Willow Tree Day Nursery

Willow Tree Day Nursery
Unique reference number (URN): EY547889
Address: Adelaide House, Dukes Brow, Blackburn, BB2 6EX
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 01/08/2017
Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR
Registered person: Zeenat Day Care Limited
Inspection report: 22 January 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.

Strong standard
Achievement Strong standard
Children progress very well through the curriculum. They successfully gain the intended
skills and detailed knowledge linked to the curriculum intent at each stage of their learning.
Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or those who need
additional support benefit from specific resources to aid their development according to their
individual needs. This means that all children are very well prepared for the next stage of
learning, as they transition both within the nursery and on to school.
The youngest children fully engage themselves in a rich and creative curriculum. They
develop excellent small-muscle skills as they explore with a range of tools in paint, foam and
other sensory play. They use these skills to pick up small snack items and feed themselves
capably. Older children refine these skills as they eventually develop pencil control and
begin to write recognisable letters. Children use a wide vocabulary as they play. They use
their language skills to share ideas and in their imaginative play. Ambition for all children
results in their success. Children with SEND make rapid progress that they are capable of,
in a short space of time.
Inclusion Strong standard
Leaders have successfully created an inclusive culture across all aspects of practice.
Children's individual needs are very well known and met. Early identification of children's
needs through purposeful observation and assessment and a strong commitment to
collaborative working with involved professionals helps to ensure that children make
excellent progress. Flexible session times and carefully considered use of additional funding
help those children facing barriers to their learning access their full entitlement and be fully
integrated into nursery life. For example, leaders have extended morning session times so
that children could enjoy the social occasion of lunch with their peers; a significant aspect of
some children's development of new skills.
Leaders demonstrate high ambition for all children, including those with special educational
skills and/or disabilities. This is equally shared by staff who show a commitment and
genuine desire to ensure that all children thrive and reach their potential. Staff are dedicated
to implementing assessment and planning tools they are trained in and act swiftly to put in
place the advice and guidance given by involved professionals. Parents share their high
praise and appreciation for the work of the leaders and staff. They comment on how quickly
staff take action to identify and pass on concerns regarding development, the excellent
support they have received and the rapid progress their children have made in a short space
of time.

Expected standard
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Generally, staff establish a highly positive environment with well-understood expectations of
behaviour and mutual respect between staff and children. Staff working with older children
patiently and calmly provide clear explanations about expectations of children's behaviour.
They help children understand how their actions do not align with nursery rules and how
they make others feel. Children learn quickly how to collaborate and get along with their
peers. For example, they resolve problems, such as who will look a book first, as they
suggest, 'I will read it to you, yes?' Staff take time to explain the importance of being kind to
one another and the impact of their actions. As a result, children are thoughtful friends and
help each other with tasks, such as helping with zips on their coats or finding resources.
Leaders and staff place focus on supporting children 's good attendance and punctuality.
This helps to ensure that routines are well established. Within the nursery, children know to
wash their hands before snack and mealtimes and line up ready to go into the lunchroom to
serve their own lunch. Relationships between staff and children are warm, nurturing and
trusting. Children very happily say 'goodbye' to their parents at drop off time and enjoy time
with their key person. Those children who are a little unsettled are showered with love and
attention, and they quickly settle.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Care practices are embedded through well-understood policies and procedures. For
example, staff caring for the youngest children, whose experience of nursery is often their
first time being separated from their parents and/or carers, implement well-considered
settling-in procedures. Staff support both the child and parents to feel confident and secure
as they find out lots of information about each child's needs and use this information to
create smooth transitions. As a result, children are well cared for and enjoy secure and
responsive relationships with staff and their key person.
Typically, staff help children to develop in their independence, personal safety, health and
wellbeing. Staff gently encourage children to join their peers for breakfast, giving children
plenty of time to settle in after arrival before having to sit down. Staff explain the importance
of having food to give them energy, supporting children's understanding of how to keep
themselves healthy. Children's dietary requirements, including allergies, are well managed,
further supporting children's health and wellbeing. Children understand the need to keep dry
and warm during outside play in cold weather. They know to put on their coats before going
outside and excitedly tell their friends that they are going to wear their hat as well. Staff act
as good role models. They use language linked to feelings and emotions to help children
understand their feelings and how to manage these.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Leaders have a clear ethos for the design of the curriculum, which is centred around a
holistic understanding of each child. The curriculum has sufficient breadth and depth to
support children in all areas of their development. Staff use their observations of children to

assess what children know and can do. This informs teaching and planning to help children
progress and develop the skills and knowledge they need to learn next. As part of
implementation of children's individual educational plans, staff adapt their teaching to ensure
that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are taught well. In the main,
staff understand the importance of helping children to develop secure foundations before
moving on to new skills.
The curriculum for communication and language is typically taught well. Staff teach with
purposefulness. For example, staff use single words, clearly pronounced as they engage
with babies' and young toddlers. Staff broaden children's communication and language skills
as they encourage children to use mathematical language during play. Priority is given to
children's personal, social and emotional development. For example, staff support children
to play alongside and interact with their peers from a young age. Preschool children use
their small-muscle skills to make recognisable letters and capably use a knife and fork at
mealtimes.
Some aspects of the routine are not as well implemented due to occasional deployment of
staff. For example, some children are left without support from staff who are busy tending to
tasks. As a result, some children wander around without purpose and children engaged in
focus group sessions become distracted.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders are committed to the success of the nursery and have made some highly impactful
improvements to the quality of practice in recent months. This has been most significant in
the toddler room where after a identifying some barriers to children's learning, the
atmosphere is now calm but purposeful and children are deeply engaged in play. Leaders
are aware of some of the inconsistencies in teaching and practice and are taking action to
address these, for example professional development opportunities and in the moment
coaching from leaders when spending time in the rooms with staff and children. However,
these strategies have not yet been successful addressing all inconsistencies.
The nursery ethos is centred around each child as an individual, and as a result, leaders are
advocates for meeting the needs of all children, particularly those who face barriers to their
learning. This high ambition for all children is shared by the staff team.
Consideration is given to reducing staff's workload to allow them to fulfil their roles. Senior
leaders delegate tasks, giving the nursery manager the time and resource to focus on
improvement and be a present and visible leader. Staff are given time to complete
paperwork, such as assessment reviews, out of ratio to ensure that these important reviews
are done carefully and with the rigour required.

Compulsory Childcare Register requirements
This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.
How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Compulsory Childcare
Register
When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can
have the following outcomes:
Met
Not met
Voluntary Childcare Register requirements
This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.
How we check if a provider meets the requirements of the Voluntary Childcare
Register
When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can
have the following outcomes:
Met
Not met
What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children arrive at nursery happy and eager to explore and learn. The nursery is safe and
secure, and children are cared for by nurturing staff. Children know they can go to staff for
help, cuddles or to support them with disagreements. Staff listen to what children say,
valuing their expressions and helping to solve matters if they arise. The trusting
relationships that children have with staff support their emotional wellbeing and confidence.
Leaders promote children's good attendance, further supporting children to feel settled at
nursery. Leaders are fully aware of the uniqueness of each child. They adopt a holistic

Inspector:
Katie Sparrow
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): EY547889
Address:
Adelaide House
approach to meeting children's care and learning needs. They value the views of parents
and any involved professionals to gain an in-depth understanding of each child. Leaders
understand the community that the nursery serves and what this means for the children who
attend. For example, the setting places priority on supporting children in their understanding
of the wider world and the diversity within it. All children, including those with special
educational needs and/or disabilities, are supported from their starting points and achieve
well.
Younger children develop well in their large-muscle skills. They use their core muscles to sit
up and lift themselves from the floor. During snack time, children show good control as they
reach forward to select their snack. Toddler's show strong attitudes to learning. They
become deeply engaged in the interesting and carefully planned activities. Pre-school
children learn detailed knowledge about the world around them as they delight in exploring
books and other reading materials. They expertly name all the dinosaurs they can see,
using excellent pronunciation.
Next steps
Leaders should strengthen the deployment of staff and ensure that staff are more aware
of their roles, particularly at times of change or transition.
Leaders should extend the impact of monitoring staff's practice to focus on the quality of
teaching and practice that are not yet consistent across the nursery.
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, staff 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.

Dukes Brow
Blackburn
BB2 6EX
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 01/08/2017
Registered person: Zeenat Day Care Limited
Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00
Local authority: Blackburn with Darwen
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 22 January 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 4
Total number of places
60
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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