Lime Tree Nursery (carlton)

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is inadequate

Leaders do not ensure that staff receive the coaching, monitoring or support they need to be able to fulfil their roles and responsibilities. For example, risk assessments are not always effective.

Staff fail to identify emerging risks or take prompt action to maintain children's safety. On occasion, this is further compounded by poor staff deployment in the toddler and pre-school rooms, which results in children receiving limited support and interactions during their play. This sees some children flitting around the room rather than engaging with activities and others who prefer to seek interaction from visitors.
.../>Furthermore, on these occasions, staff do not supervise children adequately, and they do not notice physical disagreements between children or their risk-taking behaviours. While staff attempt to encourage positive behaviour, they do not always pursue this. This sees children continue their risky play.

Nonetheless, children enjoy the sensory experiences that staff provide for them. For example, staff provide reassurance as younger babies tentatively explore sand. Staff introduce words such as cold and soft, and show babies how to sprinkle the sand from their fingers.

Pre-school children and toddlers readily work with staff to make 'snow'. Children are helped to measure out the ingredients on weighing scales. Staff know that children are not yet able to recognise the larger numbers, and so they break it down for them into single digits.

Children carefully pour ingredients into large bowls and take turns to pour in water and stir the mixture. They use their hands to scoop up and feel the mixture, while others enjoy flicking the sticky substance off their fingers. Older babies are supported to hold chunky brushes and dip them in paint to create colourful Christmas tree decorations.

This helps children develop the muscles they need for early writing.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

Risk assessments are not always effective, meaning that staff do not recognise hazards or take prompt enough action to maintain a safe environment. For example, staff allow large amounts of clutter to accumulate on playroom floors.

As a result, children trip as they attempt to move around the room. When food that is brought into the pre-school room is too hot, children jump as they touch the hot food to their mouths.Staff supervision of children is not always effective.

After lunchtime, pre-school room staff prioritise completing necessary chores and do not notice when children are not playing safely. For example, children remove pen tops with their mouths. They then walk around the room with the pen tops in their mouths.

This presents a risk of choking. Furthermore, lack of engagement from staff results in children preferring to run around the room and disengage from learning. As a result, not all children are making good progress in their learning.

Leaders recognise the variable staff practice across the setting. Room leads and newly appointed managers undertake regular supervisions with staff. However, this is not yet focused sharply enough on supporting staff to fully understand and implement their roles and responsibilities.

Pre-school children are helpful. They hand out plates at lunchtime and tidy away musical instruments when song time has finished. Older babies show kindness, gently hugging their friends during play.

However, staff do not consistently help children understand what is expected for their behaviour. As a result, rules and boundaries are not reinforced. For example, children throw unwanted resources to the floor, and they push their friends when they want the same toy and they ignore staff requests for them to stop running and shouting indoors.

Staff ensure even the youngest children receive fresh air and exercise daily. Pre-school children are supported by staff to balance as they walk on low beams and gain confidence as they use stilts. Toddlers use their muscles as they kick balls and throw bean bags.

Indoors, staff provide activities at different levels to encourage babies to gain confidence on their feet and pull themselves up so they can independently access activities.Children are developing their early independence skills. Pre-school children use tongs to serve themselves lunch, and older babies are supported to put their own aprons on.

Toddlers wash their hands before meals, and they peel their chosen fruit at snack time and they are supported to pour their own drinking water. This helps children learn to do things for themselves.Overall, parents are positive about the nursery.

They state that their children have grown in confidence, have made early friendships and get the chance to participate in new experiences. However, parents feel more communication would be useful to help them to understand how their children are progressing and what their children will be learning next.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

There is not an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must: Due date ensure staff have a secure understanding of how to identify and minimise all risks to children, so that children's safety and well-being are maintained at all times 14/01/2025 improve the deployment of staff to ensure that children are adequately supervised at all times to help keep them safe, and to enable staff to engage with children effectively to support and extend their learning 14/01/2025 ensure that there is effective oversight of the setting and support staff through supervision, support and coaching so that they can fulfil their roles and responsibilities 14/01/2025 implement behaviour management strategies, which support staff to be consistent in their approach, and which build on children's understanding of behaviour expectations.14/01/2025 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nimprove information-sharing with parents so that parents understand what children are learning next and how to support ongoing learning at home.