range of learning experiences, which supports their development in most areas of learning. They participate enthusiastically in creative activities when using play dough and paint, for example.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Although children have regular opportunities for developing creativity when engaged in different craft activities, their learning in mathematics and literacy is limited. This means children are not stretched as much as they could be and so are not as well prepared for the next stage of their learning. In addition, leaders and staff are not fully aware of some children's capabilities. For example, where some children display very advanced skills, staff do not plan effectively to support those skills and continue to challenge children's learning. This means that children are not making as much progress as they could with more targeted and specific support.

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Next steps

To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date:

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Action Completion Date

ensure assessments, particularly the required progress check at age 2, include all relevant information, such as activities and strategies the provider intends to adopt to address any issues or concerns about a child's learning 19/06/2026

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Action Completion Date

improve the curriculum so that it is ambitious for all children, is consistently implemented and supports all children to make progress in all areas of learning and is specific to their individual needs and capabilities 19/06/2026

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Action Completion Date

improve leaders' monitoring of children's achievement and their overview and assessment of the effectiveness of the curriculum to ensure it prepares all children for the next stage in their learning 19/06/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure staff have access to appropriate training and guidance to support them in their roles and when assessing and meeting children's needs and reducing barriers to learning. 19/06/2026

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Address:

St. Catherines Court, 2 & 3 Timber Beach Road Sunderland Enterprise Park SUNDERLAND Tyne & Wear SR5 3XJ

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Apple Blossom Childcare Limited

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, children and parents during the inspection.

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About this inspection

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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About this inspection

We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. The provider will be able to give parents further information about this. This data is from 19 May 2026

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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