The Woodside Centre

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children enter the setting happy and relaxed.

Babies know how to turn the pages in books and touch the sensory pages. Staff provide language, such as 'fuzzy', to help them connect what they feel to words. They feel safe and secure and thoroughly enjoy their interactions with staff.

The setting is very nurturing, with a positive and caring culture. Children share stimulating stories and songs with staff. They confidently explore their surroundings and demonstrate good levels of engagement and enjoyment from the range of interesting activities on offer.

Babies learn to develop their physical skills. For example,... they access the climbing frame, learning to climb an incline and steps. The curriculum focuses on communication and language.

Staff make good use of stories to develop children's vocabulary. Children delight in re-enacting well-known tales with staff. They join together to engage in role play and retell narratives, using words such as 'squelch' and 'squirch'.

Older children learn to recognise their name and practise writing it through extended learning opportunities.Leaders and staff know the children well. They use their knowledge to plan a curriculum that incorporates children's interests and is based on key themes.

They identify children's next steps in learning and use these to plan child-led activities. Children make good progress in their learning and development.

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

Children are very independent.

Older children manage their own personal needs. For example, they take care of their belongings and go to the toilet independently. During mealtimes, children demonstrate excellent table manners.

They wait patiently for their meal and take it in turns to use utensils to serve themselves. They place their plates on the trolley when they have finished. Younger children learn to feed themselves, and when they are able to, they sit confidently at a table.

Children are very well behaved.The curriculum focuses on the importance of communication and early reading skills. Staff use books at every opportunity to complement specific learning.

Staff sing and read at every opportunity. They model speaking and listening well, exposing children to new vocabulary and concepts. For example, children learn about 'over', 'under' and 'through'.

Children demonstrate high levels of engagement and enjoyment during story sessions. A book-borrowing system supports reading at home.Children learn about the importance of a healthy lifestyle.

For example, activities focus on the importance of good oral health and making healthy food choices. Children enjoy nutritious, home-cooked food at the setting. Staff provide opportunities for children to be physically active.

Children engage in outside play and use equipment to develop their strength and coordination.Parents are positive about the partnerships established with them by staff. They describe the good care and support given to them and the children and say staff are 'great'.

Communication with parents is very good. Parents receive information about their children's learning and development through online platforms and daily conversations. Parents describe the setting as 'brilliant', and they say they would recommend the provision to other parents.

Leaders provide good leadership for the staff team. There is a positive focus on improving staff's knowledge and supporting one another. Staff report that they feel well supported at the setting and are confident to ask for help if needed.

The leaders are reflective in their practice. They have identified the need to teach children more about equality, diversity and inclusion. The curriculum does not consistently incorporate opportunities for children to learn about different cultures beyond their local community, to help them learn more about similarities and differences between themselves and others.

Staff use observations and assessments to plan children's next steps. They work well with external agencies to support children's development. However, on occasion, staff do not always engage and support all children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to help them make as much progress as possible.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have a good knowledge of child protection issues and are clear about their role and responsibilities to safeguard children. The manager and staff keep their safeguarding knowledge up to date.

They know the signs that indicate a child may be at risk of harm and how to report concerns. There are thorough recruitment and vetting procedures in place to ensure that all staff are suitable 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: provide further opportunities for children to learn about equality, diversity and inclusion so that children know what makes them unique provide more support for children with SEND, to help meet their individual needs.