The Lime Trees

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children are excited to attend the setting.

They eagerly lead their parents to the entrance and patiently wait for staff to welcome them. Staff establish strong and secure relationships with all children that help develop children's high confidence levels. Staff model how to greet children as they arrive.

Young children take their friends by the hand to join in and children ask each other how they are. Staff explain to children what they can learn from each activity. Children are highly motivated and eager to join in.

Children's faces light up when staff show them what to do and how to use objects. For ...example, children learn how to use different tools to mix ingredients to make their own pumpkin soup.Staff embed clear routines using consistent behavioural expectations and praise.

Children show they understand. For example, in the garden, young children notice they have forgotten equipment they should be wearing. 'Oh no I need my wellies,' children say.

They go back inside independently, put their wellies on and return to plant flowers. Staff place great importance on promoting children's happiness, well-being and individuality. They model positive relationships and support children to be polite and to respect one another.

Children apologise independently to one another when they knock into friends and check on their friends when they fall over.Children, from an early age, have a 'can-do' attitude as they have excellent opportunities to develop independence skills. All children choose and cut up their own snacks.

They clear away and wash up their dishes after they eat. Staff skilfully prompt using key words and instructions to develop younger children's understanding and perseverance to do things for themselves. For example, taking their own wellies off and putting their shoes back on.

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

The leadership in the setting is inspirational. Staff benefit from excellent support from the leadership team. Leaders are very aware of ensuring that the well-being of staff is recognised and considered.

Staff say that they are extremely happy and are very well supported; they can share their thoughts and discuss any issues. Staff develop their knowledge and skills because they access an extensive range of training and professional development opportunities.Staff know the children exceptionally well.

They have a deep knowledge of child development and how children learn. They use this knowledge, coupled with their high aspirations for children, to assess what children can do and to provide motivating and exciting play experiences. These are tailored to children's individual needs, interests and learning styles.

Children make excellent progress in all areas of development, even in a short length of time. Staff work exceptionally well with other professionals, to improve interactions and implement strategies to contribute to children's ongoing learning. For example, they participate in mathematical research to enhance staff's interactions with children to improve mathematical development.

Staff create a language-rich environment. They prioritise children's communication and language in every interaction. As such, children's communication and language excel within the setting.

Staff use appropriate language for the children's individual level of understanding. They frequently consider how to extend and use new vocabulary with children. Staff consistently position themselves to enable positive communication with children.

They use signs, prompts, objects and picture cards to support the introduction of language. Staff frequently assess children's communication. They pose questions to see if children remember names of items they introduce.

Children, including children who speak English as an additional language, use new vocabulary quickly. They repeat back 'courgette' and 'hat' for the first time.Staff support children to develop a great love of books.

They carefully select stories to broaden children's access to language, experiences and to develop their knowledge of a diverse range of cultures and celebrations, such as Diwali and the Festival of Lights. Children show their delight when listening to stories and are keen to ask questions and share their thoughts.In their physical development, children show impressive levels of perseverance and concentration.

During a group activity, children spend long periods rolling, throwing and running after balls of paper. Children skilfully manoeuvre around one another and enjoy jumping in the piles of paper, developing their gross motor skills. Staff encourage children to use small pieces of tape to press and stick the paper onto the floor, developing their fine motor skills.

Mathematical language and concepts are interwoven through each interaction staff have with children. Staff create resources to support children to see how many cups of flour they need to make play dough. Staff frequently use language, such as big and small, to develop young children's understanding of size.

Older children are encouraged to understand mathematical terms, such as 'subitise', meaning to estimate a quantity at a glance. Staff explain what this means and children are proud when they recognise how many items are in a group and say, 'I can subitise.' Parents speak highly about the setting and how the knowledgeable staff are welcoming, nurturing and provide their children with experiences to support their learning journey.

Parents comment on the significant role the staff play in their child's development. Parents value the detailed feedback about their child's day, as well as the support and strategies they receive for learning in the home. In particular, parents comment how staff motivate them to continue developing their children's language at home, through books and being given tasks to complete.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Leaders and staff have an excellent understanding of their roles in safeguarding children. Staff confidently outline a wide range of signs and symptoms that would indicate that a child is at risk of harm.

They know how to make referrals should they have any concerns about children in their care. Leaders check staff's understanding of safeguarding regularly, for example, in discussions at team meetings. Staff attend regular training so that their knowledge of safeguarding, including the 'Prevent' duty and extreme views, is current.

The nursery premises are secure. Staff assess risks in the space to ensure that it remains a safe place for children to play and learn. Leaders have robust recruitment procedures to ensure that all staff working with children are suitable to do so.

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