Woodleys Park Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

All children attending this nursery, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), show that they feel safe and have a sense of well-being. Children benefit from the staff's caring approach towards them.

Staff gently settle babies to sleep and provide reassurance for those babies who need it. Children are excited to join in with the activities on offer to them. For example, pre-school children confidently speak about the drawings they are doing.

Later, they join their friends who are busy using cardboard boxes and tape to make a 'boat'. This follows conversations children have about their r...ecent holidays.Staff help all children to join in with play.

Two-year-old children become fully engaged in playing with pretend food. They listen to staff as they name the different foods, and children pour them all into a pot. Children laugh as they enthusiastically stir with a wooden spoon.

Children rise to the challenges staff provide them with. Staff know the children well and plan effectively to help them move forward in their learning. For example, children with SEND have targeted support to make friends and play alongside others in the small 'STRIVE' group.

Staff continue this support in the child's group room to help them develop the skills they are learning. The dedication from staff contributes to the rapid progress children make in their confidence and social skills.

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

The company management team works effectively with the manager and staff.

Staff's ongoing professional development and well-being are supported. Overall, this results in staff demonstrating a good understanding of how to engage and interact with the children. However, some staff are unclear about their own identified targets and areas where they need to improve their practice to ensure that the good standards of interaction and teaching remain consistently strong.

Children with SEND are given every opportunity at this inclusive nursery. Staff have high expectations for the children's achievements. They work closely with parents to ensure that children receive a consistent approach and to widen the experiences children have at home.

For example, they help children to learn to sit together at the table and use cutlery to eat their meals. The staff receive training in SEND, which helps them to quickly identify if children are not developing as expected so that additional support can be put in place. Staff focus highly on the two- and three-year-old children who were born during the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the ways they do this is by using effective strategies to help them begin to recognise and manage their feelings.Children respond to the staff's clear explanations and reminders about the expectations for behaviour. Children listen when staff talk to them about being kind to their friends.

Children with additional needs begin to understand the expectations through support from staff as they show them pictures to indicate what is happening now and what will happen next. Children play well together. They are learning to share and show respect and care to one another.

Staff actively promote children's developing communication and language skills. Children listen to staff and eagerly follow their instructions during games such as 'What's the time Mr Wolf?' Most children cope very well with taking some responsibility at lunchtime. For example, they get plates, cutlery and cups ready and serve the food themselves.

Staff speak clearly to children so that they know what is expected of them and use words to extend children's vocabulary. However, occasionally, the activities are not fully appropriate for the children taking part. This results in children not learning as much as they could.

Staff in all rooms actively promote children's independence skills. Children are encouraged to help themselves to drinking water, and they help to wash up the plates after snack time. Children choose the activities they want to take part in, and staff enable them to lead their own play.

For example, when children explore numbers and small construction blocks, some are keen to add the large tweezers. Children challenge themselves to use the tweezers to pick up the blocks. Staff support children to do this and give them lots of praise for their efforts and achievements.

This positive support contributes to children being confident to keep trying.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff are confident to discuss safeguarding concerns and know how to recognise changes in children's well-being.

They complete regular safeguarding training, which helps to ensure that their knowledge of procedures for recording and reporting concerns remains up to date. Managers have robust systems for recruiting suitable staff. For example, they advertise for staff who have specific skills to extend their support for children with SEND, and they follow effective induction procedures.

The premises are safe for children. Thorough risk assessments and effective staff deployment and supervision of children contribute to their safety.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: plan activities so that they are appropriate and meaningful for all children taking part and fully promote their learning nextend the monitoring of individual members of staff's professional development to promote a shared understanding of their own targets to continually enhance their practice.