Lime Tree Barrow Ltd

Lime Tree Barrow Ltd
Unique reference number (URN): 2742103
Address: Lime Tree Day Nursery, 68 North Street, Barrow Upon Soar, Loughborough, LE12 8QA
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 20/07/2023
Registers: EYR
Registered person: Lime Tree Barrow Ltd
Inspection report: 13 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
Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard
Leaders and staff understand the importance of ensuring that all children feel safe, secure
and comfortable in the setting. Staff regularly communicate with parents to ensure that they
have accurate and up-to-date knowledge of their key children's individual needs, routines
and any other relevant information. Staff effectively and sensitively create consistent
routines and safe spaces that help children learn to cope with their emotions. This strong
sense of emotional security enables children to engage positively with peers, maintain
harmonious relationships and thrive in their learning environment.
Staff pay careful consideration to children's individual needs when it is time for them to move
from one room to the next. They work closely with parents to ensure that children receive
consistent care and support and experience a smooth and positive transition. Children,
including babies, quickly build bonds with their new key person and happily adjust to the
new environment. Staff ensure that children can rest and sleep safely and comfortably, and
nappy-changing routines are carried out with care and sensitivity. Children of all ages benefit
from daily opportunities to play and be physically active outdoors. They learn about their
own personal safety through the well-structured daily routines. Children, including the
youngest, learn how to climb the stairs safely and why it is important to wash their hands.
Meals are varied and nutritious and meet children's individual dietary needs.
Inclusion Strong standard
Leaders and staff welcome all children into the setting, including those with special
educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to their learning and/or
wellbeing. They work very closely with parents and other professionals to ensure children's
individual care and learning needs are consistently met. Leaders and staff rapidly identify
where children may need additional support through accurate ongoing assessments. They
pay high regard to children's individual needs and learning styles and swiftly implement
targeted support. For example, children's regular participation in focused social and
communication groups is successful in promoting their speech and developing their social
confidence. Adaptations throughout the nursery are skilfully made to ensure all children are
included and benefit from the learning experiences on offer.
Leaders carefully monitor the progress that children make. They regularly reflect on what
they offer and review the impact that this has on children's outcomes. Leaders implement
well-considered strategies to ensure that all staff develop the skills they need to support
children effectively in the setting. Leaders and staff ensure that any early years pupil
premium funding is used effectively to enhance children's individual learning needs.
Leadership and governance Strong standard
Leaders and staff work together as a professional and cohesive team. They demonstrate a
shared commitment to providing a high-quality provision for children and their families.
Leaders have an accurate understanding of the setting's strengths and evolving needs.

Expected standard
Leaders have identified the areas that they wish to develop further and have a clear
improvement plan in place. They pay high regard to staff wellbeing and workload and
recognise and value staff's individual skills and levels of experience. They work hard to
ensure that staff receive targeted coaching and support to help them to continually build on
their knowledge and expertise. Carefully planned meetings and training events feature
regularly and are well attended by staff.
Leaders work closely with other professionals and agencies to support children, particularly
children with special educational needs and/or disabilities who attend the setting.
Partnerships with parents are extremely positive. Detailed information is shared regularly
with parents about their children's care and learning needs to ensure that these are
consistently met. Parents receive detailed handovers on arrival and collection of their
children and are invited to attend parents' evenings. Staff successfully liaise with other
settings, such as schools, to help support children when it is time for them to move on to
their next stage of learning.
Achievement Expected standard
Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who
face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing achieve appropriately from their starting
points overall. They are developing the skills they need for their next stage in learning and
eventual move to school. Children learn to use tools correctly and safely. Young children
practise using scissors to repeatedly snip paper. Pre-school children skilfully cut cardboard
and tape to create their own junk models. Children demonstrate positive personal, social
and emotional skills. They learn to share, cooperate with others and understand their
feelings and emotions. Children develop an interest in books and enjoy listening to stories.
They use the new vocabulary that they hear and understand simple instructions. Children
are interested and motivated to join in with activities and develop a positive attitude to
learning.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Leaders have high expectations for children's behaviour and participation at nursery. They
work closely with staff and parents to ensure that children attend regularly. Children play and
learn in a positive and vibrant environment. Staff are kind and caring and are positive role
models. Relationships between children and staff are warm and positive. Younger children
play happily alongside each other, and older children are beginning to build firm friendships.
They engage in animated conversations and show a shared sense of fun as they take part
in activities. Pre-school children take it in turns to place one brick on top of another to build a
tower, laughing when it falls to the ground before agreeing to try again. Staff offer gentle and
timely reminders for children to share equipment and to make sure that everyone has an
opportunity to have a go.
Overall, staff successfully help children to understand boundaries and what is expected at
certain times of the day. Younger children are beginning to respond positively to staff's

requests to follow the daily routines, such as mealtimes and tidy-up time. Staff are quick to
acknowledge children's achievements and offer praise to support children's self-esteem and
reinforce positive behaviours.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Staff complete regular assessments to help them to identify what children know and can do.
Overall, they have a secure understanding of what they want children to learn next and how
they are going to help children to progress. Leaders have an accurate understanding of the
quality of the curriculum and teaching in the nursery. They recognise that some staff's
practice and delivery of the curriculum is stronger than others and are working closely with
them to improve this further.
Staff work hard to ensure that children feel safe and enjoy their time at nursery. They
provide activities and tailor their interactions to help children, including those with special
educational needs and/or disabilities, to develop and practise the skills they need for their
next stage in learning. Staff support children to be competent communicators. Babies are
introduced to simple words and encouraged to repeat them. Staff help them to name and
make the sounds of animals as they play. They talk with children about size and shape
during activities and everyday routines. Staff engage pre-school children in meaningful
back-and-forth conversations and ask them well-thought-out questions. Staff help children to
develop appropriate physical skills. For example, they prepare the environment and
equipment to support babies to confidently and independently stand on their feet.
What it's like to be a child at this setting
All children and their families are warmly welcomed by the kind and friendly staff. Children,
including babies, confidently separate from their parents on arrival and settle quickly.
Children demonstrate a secure sense of belonging and show that they are happy and enjoy
their time at the setting. They build strong bonds with staff who know them well and who
respond positively to their individual needs. Staff successfully promote children's
independence through everyday routines and activities. They offer consistent praise and
encouragement and celebrate children's achievements. Children play harmoniously together
and develop secure friendships.
Leaders and staff promote an inclusive environment for all children. They gather information
from parents when children first start and complete ongoing assessments to gain a clear
understanding of what children know and can do. Staff use this information to plan

Inspectors:
Claire Muddimer
Charmaine Cayton
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2742103
Address:
Lime Tree Day Nursery
meaningful experiences that capture children's interests and help them to move on to their
next stage of learning. All children, including children with special educational needs and/or
disabilities or who may have barriers to their learning or wellbeing, make steady progress
from their starting points.
Children of all ages are motivated to join in with activities and concentrate well. Babies show
high levels of excitement when it is time to play outside in the enticing outdoor play space.
They willingly find their own waterproof suits and wellington boots ready for staff to help
them put them on. Children develop their physical skills as they explore different media and
materials, and learn to use tools and equipment safely. Outdoors, younger children use jugs
and spoons to carefully pour and mix water and mud. Indoors, babies use their hands to
squash and squeeze dough. Older children show their enjoyment and creativity as they
articulately describe how they are going to make a toy car out of cardboard boxes, tape,
paint and glue. Staff ask well-thought-out questions to extend children's thinking and
problem-solving skills.
Next steps
Leaders should continue to support staff to help them to build on their practice and deliver
the curriculum well to ensure consistently high-quality experiences for children.
About this inspection
The inspectors spoke with leaders, staff and the special educational needs coordinator
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.

68 North Street, Barrow Upon Soar
Loughborough
LE12 8QA
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 20/07/2023
Registered person: Lime Tree Barrow Ltd
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00
Local authority: Leicestershire
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 13 January 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 4
Total number of places
100
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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