Cherry Tree Nursery

Cherry Tree Nursery
Unique reference number (URN): 2843522
Address: Unit 23, Petteril Side, Harraby Green Business Park, Carlisle, CA1 2SQ
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 02/06/2025
Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR
Registered person: Sarah Linnett Childcare (CARLISLE) Ltd
Inspection report: 16 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.

Expected standard
Achievement Expected standard
Children progress through the curriculum owing to aspects of staff teaching, rather than the
curriculum design. Older children are confident communicators. They approach visitors to
the nursery and invite them to join in play as say, 'come and run up here with me'. Outside,
children use a range of large and small muscle as they navigate the steep hills and then
make castles in the sand pit. They tell their friends, 'my bucket is full now, let's tip it out'.
Children enjoy the opportunity to sing songs often. They join in with familiar nursery rhymes
and copy actions. Younger children, and those with special educational needs and/or
disabilities show their understanding as they follow instructions including joining in with the
routine. Older children capably wash their own hands and feed themselves at lunchtime.
They use their hand-eye coordination well as they scoop up their chicken curry.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Leaders adapt the staffing of the nursery to accommodate parents' needs. This flexibility
promotes children's attendance well and means that all children access the funded hours
they are eligible for. Children know the routine of the day well as they line up to be counted
to come inside and know to wash their hands before snack. For some children with special
educational needs and/or disabilities, their lack of understanding of what is happening next
can cause upset. Staff are aware of this and are working to implement strategies to support
this.
Children know and follow the rules very well. For example, they remind their friends and new
visitors to the setting about the rules when playing outside, 'be careful, don't run down this
part'. Staff support children's positive behaviour very well. They are warm, calm and patient
as they encourage children to join in with routines such as carpet time. When children do
follow the rules, staff offer lots of enthusiasm and offer specific praise.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Staff treat all children with care and professional love. Morning handovers from parents are
explicitly shared with all staff, meaning children's individual and changing needs are known
and well met. As a result, children settle particularly well and enjoy close, secure and
trusting relationships with their key person and all staff. Staff support children with special
educational needs and/or disabilities to be alert to risks. Staff use simple vocabulary and
clear hand signals to indicate children cannot climb on certain equipment, such as tables.
Staff's use of emotions vocabulary helps children to recognise their emotions, supporting
later skills in managing their feelings.
Staff promote healthy habits through everyday routines. Children brush their teeth daily and
learn the importance of good handwashing, for example, when they talk about stopping
germs from getting into their tummies. While the nursery menu is healthy, balanced and

Needs attention
nutritious, staff are working with parents to ensure that packed lunch items are equally as
healthy, to ensure that all children receive clear messages about healthy diets.
Inclusion Expected standard
Commitment from leaders and staff has a positive impact on outcomes for children with
special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Those with lead roles for SEND are
skilled, knowledgeable and ensure support for the team as and where needed. This includes
for the implementation of specific approaches to support children. In this way, staff working
with children with SEND appropriately assess, implement plans and collaboratively review
the progress children make with parents and involved professionals.
Early identification and implementation of individual plans means all children are given the
opportunity to thrive. Leaders are proactive in seeking support from other professionals and
securing funding so that children receive timely, targeted help. For example, leaders provide
one-to-one support for those children with more complex needs. Some strategies are still in
the early stages, to ensure children's needs are supported in all aspects of nursery life.
Leaders are aware of this and working towards improvements.
Parents speak positively about the work of the staff and support received for their children.
They comment on the quality of communication in place to ensure they are kept up to date
with the progress their children make.
Curriculum and teaching Needs attention
Leaders have not been successful in designing a curriculum that is precisely focused and
well informed from what they want children to know and learn. The curriculum lacks breadth
or substance and is not sufficiently well sequenced to ensure that children's learning builds
cumulatively over time. Due to leaders lack of top-level plans, staff working directly with
children are not clear on what they want children to learn. This results in many activities
being solely based on children's interests, rather than balanced with what they need to
learn. This means that while children enjoy play, they are not being supported to learn the
skills they need. Leaders have been yet to recognise that some improvements are needed
to meet the learning needs of all children.
Staff are enthusiastic and bring joy to children's play. As such, interactions that staff have
with children do have a positive impact on their learning and development. Older children sit
and enjoy listening to a story. Staff's animated approach and lively reading of the story help
children to become engaged. Staff explain the purpose of the front cover and the 'blurb',
promoting well an interest in reading. Children are supported to develop a growing
vocabulary. Staff working with young children use words, such as 'pat', 'wet' and 'splash'
during sensory play with water. Staff model patting and poking the shaving foam, in support
of children's physical skills. Staff introduce mathematical language through everyday play,
including number rhymes and counting items.

Leadership and governance Needs attention
Since registration, there have been several changes to the management of the nursery. The
provider has failed to notify Ofsted of these changes, which is a legal requirement. These
frequent changes in a short space of time mean that the leadership team is not yet
established. As a result of the lack of clear leadership and oversight, those in charge are not
aware of some of the legal requirements, leading to further breaches. For example, the
manager at the time of the inspection did not hold the required qualification. However, the
provider was able to take action to put in a place a new manager who holds a level 5
qualification. Leaders have also failed to ensure that half of all other staff are qualified to
level 2.
Those in charge are highly supportive of one another and the staff team, creating a positive
atmosphere. There are strategies in place to support staff, such as through wellbeing chats
and professional development opportunities. While there has been a lack of focus, vision
and strategy to identity and drive improvements, leaders show a determined attitude and
commitment to taking action where 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 are cared for by kind, attentive and caring staff. Young children benefit from staff's
warm and nurturing interactions. Staff show genuine care and ensure that all children are
supported to be included. As a result, all children, including those with special educational
needs and/or disabilities (SEND) demonstrate a sense of belonging and that they feel safe
and secure. They are confident to leave their parents and/or carers on arrival and quickly
begin to explore the environment and activities on offer. Staff offer specific praise for
children's achievements, helping children feel valued and understand the expectations of
their behaviour.
Staff and those with lead roles in supporting children with SEND work well to reduce barriers
to children's learning. Early intervention means children receive the support they need to
make progress from their starting points. Support for children and families extends to flexible
contracts to promote good attendance.
The leadership team is not well established. Poor knowledge and understanding of the
requirements within the early years foundation stage statutory framework leads to several
breaches to requirements. While those leading the nursery show a positive attitude and
strong commitment, the lack of clear leadership impacts negatively on the quality of practice.
In the short time children have been attending this newly registered setting, they show they
enjoy attending and display skills across the areas of learning. Planning is flexible and
considers children's interests. While children are developing some skills and knowledge
across the areas of learning, the curriculum is currently too broad. Leaders have not
considered what they want children to learn, based on the unique needs of the children
attending, and used this to plan a carefully sequenced and ambitious curriculum.

Inspector:
Katie Sparrow
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2843522
Next steps
To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare register the
provider must take the following actions by the assigned date:
Action Completion
Date
ensure that at least half of all staff hold at least an approved level 2
qualification
16/03/2026
ensure closer oversight of the quality of the provision that includes
supervision for staff, particularly those with manager roles, that
provides support, coaching and training that fosters continuous
improvement
16/02/2026
design and implement a well-informed curriculum that takes into
account the individual needs, interests and development of children
16/02/2026
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, the special educational needs and/or disabilities
coordinator and safeguarding leads 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.
There have been several changes to the management since the nursery registered.
We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we
received about the provider. The provider will be able to give parents further information
about this.

Address:
Unit 23
Petteril Side, Harraby Green Business Park
Carlisle
CA1 2SQ
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 02/06/2025
Registered person: Sarah Linnett Childcare (CARLISLE) Ltd
Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00
Local authority: Cumberland
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 16 January 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
0 to 3
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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