Woodend Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

The manager and staff have high expectations for children's learning and development.

They create a homely environment and plan activities that take into account children's individual interests. Children demonstrate that they are happy, safe and secure. All children, including babies, move confidently around their rooms choosing what they want to play with.

They develop close bonds with the staff and their friends. Children throughout the nursery are well behaved and show a positive attitude to their learning and play. They take part in activities willingly and are well motivated.

All children are eager to lea...rn and demonstrate they are content in their play. Older children have opportunities to solve problems and to experiment. This is evident as they create 'gloop' mixtures to stick bricks together.

Children mix the ingredients and test out if their mixture is strong enough. They become excited and proud when the bricks stick, which encourages them to build a house for the 'three little pigs'.Younger children enjoy the activities they take part in.

They thoroughly enjoy playing with musical instruments. Younger children shake the instruments, bang pots and pans, and gently use their fingers to play the piano. Babies join in with familiar songs and eagerly do the actions.

These opportunities help children to express their creativity and develop their listening skills.

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

The manager has a proactive approach to working in partnership with parents and others. She arranges regular meetings and provides guidance to support parents in contributing to their children's learning and well-being.

In addition, the manager has developed song books and story sacks which parents borrow to help them extend their child's learning at home. She offers workshops, such as first-aid sessions for parents, and provides informative posters and leaflets. Parents are highly positive in their comments about the nursery, especially regarding the progress their children make and how well staff care for them.

Staff attend various training courses to help increase their knowledge and understanding of childcare. The manager carries out regular staff meetings, makes observations of their interactions with children and gives feedback to help them improve their performance.The manager and staff provide an effective and stimulating curriculum to promote children's learning effectively.

They plan activities that are of interest to the children. The manager and staff encourage children to explore and investigate. For example, they build houses out of planks of wood and show children how to roll balls down drainpipes.

This helps children to develop their curiosity and ignite their excitement as they take part in these activities willingly.Staff know children well. They assess their achievements to close any gaps in their learning and to aid their ongoing progress.

Staff help build on children's current experiences from home. Children enjoy writing letters and take these to the post office, with staff, to post. Additionally, they learn how to make their own drinks.

Staff also take children on trips, for example to farms and pet shops to see how animals are cared for.Staff teach children effectively and interact with them in positive ways. They promote children's communication and language skills well, overall.

Staff working with younger children repeat words and talk to children about what they are doing. Staff introduce new words, such as 'sticky' and 'slimy', to increase older children's vocabulary. However, occasionally, some staff working with the pre-school children ask too many questions without giving them time to think and process a response.

Children behave kindly and know how to express their feelings and emotions. They understand what is expected of them, listen to staff and follow their instructions willingly. This is evident when children take part in self-selecting their own toys and play.

However, on occasions, staff do not consider the group size during adult-led activities. As a result, some children soon lose concentration and become distracted, losing interest in the activity.Children enjoy playing outside.

In the summer they have opportunities to dig up vegetables and pick herbs and fruit, such as strawberries. They move around the garden confidently and learn how to peddle tricycles skilfully. Children are provided with nutritious food at meal and snack times that meets their individual dietary requirements.

Mealtimes are social occasions where children eat together. They talk with staff and each other about the food they are eating. This helps them to learn about healthy lifestyles.

Children follow good hygiene procedures and know to wash their hands to 'get rid of the germs'.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff have a secure knowledge of child protection issues and wider safeguarding concerns.

They know who to contact if they have a concern about a child's welfare or if an allegation is made about a colleague. All staff have attended training, such as safeguarding and paediatric first aid. There are good systems for the safe recruitment of staff to ensure that they are suitable to work at the nursery.

Staff complete regular risk assessments to keep the environment safe and secure. They teach children to keep themselves safe, for example walking carefully up the steps in the garden.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nincrease opportunities for older children to think and consider the answer to questions before asking the next question, to help them build on their thinking and communication skills strengthen the organisation of large-group activities for pre-school children to further support concentration and build on the good progress they make.