The Orange Tree Day Nursery @ Derby

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy and settled at this welcoming nursery. Staff create an inviting environment where children eagerly explore and have fun.

Children have many opportunities to play inside and outside. This helps to promote children's health and well-being. All children are supported well by their key person to help them to progress in their learning and development.

Children tell visitors how they visit places in their local community. They comment on how they must hold hands and look out for cars so that they keep safe. Older children's small-muscle development is supported well.

Staff make sure they provide ...children with many experiences to practise these skills. Children use pipettes, make marks with chalks and pick up intricate puzzle-pieces. Babies' large-muscle development is encouraged by the staff.

Babies are applauded by staff and their friends as they take their first tentative steps independently. Children behave well. Staff make sure that they are happy and promote their self-esteem.

Staff praise older children on their achievements, such as putting their coats on by themselves. They acknowledge children's good listening, and praise children for being clever. Staff uses phrases such as 'well done'.

Settling-in sessions support babies and younger children to feel secure. Babies and toddlers build trusting relationships with their key person and other staff in the room.

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

Leaders and managers invest in staff from their initial recruitment to the nursery.

They regularly reflect on and evaluate staff practice. Leaders and managers put plans in place to support staff's continuous professional development. They provide professional training and regular supervision sessions, and continually check on the well-being of staff.

This promotes the continuity of care for children by an enthusiastic staff team, who are proud to work at the nursery.Staff know their key children very well. They work closely with these children throughout the day.

Staff are aware of the individual needs of each child. They carefully plan a wide range of learning experiences for children to encourage them to try something new, explore and have a go. There are close attachments between all children and staff.

All children make good progress in their learning, including those children with special educational needs/or disabilities. Children who require extra help to achieve are supported well by staff to ensure their needs are met effectively. Designated staff work closely with these children, their parents and external agencies.

This helps to provide children with continuous support from everyone who is involved with them.Staff know what they intend for children to learn. They recognise what children are interested in and build on this to help children progress in their learning.

However, when implementing planned activities, staff do not always adapt their teaching to make the most of experiences and activities to help children learn as much as they can. Consequently, sometimes, the learning intention for children is lost.Children's speech, language and communication skills are supported well by staff overall.

Older children are articulate. They learn about different sounds and correct pronunciations of words as they share a book with staff. Babies and toddlers listen to and engage in their favourite nursery rhymes and action songs during singing activities.

However, during a sand activity, staff use dummies for babies to limit them from eating the sand. This does not help babies to develop good communication and language skills. Additionally, background music is played throughout the day, which, at times, distracts babies and toddlers from clearly hearing the words and sounds spoken by the staff.

Children eagerly explore fresh fruit and vegetables using their hands to feel, nose to smell and tongue to taste. They thoroughly enjoy enhancing their sensory development. Staff interact well with children.

They encourage the children to try to peel the fruit and praise them on their attempts and ongoing achievements.Parents report very positively on their children's experiences in the nursery. They comment that the staff are very supportive, for example, by offering ideas to develop and support their child's continuous learning at home.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have a clear understanding of safeguarding practice and what their role is to protect children. They know what procedures to take should they have a concern about a child's welfare.

The management team makes sure that staff undertake regular training to keep up to date with current safeguarding practice. This also includes protecting children and their families from extremist views and ideas. Staff supervise children closely at all times.

They deploy themselves well to make sure children are supported effectively. Risk assessments completed by staff are thorough and provide a hazard-free zone for children to play safely.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to have a clearer focus on intended learning for children so that the aim and objective of the activities and experiences provided are not lost provide further support for staff to help them to understand how best to promote early language and listening skills for babies and toddlers.