Willow Tree Day Nursery

Willow Tree Day Nursery
Unique reference number (URN): 2811691
Address: 18a Cottingham Way, Thrapston, Kettering, NN14 4PL
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 12/11/2024
Registers: EYR
Registered person: Willow Tree Early Years Limited
Inspection report: 14 July 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, children develop the knowledge and skills that they need for future learning,
including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or with other barriers to
learning. Overall, they make progress from their starting points across the areas of learning.
Children gain independence skills, such as toilet training and handwashing. They take
responsibility for small tasks. For instance, they help to prepare snacks and meals and set
tables for lunch. Older children competently serve themselves with food and pour water
carefully into open cups. Babies feed themselves and learn to use spoons.
Babies and children listen with pleasure to favourite stories. This helps them to hear a rich
range of language. Babies move their hands to join in with action rhymes. Older children
sing and play instruments to accompany the songs. This supports the development of
communication and language skills, in the main. Children generally gain some mathematical
skills, such as counting.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Practitioners ensure that children, including those facing barriers to their learning and
wellbeing, are confident to follow routines and understand what is expected of them. For
example, children say 'you need to join the line' when moving between indoor play areas
and the garden. Children of all ages sit sociably together during mealtimes. Practitioners
demonstrate polite manners and are positive role models. Children are helpful, for example,
they hand out cutlery to their friends to prepare for lunch. Older children help to clear away
their plates after meals. During outings, young children hold hands with adults and wear
colourful vests to identify them easily in groups. Practitioners talk to them about keeping
themselves safe. They adapt activities and routines to ensure that these are inclusive. For
instance, they provide children with alternative choices to encourage them to take part fully
in routines.
Generally, children's behaviour meets the high expectations at the nursery. Occasionally,
practitioners give young children gentle reminders about using kind hands and words and
explain why this matters, in ways that they can understand. Children respond well and get
along with each other happily. They form firm friendships with each other and trusting
relationships with practitioners. Children cooperate willingly with routines, such as wearing
hats and sun cream outdoors. Leaders and practitioners communicate effectively with
parents, such as through a regular newsletter, which helps to support parents'
understanding of the importance of punctuality and good attendance and their role in
continuing learning at home.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Leaders and practitioners offer ongoing support for parents and carers. There are regular
exchanges of information, including at parents' mornings in the nursery, as well as at drop
off and collection times. In addition, an online system enables both home and nursery to

share observations and feedback. Settling-in sessions are designed to support a smooth
transition from home to nursery and ensure practitioners know how to help children to
develop a sense of belonging through following individual needs and interests. The key
person role is well-established to promote trust and confidence with babies, children and
parents. Practitioners support children to recognise and manage their own feelings, such as
by reading them relevant books.
Key people implement safe sleeping and eating practices and adapt arrangements to suit
each child, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those
facing other barriers to their wellbeing. They supervise babies and children carefully while
they rest and refresh, ready for more fun, and throughout mealtimes. Older children help to
prepare their nutritious snacks and meals and find out about healthy choices. For example,
children prepare and mix ingredients for a crumble, including fruit and oats, that they later
enjoy for their pudding. They know to follow good hygiene procedures before and during the
baking activity.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders comprehensively identify what children need to learn across all areas of learning to
help prepare all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities,
for future learning. Generally, practitioners understand the curriculum and the learning
outcomes expected for children. They identify appropriate and relevant, group and
individual, next steps for children that will help them to progress. These are typically shared
with parents. On occasions, practitioners' interactions with children, do not consistently
ensure that learning experiences are fully developed and extended throughout activities and
routines. For example, older children use their fine motor and independence skills well to
chop up fruit with supervision and guidance from practitioners. However, opportunities for
children to widen their vocabulary during the task are not supported as successfully.
Communication and language skills and personal, social and emotional development are
priorities at the nursery. Practitioners plan learning using themes based on children's
interests, such as where animals live. This motivates children to learn and helps them to
understand more about the world around them. Practitioners focus on encouraging all
children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to become
confident to communicate their needs.
Typically, practitioners introduce counting into daily routines. For instance, children are
asked to solve the problem of how many bowls they will need for their friends at lunchtime.
Overall, practitioners do not promote opportunities for children to investigate further
mathematical concepts such as size, shape and measure as effectively.
Inclusion Expected standard
Practitioners get to know children and parents very well from the start. They find out what
children already know and can do both at the nursery and at home. Practitioners observe
children regularly in their play so that they swiftly identify any gaps in learning. Leaders use
a range of strategies to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities,
and those facing other barriers to their learning and wellbeing, including children known or
previously known to social care. For example, they work closely in partnership with outside

agencies as needed. They seek advice and guidance from other professionals about actions
to take to support individual children at the nursery. Parents are fully involved in discussions
with practitioners and contribute their own ongoing observations of children at home.
Leaders use additional funding effectively to promote disadvantaged children's interests and
help engage them in learning opportunities. For example, they identified that those who
prefer to learn outside would benefit from enhanced provision. As a result, they are making
changes to the garden areas. These improvements enable children to access learning
outdoors in all weathers. Practitioners adapt activities to support children's wellbeing. For
instance, they focus on ensuring transitions between routines, and when children move into
a new room, are as smooth as possible. They use books and stories to help children
understand about forthcoming changes such as starting school.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders reflect on the quality of the nursery provision and identify any strengths and areas
for improvement clearly. They are highly responsive to feedback that they collect, including
from parents, children, practitioners and other professionals. Leaders work closely with local
schools to prepare for children's move onto the next stage of learning. Generally, leaders
make detailed plans to prioritise actions that will make the greatest difference to outcomes
for children and the wellbeing of practitioners. They support practitioners to manage their
workload through supervision, coaching and mentoring. Practitioners access training
opportunities that enhance their ability to carry out their role. However, leaders do not
sharply focus the professional development programme to ensure consistency in teaching
across the curriculum, particularly in mathematics.
Leaders work closely in partnership with other professionals, and with families, to promote
children's wellbeing and learning and development. They know where to source specialist
advice to meet all children's needs, including those facing barriers to learning or who are
currently (or previously) known to social care. Parents feel well-informed about their
children's experiences and progress. They value the positive relationships between children,
themselves and the nursery. Leaders continuously review the impact of improvements and
make further changes as needed.
What it's like to be a child at this setting
All children are greeted warmly by caring practitioners when they arrive at the nursery. They
settle in quickly and make choices in their play, demonstrating that they feel secure. For

example, younger children play alongside each other with large, brightly coloured hoops,
excitedly showing adults what they can do. They are sociable, friendly and eager to share
their ideas. Children seek out their key person for hugs and reassurance if needed. They
benefit from praise and encouragement as they explore the environment. Babies enjoy
plenty of cuddles, soothing words and familiar songs with their key person. This helps them
to form warm relationships with practitioners.
Children explore their environment eagerly, inside and outdoors. For instance, older children
use their fine motor skills to make marks on clipboards to represent the bugs that they have
found outside and name the insects that they see. They use pictures in reference books to
find out more about their interests. Children discover information in books that practitioners
share with them. This helps children to develop their early literacy skills and to begin to
understand the purpose of the printed word. Young children practise their gross motor skills,
such as throwing, kicking and rolling balls. Children of all ages are excited to go on trips into
the local community. Young children jump up and down with glee as they set off on their
outing to a library where they join in with some favourite action rhymes. They learn about
keeping themselves safe on the journey as practitioners encourage them to look out for
cars.
Practitioners help families to understand why regular routines and attendance at the nursery
promote children's wellbeing and learning and development. They invite parents to stay and
play sessions where they can find out more about their children's day-to-day experiences
and activities. Meaningful exchanges of information with parents and carers help
practitioners to meet the needs of all children, including those with special educational
needs and/or disabilities and those facing other barriers to learning.
Next steps
Leaders should support practitioners to enhance their interactions with children further to
ensure that learning opportunities are consistently developed and extended throughout
activities and routines.
Leaders should target and continue to tailor the professional development programme to
promote practitioners' skills and knowledge, particularly in mathematics.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, the special educational needs coordinator,
parents and children 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.

Inspector:
Cathryn Clarricoates
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2811691
Address:
18a Cottingham Way
Thrapston
Kettering
NN14 4PL
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 12/11/2024
Registered person: Willow Tree Early Years Limited
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00
Local authority: North Northamptonshire
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 14 July 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 4
Total number of places
35

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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