Little Owl Childcare Woodland Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children enjoy attending this woodland nursery. They are happy and demonstrate that they feel secure to learn and play safely among the forest trees.

Children know that they need to wear waterproof clothing during the day to stop their clothes from getting wet. They fully submerge themselves into purposefully planned activities within an outdoor environment. They are free to lead their own play and test out their ideas.

Children explore loose parts as they move equipment to rearrange their learning environment. For example, they move the body of the slide and balance it on a tree log. They test out its stability by roc...king it from side to side before attempting to slide down.

Children are confident learners and have high self-esteem.Children are confident to engage in their own imaginary play. They pretend to sip from a cup, taking it in turns with their friends to drink a cup of tea.

Children learn new vocabulary, which builds on their understanding of new concepts and subjects. They practise new ideas to enhance their play experiences. Children seek out staff to read stories to them.

They show an interest in literature and share knowledge with others about their favourite books. Children act out the story 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt' as they safely navigate themselves around the wooded area. They adapt the story based on the things they see in the woods.

For example, they say, 'I see a slide. We can't go over it, we can't go under it, we've got to go up it.'

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders and managers implement effective procedures to ensure they meet the needs of all children.

Staff work well together to develop targeted plans, which are specific to the child's individual needs and next steps for learning. They evaluate the way they assess children's progress to help build a unique framework for monitoring children's development. They purposefully select and implement guidance that benefits children's speech and language progression.

There are secure arrangements in place to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.Children have the capacity during free play to engage in risky play and develop resilience. They learn perseverance through trial and error within a stimulating natural environment.

For example, children show curiosity when two cups in a wheelbarrow move in a variety of ways. They learn that the cups will spin when they lift the wheelbarrow up and make circular wrist movements. They experiment as they slow down their movements to make the cups balance.

Children show elevated levels of engagement and take time to repeat new experiences. Occasionally, children are not provided with enough time to respond to questions or process their own ideas and think of solutions for themselves.Leaders and managers work collaboratively with a large network of professionals to ensure children's needs are met.

They have high expectations for all children and use the network groups to ensure children receive their full learning entitlement and reach their full potential. Parents say how well prepared their children are for school.Relationships with parents and carers are effective.

Leaders work hard to keep families at the centre of their approach. During the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders and managers considered the impact that a lockdown may have on families. Together with staff, they delivered effective strategies for home learning.

They sent children videos of staff reading stories out loud and built activity packs, which they delivered personally to children and their families. They conducted garden visits to maintain key-person bonds and enhance well-being.Leaders and managers prioritise children's small- and large-muscle skills to ensure that children develop the core strength needed for good sitting and early writing.

Children confidently balance on logs. They hold out their hands and say they are stretching. They show good control and coordination for both large and small movements.

Children learn through their senses. They feel flower petals by holding them to their mouth and twirling them across their lips. They pinch their fingers together as they pick off individual petals with ease.

Staff have positive relationships with all children, not just those in their key group. All staff contribute to the observation and assessment process to ensure key people have fair and manageable workloads. Staff work together to collate a broad overview of what a child can do.

All staff know children's next steps for learning. They can identify any gaps in children's learning and discuss as a group what children know and what they need to learn next. Leaders and managers support staff well-being and evaluate workloads.

Strong leadership, regular self-evaluation, and effective team working contribute to a well-organised nursery. Leaders and managers invest time and money to ensure that staff are highly skilled and supported in every aspect of their job. Staff receive training that is targeted specifically to the curriculum they deliver, such as forest-school training and outdoor first aid.

Leaders and managers share 'top tips' with parents to promote children's healthy lifestyles through exercise, food and rest. Leaders stagger lunchtimes to ensure they are a positive experience, with little disruption to children's learning and mental health. Children benefit from a healthy menu, which is tailored to meet their dietary and preferential needs.

There is a high number of vegan children who attend the nursery. Leaders do an outstanding job in meeting their needs. Staff help children to relate to each other's differences and understand what makes them unique.

For example, staff use children's interests in dinosaurs to talk about dietary requirements. They explain that some dinosaurs eat only meat, some only eat plants, and some eat all foods.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The management team and staff are aware of their duty to keep children safe.They follow robust recruitment processes, which help to ensure the suitability of adults working with children. Staff have an excellent knowledge of child protection procedures and can confidently discuss issues, such as county lines, cuckooing and female genital mutilation.

Staff know the signs and symptoms that might indicate a child is at risk of abuse and neglect. They know who to report to if they have any concerns about a child's welfare. The environment is safe and secure.

Staff carry out hourly risk assessments to assess the environment and the daily weather forecast. This helps to ensure children's safety is paramount while outdoors.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nallow children more time to think of answers for themselves and express their own ideas and suggestions.