Oak Tree Day Nursery on Bath Spa University’s Newton Park campus has been rated as Good following its first Ofsted inspection.

Library image
The report was published last week following a visit at the end of February.
The nursery at Newton St Loe was registered with Ofsted in 2022 and there are 72 children on the roll.
The inspector says in her report: “Children enter this welcoming nursery happily and settle easily on arrival.
“They respond very positively to the friendly, caring staff. Children are content and comfortable in the nursery. Children learn to behave very well.”
Staff are said to get to know children well and use their knowledge effectively overall to provide a broad curriculum based on children’s interests and learning needs.
Established daily routines support youngsters’ self-care skills and they develop good independence skills from a young age.
Staff observe and monitor children’s progress and identify what they need to learn next. Children learn to understand and manage their feelings safely and staff support children’s communication well.
Parents say their children love going to nursery and that staff keep them well informed of daily activities and personal care. Staff share ideas with parents for activities to do at home and provide continuity for children’s next steps of learning.
To further improve, the nursery is told to strengthen staff’s awareness of ways to adapt teaching and the organisation of group activities to help all children stay focused and engaged consistently well.
The inspector also says that more information should be gathered from parents at registration about their children’s existing developmental skills to help the nursery plan activities that are more focused right from the start.
The nursery is one of four registered by Buttercup Barn Day Nursery Ltd.