Growing Wild Woodland Nursery

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders create an inclusive culture where every child is known, valued and supported. Staff identify emerging needs quickly and respond with sensitivity. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from thoughtful adaptations that keep them fully involved in learning. Staff follow children's lead and adjust activities so that they can join group times as independently as possible. Children make rapid progress in communication and confidence. Leaders scrutinise the progress that children make. They review their approach frequently to ensure that support remains sharply focused on children's current needs. Children benefit from precise, responsive support that enables ongoing progress.

Staff work closely with external professionals and follow intervention plans with care. This helps to ensure that children receive consistent support that reduces barriers to their learning or wellbeing and builds independence. Children who have experienced early life challenges respond well to steady routines and familiar adults. They show growing emotional security and confidence.

The key-person system is strong. Children form close bonds with their key person and parents value the daily communication and support. Staff ensure that disadvantaged children, and those facing other barriers, access the same rich curriculum as their friends. For example, they use additional funding to ensure that children have suitable clothing to access all activities in all weathers. All children develop a strong sense of belonging and make secure progress from their starting points.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders provide clear direction for the curriculum and expected quality of teaching. Staff understand their expectations and deliver consistent, high-quality support for children's learning. The curriculum reflects the setting's outdoor ethos and the needs of the children. Staff use the natural environment to build independence, resilience and curiosity through unhurried exploration. They plan learning through repeated songs and stories, modelling rich vocabulary and embracing children's interests. Staff use questions rather than instructions, which encourages children think for themselves and set their own challenges. Staff extend learning naturally through play, introducing new words and encouraging children to explain their ideas.

Staff help children to develop a deep understanding of mathematics through practical tasks and carefully planned activities. For example, they set up opportunities for children to collect sticks and leaves and match them to number cards, and talk about value in everyday play. Staff promote physical strength and coordination through daily active play. They encourage children to keep trying when climbing the 'big hill' and offer steady support that helps children to develop physical resilience and determination.

Teaching is warm, responsive and inclusive. Meticulous assessments inform staff's clear intentions for the activities that they provide. Staff are careful to allow uninterrupted play to help children to remain deeply engaged and follow their ideas to completion. Staff work diligently to ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities access the full curriculum. They adapt activities and provide the right support at the right time to help children to build their knowledge and skills in ways that work for them. Overall, the curriculum provides rich and exciting opportunities for all children to build their knowledge and skills across all areas of development, ready for their next steps in learning.

Achievement: Strong standard

All children, including those who face barriers to their learning, make rapid progress from their starting points. Those with limited speaking skills when they first start quickly develop their language skills and learn to communicate confidently with other children and staff. Children who previously struggled with physical strength and coordination now move across the site with confidence and control. Those who found social interaction difficult now form friendships and negotiate play with ease. Older children are remarkably articulate. They use a wide vocabulary to share their ideas and explain their thinking. They recall previous learning from stories, play and outdoor exploration and use this during their play, which helps to build deeper understanding.

Children are consistently resilient and resourceful. They solve problems independently, adapt their ideas and persevere with challenging tasks. They are high achievers who show curiosity, confidence and a strong desire to learn. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make significant progress in communication, confidence and physical development. All children develop positive attitudes and become deeply engaged in their learning. Their ability to focus and persevere, and their sheer love of learning, prepares them extremely well for future success.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders and staff have shared and very high expectations for behaviour, which they apply consistently. Children behave remarkably well. They are calm, cooperative and become deeply involved in their play. Staff model respectful interactions and children mirror this in their relationships with staff and other children alike. They negotiate roles, share resources and resolve minor disagreements with minimal support. Children show consistently positive attitudes in their play and learning, accepting challenges and creating their own. They listen intently during group time and contribute thoughtful ideas. They show pride in their achievements and are extremely confident, for example, when they perform for their friends during singing and dancing activities.

Routines are very well embedded and inclusive. Children know what to expect in their day, which contributes to their high levels of self-esteem and sense of security. Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities through visual cues, predictable routines and sensitive support. Children who face barriers to their learning or wellbeing remain settled and engaged because staff understand their needs and respond promptly. They show emotional security through warm relationships with staff.

Leaders are diligent in preparing children for the expectations of school. Children build the learning behaviours needed for a classroom environment. Staff introduce simple routines that help children manage transitions, follow group expectations and take part in shared learning. Leaders encourage regular attendance. They offer flexible start and end times to help families to easily access the provision. This means some children, who arrive later or leave earlier, occasionally miss valuable learning time. This can affect how securely they develop habits linked to punctuality. Leaders recognise this and are committed to addressing it.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Children's welfare and wellbeing are of the utmost priority and leaders monitor this closely. Staff supervise children with care and awareness. They position themselves well and communicate clearly. Risk assessments are thorough and reviewed often so that children can explore safely. Children learn how to keep themselves safe through embedded routines and discussions. Staff ask children what they might need to think about rather than telling them to be careful. This builds children's confidence and deep understanding of risk. For example, they talk confidently about how to check which plants are edible and how to move safely on slippery ground.

Staff know every child extremely well. They are sensitive to those who face barriers to their learning or wellbeing and tailor care to make sure their needs are fully recognised and met. Children form secure bonds with staff and seek comfort when needed. Staff meet children's care needs precisely and thoughtfully. Staff are careful to ensure that children are able to sleep safely and rest well. In colder weather, they use warm spaces for personal care and work quickly to keep children comfortable. Children meet their own care needs with increasing independence. They understand how to prevent the spread of germs, which they show when they wipe their nose and clean their hands. Mealtimes are relaxed, social occasions where children learn how a balanced and nutritious diet can give them the energy they need for an active and healthy lifestyle. They practise good manners and develop their social skills in conversations with their friends and staff.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leadership is strong and drives high quality practice across the setting. Leaders monitor practice through daily oversight, discussions and observations and use this to maintain consistent expectations across the team. They create a highly supportive environment where staff feel valued, confident and able to sustain high quality practice. Leaders are mindful of staff workload and wellbeing. New staff spend time getting to know children and the environment before taking on any responsibilities. Staff have protected time away from children to complete administrative tasks so that they can focus fully on children during the session. Leaders understand the physical and emotional demands of working in an extensive outdoor environment. They have developed a new indoor space for staff to rest, warm up and prepare resources. Staff appreciate gestures, such as warm drinks, and practical support that help them feel cared for and able to do their best work.

Training is sharply focused and builds staff confidence. Leaders continue with their own learning, bringing expert knowledge and reliable research into teaching approaches and learning plans. Staff feel included in decision making and are encouraged to be creative in how they deliver the curriculum. Higher staff ratios ensure that staff feel at ease supervising and teaching children across the large site. This removes anxiety and helps them to feel capable and confident.

Leaders work closely with external professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They maintain strong partnerships with parents, with meaningful communication and regular updates through an electronic application, regular newsletters and daily, detailed conversations. Parents say they receive so much information that it feels as though they have spent the whole day there with their children. They say staff give them confidence to continue their children's learning at home. Leaders are reviewing the organisation of sessions to encourage stronger punctuality and to help children to benefit more consistently from their full entitlement to funded early education.