The Treehouse Nursery West Chiltington

The Treehouse Nursery West Chiltington
Unique reference number (URN): 2722958
Address: West Chiltington School, East Street, West Chiltington, Pulborough, RH20 2JY
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 24/04/2023
Registers: EYR
Registered person: OKM Nurseries Ltd
Inspection report: 24 April 2026
Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
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.
How we evaluate safeguarding
When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:
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.

Expected standard
Achievement Expected standard
Typically, all children achieve well from their starting points. Children develop positive bonds
with their key persons, who know their needs well. This helps staff to reduce any potential
barriers to their learning. Children have ample opportunities to develop their physical skills,
including their balance and coordination. Outside, they confidently climb and learn to
balance bikes. Children strengthen their hand muscles, using small hammers to break ice
and dig in the garden areas.
Older children are confident communicators who are eager to engage in meaningful
conversations. They listen well to staff and also to their friends. Children are curious about
the world they live in. They are kind and caring as they learn to care for baby chicks.
Overall, children show interest and engage in the activities provided. Children enjoy joining
in with number rhymes and songs, which supports their communication and language
development.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. They develop positive and nurturing
relationships that help children feel a sense of belonging. Staff teach children about their
emotions, which supports them mostly to manage their behaviour and foster positive
relationships with their peers.
Generally, children demonstrate that they know the rules and routines well. For example,
older children help set the table for mealtimes and know to wash their hands before eating.
Younger children know where to put their belongings when they come into nursery.
However, during some daily routines, staff tend to do too much for the children. For
example, they do not encourage children to tidy away their resources. As such, children are
not sure what to do at these times and become a little restless while they wait for staff to
complete the tasks.
Staff monitor children's absences carefully and help parents to understand the importance of
regular attendance for their children. As such, all children regularly attend nursery, with
parents commenting that they often ask to come to nursery on their days off. This helps
children to become prepared for the routine of starting school.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Children are very settled in the care of the nurturing staff. Staff place high focus on
developing secure attachments with the children. The key-person system is effective, as
staff take their time in finding out what children's likes and dislikes are. This helps children
feel secure in the nursery. Children who have recently started at the nursery show they feel
safe as they explore the resources, knowing their key person is there if they need
reassurance.

Staff support children in developing their emotions as they play alongside them. If a small
disagreement occurs between children, staff help children think of their feelings and those of
others in an age-appropriate way. This helps children form positive relationships with their
peers. Children are kind and thoughtful. They offer to take turns with their friends as they
play.
Children are learning healthy habits from a young age. Staff provide children with healthy
snacks and talk about the benefits of the various fruits. Children develop their independence
as they use tongs to self-serve their chosen snacks. Leaders share ideas with parents on
how to support children's nutrition with a healthy packed lunch. Furthermore, staff sit with
children at mealtimes and teach children the importance of sitting down when eating. This
helps children learn how to keep themselves safe.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Since the last inspection, leaders have improved the curriculum for children. They place a
high priority on children's physical, personal, social and emotional development. Leaders
have provided staff training and support to improve teaching and ensure that the curriculum
is age appropriate. Assessment methods have been strengthened, in particular to monitor
children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
Staff typically focus on teaching children through stories, songs, small-group sessions and
everyday interactions. Children build their vocabulary and communication skills across the
curriculum, including during mathematical learning. For example, children count as they
scoop up stones with the small digger. Staff help children connect their ideas and thoughts
as they explore ice melting in the sun. Staff teaching is purposeful and supports children's
next steps of learning, including adaptations for children with SEND.
Younger children develop their physical development as they use one-handed tools to chip
away at ice. They are typically supported by staff, who model language through their
interactions and stories. However, staff tend to focus on the older children's learning in
activities and do not always adapt the learning for younger children. This means,
sometimes, staff teaching is not always as purposeful for younger children, in particular,
their language development. That said, children are becoming confident communicators.
Inclusion Expected standard
Following the last inspection, leaders have improved systems such as observations and
assessments of children's learning and development to help them recognise children who
may experience barriers to learning and children with special educational needs and/or
disabilities (SEND). This helps to ensure that timely support is implemented.
From the outset, staff work in partnership with parents to gather a wealth of information
about the children who attend the nursery. This helps them to understand and respond to
the unique needs of the children in their care, including communicating with any other
professional who the family is working with. This helps provide a consistent approach to
children's learning and development.

Staff are proactive in applying for additional funding where required. They use this funding
effectively to support children's development. For example, staff have accessed positive
behaviour training to support children with their emotional wellbeing. Furthermore, they have
sourced resources to implement activities to support children's individual needs. This helps
children make progress from their starting points. Leaders are developing links in the local
community and attend professional forums to develop their own knowledge in SEND. This is
ongoing and is having a positive impact on the staff's understanding of how to support
children who may need additional support.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Since the previous inspection, leaders have strengthened the curriculum and identified
additional training to develop staff's understanding. This has developed staff's knowledge
and helped them to plan activities that are generally appropriate for the ages and stages of
the children they are caring for, including children with special educational needs and/or
disabilities. Leaders have a clear oversight of the priorities for development. They recognise
that some activities within the curriculum do not consistently offer younger children the
opportunities to develop their communication and language skills. As such, leaders have
identified further training to deepen staff understanding and knowledge. However, this is in
its infancy and not yet embedded. Leaders have created a culture of support and
supervision for staff. Staff report that they enjoy their roles and that they feel valued as part
of the team.
Leaders have developed effective partnerships with parents. Leaders prioritise daily,
meaningful communication, taking time to greet and welcome families individually. This
consistent two-way exchange of information ensures that parents feel well informed about
their child's development and next steps of learning. Parents comment that they have seen
the improvements in the nursery since the new leadership team has been in place, including
assessment of their children's learning and meaningful activities to help them progress.
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children experience a nurturing and inclusive environment where they feel safe and
welcomed. From the moment they arrive, children separate confidently from their parents
and show enthusiasm to engage in play that reflects their interests. Children demonstrate
their own independence as they confidently place away their belongings. Children are caring
and quickly go to count how many of the baby chicks have hatched. Staff are skilful and
repeat counting back to the children. This helps them develop their early mathematical skills.

Inspector:
Children thrive in the well-planned outdoor environment. They have a wealth of opportunities
to develop their physical skills and curiosity of the world around them. Children develop their
physical skills as they swing, balance, climb and dig, building their strength and
coordination. Staff are skilful at helping children manage their own risks well, as they teach
children how to safely move equipment such as guttering to create ramps for their vehicles.
Children know how to keep others safe as they stop on the rope swing when a younger child
comes over. Staff praise the children for their kindness. Children demonstrate a real sense
of belonging at the nursery.
Staff ensure that children's interests are planned for. Children know where to find the
magnifying glasses as they hunt for bugs in the garden area. Staff typically help children
develop their language skills, introducing meaningful new vocabulary as they explore, such
as the names of the bugs they have found under the logs. This helps children make
connections with their learning.
Children who face barriers to their learning or have special educational needs and/or
disabilities make progress from their starting points. Staff work with parents and use regular
observations to ensure the early identification of any adaptations that they may need to
make. Leaders work with parents to ensure that any additional funding is used to support
children's individual needs. This helps all children gain the skills they need for their next
stage of learning.
Leaders and staff work closely with parents to promote regular attendance so that all
children can benefit fully from learning opportunities to support their early education.
Next steps
Leaders should give further consideration to the curriculum to specifically focus on
younger children's communication and language skills.
Leaders should review some the daily routines so that staff continue to support children
about what is expected of them at these times of the day.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, children and parents during the 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.

Kelly Lane
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2722958
Address:
West Chiltington School
East Street, West Chiltington
Pulborough
RH20 2JY
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 24/04/2023
Registered person: OKM Nurseries Ltd
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:30 - 16:00
Local authority: West Sussex
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 24 April 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
2 to 4
Total number of places
24

Our grades explained
Exceptional
Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.
Strong standard
The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of
them.
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.
Needs attention
The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary
improvements.
Urgent improvement
The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of
education and/or care.

The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspects
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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