Woodville Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children are eager to start their day when they arrive at nursery.

Staff are strong role models and give consistent messages about behaviour expectations, which children follow with ease. For example, if children arrive after circle time has started, they immediately sit down, finding their place among their friends. The activity continues seamlessly without disruption.

Staff deliver an innovative curriculum through which children learn to keep themselves safe, both at nursery and while on outings. For example, staff teach children how to safely cross the road when out in the community. Leaders invite parents wh...o hold roles in the community, such as a police officer, to visit the nursery and talk to children about their job in keeping people safe and to build children's trust in people in such roles.

Leaders place communication at the heart of the curriculum to provide a secure foundation for progress in children's all-round development. The curriculum is highly focused on books, songs and rhymes. Children have a deep love of books throughout the whole of the nursery.

Babies choose to look at books as they practise their standing skills for the first time. Pre-school children choose to sit with their friends in a den with books reading to each other. Children are strong communicators.

They are animated as they tell visitors about their favourite books. Staff skilfully link books to activities that excite and captivate children. Staff and children sing spontaneously throughout the nursery, for example during nappy changes and planned activities such as singing the nursery rhyme of the day.

The support for children with special educational needs is exceptional. Staff use additional funding to ensure children can access an inspiring curriculum and be included fully in activities with their peers.

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

Leaders complete frequent observations of staff and follow rigorous procedures to assess their findings to improve curriculum delivery to all children.

For example, leaders made well-considered changes to the lunchtime routine to ensure fully sequenced, purposeful learning. Children all now have exceptional social skills. Toddlers competently carry their plate of self-chosen food, including tricky small potatoes, to the table, which is a useful skill for when they start school.

Staff feel strongly supported by the leaders. Leaders value staff and have well-being leads on site, mental health first-aid trained staff and a staff reward programme. Staff have non-contact time to complete work, for example to gain a childcare qualification.

Staff with specialist roles have the time and meaningful training they need to work effectively with parents and other agencies to support the most disadvantaged children.Leaders ensure the curriculum is embedded firmly across the whole of the nursery. Staff skilfully provide exciting, stimulating and meaningful experiences for children.

For example, when pre-school children show an interest in owls, staff find a livestream online of owls for them to watch. Children subsequently learn about nocturnal animals, which staff expertly link to night-time and bedtime stories. Children confidently tell their friends about their favourite bedtime book.

Staff extend the children's knowledge as they engage them in talking about the front cover of a book.Leaders ensure that all children develop alongside their peers and are not left behind. Staff know children and their individual needs incredibly well.

Adaptations to teaching are implemented quickly. For example, on a walk into the community, staff revisit and embed past learning, such as recognising numbers in a range of contexts. Additional staff go on the walk to provide individual support for children who need it so that all children receive the same top-quality experiences.

Staff are excellent role models for children. This results in children having their own high expectations of how they should be treated. Older children confidently talk about the rules they must adhere to.

They understand about being kind to each other and know they can tell a trusted adult if someone is unkind to them. They recognise and understand emotions and know when and why someone might feel sad. Children show empathy and alert staff when someone hurts themselves and is upset.

These are important social and emotional skills for children to build upon throughout their lives.Staff interact and intervene in children's play with impressive skill. For example, as children make kites, staff trust them to use scissors.

They allow children time to work out how much string they need. Children persevere as they try to cut the string. Staff provide helpful instruction about how they could change the way they hold the scissors to be successful.

The experiences children have in the forest school are expertly linked by staff to what children learn indoors. Staff provide children with different tools to crush berries to make natural paint. Younger children use a pestle and mortar, while older children develop more refined skills as they use a hand drill.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Leaders place safeguarding high on the agenda, which ensures a positive safeguarding culture in the nursery. Staff are professionally curious when they need to be and have an open mind.

They know their community well and know the signs which might indicate that children or families might be at risk of harm. The staff know the correct action to follow to share concerns with the most appropriate agencies in a timely manner. Staff are aware to raise concerns further if they feel leaders do not take appropriate action to safeguard children.