The Treehouse Nursery West Chiltington

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement A recent significant change in staff has an impact on some of the arrangements that support children's learning and welfare. This includes the effectiveness of risk assessment and the consistency of curriculum delivery. Although staff demonstrate a good understanding of how to address the weaknesses, they will need time to embed new arrangements before a positive impact on children's learning and care can be seen.

Despite this, children are happy and settled. Staff spend their time developing secure relationships with children by getting to know their individual characters and learning needs. Staff immerse themselves in children's... play and show a genuine interest in their contributions.

Children demonstrate that they feel safe as they seek out staff and genuinely enjoy spending time with them. For example, children invite staff to join their pretend picnic. Staff follow children's instructions as they prepare a salad with play food.

Children and staff giggle together as they enjoy their 'salad party'. Overall, children behave well. They navigate the newly developed environment with confidence and ease.

Staff provide children with regular encouragement and praise. This helps children feel good about themselves. However, children do not have access to consistently good levels of support to help them make good decisions.

This is because not all staff take the time to fully explain the rules, such as walking indoors, and why these are important. This means that some children take longer than others to gain an understanding of what is expected of them.

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

The provider does not ensure that risk assessment is robust in minimising potential hazards as swiftly as possible.

For example, staff complete daily checks of the garden area before children arrive. However, they do not take immediate action to minimise risks, such as standing water from previous rainfall, before children have access to the area. Although the provider has some measures in place to manage the risk, including child supervision, this is not fully effective at promoting children's health and welfare at all times.

Staff focus their time on getting to know the children well. They use regular observation to ensure that assessments are accurate in identifying what children already know and what they need to learn next. Although the new team continues to establish, staff work well together to enhance and develop the existing curriculum.

This includes identifying and incorporating children's individual learning styles as they begin to tailor activities. This will help to strengthen the curriculum and prepare children well for their next stage in learning.Staff provide older children with meaningful interactions that introduce new concepts, such as mathematics.

For example, staff introduce measure as they encourage children to compare leaves and order them by size. Staff introduce new mathematical vocabulary, such as 'small', 'medium' and 'big'. Children work together as they decide which size category each leaf belongs to.

This helps older children develop their critical thinking skills that will prepare them well for future learning. However, staff do not always adapt activities to meet the needs of younger children, who lose interest and wander away from the activity. This means that not all children have consistently good opportunities to develop their knowledge.

Staff demonstrate an understanding of how children learn as they help children develop the skills they will need to be effective communicators. For example, staff regularly narrate children's play and introduce descriptive language and new vocabulary. Staff support children who are at an early stage in their language development well, repeating unclear words correctly and providing children with the time they need to process information and respond.

Staff plan opportunities for children to communicate with people from different backgrounds and generations. This includes inviting grandparents into the setting to read stories.Overall, children develop positive attitudes towards their learning.

They are curious, eager to learn and sustain good levels of concentration on activities they find interesting. However, some activities lack preparation and organisation. This means that children wait for up to five minutes for their next activity, while staff gather what they need.

This can impact on children's learning as they take longer to re-engage their attention once the activity begins.The information parents receive in relation to children's development and care is variable. The provider uses some methods to communicate changes and updates with parents, such as newsletters.

However, these are not fully effective at keeping parents up to date with children's progress. This does not provide parents with the knowledge they need to support children's learning at home.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is 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, the provider must: Due date ensure risk assessments are robust and effective at identifying and minimising potential risk to children, with particular regard to the outdoor play spaces 27/09/2024 ensure the learning intent of all activities reflects the age and stage of children and focuses precisely on what children need to learn next 30/10/2024 improve communication with parents and carers, so that they are kept up to date with all aspects of children's learning and care 27/09/2024 improve the organisation of activities, so that children do not have to wait unnecessarily before they are able to engage in learning.30/09/2024 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support children to gain a good understanding of the rules and why these are important, so they are able to make good choices.

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