Woodlands House Private Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

The manager and staff provide a very warm, welcoming and inclusive environment. Children confidently make choices from a good range of high-quality resources and play materials. They demonstrate high levels of interest to explore, investigate and find things out.

Children are happy and safe. A well-established key-person system helps children form secure attachments and there are positive relationships between staff and children. Staff show great respect for children and this helps children to respect each other.

Children learn to manage their own feelings and emotions. They are encouraged to share and take turns. For ...example, older children sit patiently for the water jug to be passed around at mealtimes and then pour their own drinks, helping younger children while they wait.

Leaders and staff provide a well-thought-through curriculum that builds on children's interests and what children already know and can do. This enables them to provide activities and experiences based on children's interests and needs. Staff have high expectations of what individual children can achieve and aim to equip children with a range of key skills to be ready for school.

Older children become familiar with the meaning of words as they find their name on arrival and on their coat peg. Partnership with parents is very strong. Staff and parents regularly exchange information about children's development and well-being.

Staff work closely with parents to help establish children's starting points and learn about their individual routines. This provides continuity in children's care and learning. Parents appreciate the 'wonderful staff' and the 'excellent range of activities' provided for their children.

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

Staff make accurate observations and assessments of children's progress and identify any gaps in their development. They use the information to plan activities to help children catch up quickly. However, occasionally, some group times are not organised well enough to maximise all children's concentration and attention skills.

This means some children, in particular younger children, become distracted.Children enjoy learning outdoors. They have opportunities to take part in forest school sessions and be active, such as running, climbing and manoeuvring wheeled vehicles.

Toddlers giggle with delight as they jump and splash in rain puddles. These experiences have a positive impact on children's health and well-being.Staff act as positive role models and are calm and consistent in their approach to managing any minor unwanted behaviours.

Children play harmoniously together. They are keen to seek out others and invite them into their play. For example, younger children help each other as they pretend to be window cleaners.

Older children work cooperatively when they eagerly dig for worms in the garden.Overall, children benefit from many opportunities to enhance their communication and language skills. Children talk positively about themselves, their families and what makes them unique.

However, due to their enthusiasm, staff occasionally ask questions too quickly or give the answers. This means that children do not always get the time to think things through and respond.Children readily use mathematics in their everyday play.

For example, older children confidently talk about length, comparison and size, as they play with dinosaurs. Staff working with babies talk about the size of balls as they roll them across the water tray. Children have access to a wealth of resources which support their pre-writing skills.

They confidently handle tools when modelling with dough.Staff encourage children from a young age to develop a real interest in books. Toddlers turn the pages and point at the pictures.

Staff engage children well as they animatedly read familiar stories, such as 'The Gruffalo'. They provide props to enhance songs and stories. Children join in with familiar words and phrases and show high levels of engagement at story time.

Leaders, the manager and staff work closely together. They have strong shared views and practice. The manager observes staff working with the children and gives feedback on their performance.

This has helped raise teaching to a very good standard. Effective recruitment and selection procedures are in place to help ensure that those working with children are suitable to do so.Children's independence is promoted well in all rooms.

Babies sit at a table to eat and are encouraged to be independent at mealtimes. Older children are eager to help with small tasks such as serving their own food. They develop an understanding of healthy lifestyles, such as handwashing.

Nutritious meals are prepared from fresh ingredients by the nursery cook.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.All staff talk confidently about the child protection procedures.

They know the steps that they must take if they have a concern about a child's safety or well-being. This includes their responsibilities to prevent children from being drawn into situations that may put them at risk. Leaders act swiftly when there are concerns about a child's welfare and they work in secure partnerships with other professionals.

Staff encourage children to learn how to play safely and handle toys and equipment with care. Staff regularly check the environment so that children are safe and secure.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: review the organisation of small-group activities to fully support all children's concentration and attention skills provide further opportunities for children to develop their thinking, allowing them more time to answer questions and express their ideas.