The Enchanted Wood Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive excited and delighted to attend nursery. They eagerly take part in the fantastic opportunities available to them. For example, older children build a hedgehog house next to the frog pond.

They check it daily to see if any hedgehogs have started hibernating. Children concentrate intensely on a tiny snail that they find in the grassy meadow. Staff extend this learning through stimulating craft activities.

Children make their own play dough to create snails. They use giant seeds from pumpkins that they have carved out to decorate the snails. Children also find a toy snake in the grass and make 'snakes' tha...t they wind around twigs.

The activity sparks excited conversations and staff introduce mathematical elements to their learning. Children are exceptionally inventive and they remain engaged for extended periods of time. Toddlers relish their time outdoors.

They have tremendous motivation to learn. They feel safe and secure to express themselves. Staff are highly perceptive and support them in being independent.

For example, children confidently ask for more water. They use this to pour and stir muddy mixtures in big metal pots with ladles and jugs. They are free to jump in puddles and race around trees.

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

The nursery leaders commit to a strong ethos. They create strong foundations for learning by ensuring high levels of emotional well-being for both children and staff. Staff feel extremely well supported through effective supervisions.

They are ambitious and focused on making career progression. Managers provide staff with ongoing training opportunities that enhance their knowledge. Staff are outstanding role models to children.

They are nurturing and compassionate and impart these skills to children.Children are exceedingly well behaved and listen carefully to stories. For example, the youngest children sit absorbed in stories.

Staff add props and wonderful expression to keep their attention. Children are highly motivated to find toy animals that match the characters in a book. They happily make the corresponding noises and actions.

Children soak up new words and learn a broad vocabulary through songs and rhymes.Children are friendly and happy. They welcome everyone they meet with eager smiles.

Babies grin during a game of peekaboo. They roll a ball through metal guttering and down a long, wooden slide, watching intently to see where it goes. Babies enthusiastically crawl to retrieve the ball so that they can do it repeatedly.

Staff add counting to their learning. Babies investigate different cereals, vegetables and utensils very carefully. They enjoy exploring the textures, smells and tastes, fascinated with what they find.

Older children have excellent knowledge of personal care routines and behaviour rules. Staff have very high expectations of children's behaviour. They reinforce positive behaviour throughout the day.

Children have extremely strong bonds with their key person. Dedicated staff know children's individual qualities and learning styles. They endeavour to teach the way each child learns.

However, occasionally, staff do not challenge the most able children during adult-supported activities so that they achieve to the very highest levels.Partnerships with parents are outstanding. Parents value the fabulous experiences their children have to learn in their surroundings.

They offer the highest praise for the support their children receive from the warm and caring staff. They appreciate the smooth transitions that children make when they first start and between rooms. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are exceptionally well supported.

They make remarkable progress and are thriving in this highly inclusive setting.Children learn about their local community through charity drives. They gain knowledge about the different family structures of other children in the nursery.

Children develop an early understanding of how they are unique. They learn about people in the community who keep them safe. For example, firefighters, dentists and police officers visit and talk to them.

Children start to understand and respect the many festivals and faiths celebrated by families at nursery and in the local area.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff fully understand their responsibilities to safeguard children.

They are confident and knowledgeable in identifying and addressing concerns relating to safeguarding or wider child protection issues. Staff attend ongoing training to keep up to date and refresh their knowledge in staff meetings. They carry out rigorous risk assessments daily to ensure that the premises are secure.

Managers conduct safer recruitment procedures and check that staff remain suitable in their roles. New staff complete a thorough induction to confirm their suitability to work with children.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: make full use of children's enthusiasm for the rich learning opportunities staff provide, to consistently challenge the learning of the most able children.

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