The Orange Tree Day Nursery @ Mickleover

The Orange Tree Day Nursery @ Mickleover
Unique reference number (URN): 2826517
Address: Staker Lane, Mickleover, Derby, Derbyshire, DE3 0DJ
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 09/01/2025
Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR
Registered person: Childcare Matters Limited
Inspection report: 6 May 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
All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and emerging
needs, make steady progress from their individual starting points. Babies build upon their
physical skills and begin to climb up steps and go down slides. Older children become
increasingly confident in manoeuvring themselves on bikes and trikes. They build strength
and dexterity in their hands as they manipulate play dough and confidently use tools to cut,
roll and make shapes.
Typically, children are independent and begin to manage tasks from a young age. For
example, babies supported by staff put on their shoes and turn pages in books. Older
children manage their personal needs well and understand when they need to wash their
hands, such as before and after eating.
Children begin to understand some mathematical concepts. However, their mathematical
skills and knowledge are not frequently practised and built over time.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Staff know children very well and build warm and trusting relationships with them. Leaders
tailor the key-person approach to support children's individual needs. Where appropriate,
some key persons move with children as they transition through the nursery. This helps
children to settle quickly and make the best possible progress. Leaders work with families to
promote and understand the importance of children's attendance at nursery. This helps
children to learn and progress.
Staff support children's positive behaviours. They encourage children to say 'please' and
'thank you', and praise children for their efforts and achievements. For instance, staff 'high-
five' children when they successfully zip up their coats. This promotes children's self-esteem
and confidence. Children smile broadly and enjoy receiving this recognition from staff. Staff
gently encourage children to share and take turns, and provide opportunities for them to
play cooperatively together. This promotes children's social skills and assists them in
building positive friendships. Generally, staff implement established routines and support
children to understand expectations during handwashing and mealtimes.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Leaders work closely with professionals and parents and carers to provide balanced and
healthy meals in line with nutritional guidance. Staff prepare foods appropriately to meet
children's individual needs. This includes children who are weaning in addition to meeting
children's individual dietary requirements. Staff ensure that children are supervised well
during eating and implement effective safer eating procedures. Typically, staff engage with
children very well. They provide relaxed and sociable mealtimes. Staff support
conversations with children around healthy eating and which food they like to eat. Children
appear to enjoy this time and tell staff, 'This is the best dinner in the whole world.'

Staff ensure that children's skin is protected from the sun. Before outdoor play, they make
sure that children are wearing sun protection and encourage them to wear hats. Overall,
children's independence is promoted well by staff. Children eagerly show staff how they can
zip up their own coats. During mealtimes, babies and younger children learn how to use
their spoons and drink from cups. Older children confidently self-serve their meals, use their
cutlery and scrape their plates once they have finished eating.
Generally, staff help children to understand their feelings and emotions. Through stories and
discussion, staff help children to consider what makes them feel happy, sad or angry.
Children begin to learn how their actions can impact on the feelings of others.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Overall, staff make effective use of assessments to identify all children's next steps. They
break these down into manageable and tailored targets to support children who may have
special educational needs and/or disabilities and children with emerging needs. Typically,
this is implemented well. On some occasions, staff would benefit from further support to
ensure that all children's next steps are age- and stage-appropriate. Leaders build a
curriculum based upon the knowledge and skills that children need to support their future life
and learning. In the main, staff implement this well. For example, staff support babies' early
communication skills through singing and stories. Babies copy staff as they sing and make
the sounds of farm animals. They smile and clap with excitement. Their interest is
maintained as staff effectively use props. Older children listen attentively as staff read to
them. As children carefully examine shells, staff encourage them to feel and describe the
diverse textures. Staff introduce words such as 'bumpy' and 'smooth', which helps children
to widen their vocabulary.
Staff count with children during water play and encourage children to learn about size as
they compare big and little water jugs. The curriculum for mathematics could be further
strengthened to support children's confidence and enjoyment of mathematics across the age
ranges.
Inclusion Expected standard
Staff effectively work with parents and carers, specialists and other professionals to identify
and meet the needs of all children, including those who may have special educational needs
and/or disabilities (SEND) or emerging needs. They closely monitor children's progress to
ensure that identified strategies are having the desired impact. Leaders effectively identify
where children may be eligible for additional funding. Overall, they successfully consider
how funding is used to promote children's developmental and educational outcomes. This
includes providing one-to-one support, specialist equipment and resources linked to
children's needs and interests.
Staff use a variety of communication methods to help children's understanding and to
support them to effectively express themselves. All staff complete SEND training, and
leaders who have specialists roles complete more in-depth training. This supports inclusive
practice, which promotes the participation of all children.

Leaders understand how to support children who are known or previously known to
children's social care. This includes the professionals they would work and share information
with. Leaders know the importance of understanding why a child is known to social care in
order to effectively support them and be alert to any potential concerns.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders are reflective and identify where staff need additional support and coaching. They
value professional development and are eager to continually improve. Leaders provide a
range of activities to promote the development of staff, including workshops, one-to-one
meetings and observations of practice. The wealth of support provided for staff would benefit
from further monitoring by leaders, to ensure it has a consistent impact on staff practice and
further improve the overall experiences of children.
Staff comment positively about their roles in the nursery. They say that it feels like the staff
team are one big family and they feel valued and supported by leaders. Leaders provide
staff with opportunities to progress within the nursery to more senior positions. This supports
their overall job satisfaction and enjoyment in their roles.
Staff provide events for parents and carers to raise their awareness and understanding of a
variety of topics, such as toilet training, online safety and healthy eating. Parents and
professionals provide high praise about leaders and staff. Parents are reassured by the
positive and close relationships that key staff build with children. They explain how they
appreciate the support that staff provide to children and parents alike.
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, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and emerging
needs, are settled and happy. This is supported by the close and secure attachments they
have with key members of staff. Typically, babies benefit from quality interactions from staff,
including during routine times. Children's faces fill with delight when staff sing familiar
nursery rhymes. They show their close bonds with staff as they cuddle them when tired and
seek staff out to show them their achievements. Older children enjoy the playful interactions
from staff. They use their imagination when staff ask them what they think they will be eating
for tea. Children listen to the ideas of others before contributing their own. They giggle
together at the wonderful and inventive meal suggestions. Staff show warmth and affection
as they acknowledge each child's contribution. This helps each child to feel valued and
respected.
Children have an abundance of opportunities to investigate the natural environment. They
use binoculars to view birds in the trees and carefully examine minibeasts in the ground and
surrounding area. Children enjoy visiting and caring for the animals that live at nursery and
learn to respect all living things. They are confident in their surroundings. Children eagerly
explore the activities available to them. Younger children spontaneously show resources to
staff and repeat words when staff name the object. Older children happily play with their
friends in the sand. They show how to keep themselves safe and, without being prompted
by staff, independently sweep the sand up when it falls on the floor.
Leaders implement effective procedures when children are absent from nursery to ensure
their safety and welfare. Leaders work with families to promote consistent attendance to
establish positive educational routines.

Inspectors:
Mel Walker
Kelly Langley
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 2826517
Address:
Staker Lane
Mickleover
Derby
Derbyshire
DE3 0DJ
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 09/01/2025
Registered person: Childcare Matters Limited
Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:30
Next steps
Leaders should enhance staff's understanding and implementation of the curriculum,
particularly for mathematics, to increase children's sequential learning of mathematical
concepts, skills and knowledge.
Leaders should strengthen the monitoring and impact of staff training and support, to
further improve consistency in teaching and children's educational outcomes.
About this inspection
The inspectors spoke with leaders, staff, parents and other professionals 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.

Local authority: Derbyshire
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 6 May 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
1 to 4
Total number of places
136
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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