Woodland Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children enter the nursery eagerly and happily separate from their parents.

Staff warmly welcome parents into the children's base rooms on arrival. They share a detailed handover and any important updates about the children. This effective two-way communication, and gathering of vital information, supports the staff to know the children extremely well.

This is evident in the close bonds they share, and children demonstrate that they feel happy, safe and secure in staff's care. Staff plan a good balance of child-led and adult-initiated activities. Staff set up activities that are interesting and ignite children's curios...ity.

Staff support children to make predictions with open-ended questions. Children explore what happens next when mixing different liquids in a potion-making activity. Staff support bilingual children with new words in different languages.

As a result, children develop into critical thinkers with a wide range of vocabulary. Staff have high expectations for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They teach children to be kind and consider their friends' feelings.

Staff gently encourage children to share and take turns. They promote the use of manners, praise good behaviour and calmly explain the impact that any unwanted behaviour may have. They encourage children to tidy away their beds after nap time.

Consequently, children gain a secure understanding of how to respect each other and their environment and behave well.

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

Leaders plan an interesting and broad curriculum that covers the seven areas of learning and builds on what children already know and can do. Consequently, children gain a solid foundation of knowledge for their future learning.

Leaders have a clear shared vision on improving practice. Managers accurately assess the quality of teaching through effective peer reviews. Staff well-being is a priority.'

Staff appreciation week' recognises their hard work and builds staff morale. All staff feel well supported in their roles and, as a result, are passionate about supporting children in their early years.Staff regularly assess children's progress and share this information with parents.

They use innovative ways to support children's learning at home. They share resources, such as autumn activity packs. These ideas help to consolidate learning between home and nursery and close any gaps in knowledge.

Consequently, all children make good progress in their learning from their various starting points.Children show a love for books. Staff are animated storytellers and make good use of songs and rhymes to encourage children's language.

Staff are fun and enthusiastic. They extend the children's story experiences by acting out scenes from familiar books with them. Older children thoroughly enjoy stomping around the garden as they pretend to be on a lion hunt.

However, sometimes, staff do not pick up on children's prompts when they express an interest in other activities or need help to complete a task. For example, when children show an interest in singing to a song that they can hear in an adjacent room, staff do not hone in on this interest to engage children in learning. As a result, some children quickly lose interest and move away.

This means some learning opportunities are not maximised.Children are learning about healthy lifestyles. They enjoy freshly prepared meals and snacks.

Menus are designed by nutritionists who ensure they are balanced and healthy. Children access fresh drinking water that they can pour themselves. Children know to wash their hands before mealtimes.

Staff are attentive at wiping children's noses, but they do not always throw the tissues in the bin or wash their hands afterwards. As a result, staff are not role modelling and teaching children how to manage their own personal hygiene effectively.There is a well-established key-person system.

Staff get to know children from their first day and evaluate the bonds that form in their first few weeks. Staff adapt and change key persons if children form a closer relationship with a different member of staff. This places value on the children's feelings and supports their emotional security.

Effective methods, like a buddy key-person system, mean each child has two members of staff who know them well and what they are working on next. This supports the children's development.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders and staff are confident in their roles and responsibilities to safeguard children. They know the correct procedures to follow if they have any concerns about a child's welfare or about other members of staff. Staff understand the importance of acting on concerns in a timely manner.

This helps to keep children safe from harm. Staff complete regular headcounts of the children and accurately record the children's attendance throughout the day. Fire evacuation procedures are robust, and training ensures that all staff know their role and responsibility in the case of an emergency.

Recruitment procedures are robust. This enables managers to assess the suitability of those working with children.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to make better use of children's prompts and interests, to challenge and engage children in learning even more nenhance staff's awareness of how to role model good hygiene practices, so that children consistently gain a secure understanding of how to promote their own personal hygiene.