HappyWoods Nursery Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy to attend this nursery to meet and play with their friends. Staff ensure they get to know families and children well. They use the settling-in time to understand each child's individual needs. This helps staff to prepare and plan for children, so that learning is tailored to each child's needs. Staff and leaders ensure that children have good routines in place that are understood and followed well by staff. Staff ensure that children have choices throughout the day, which helps to involve and engage children. For example, in the garden, children play in the mud kitchen. They excitedly decide with their friends to make 'leaf cookies' and explore the garden looking for 'leaves' and 'stones' to add to their recipe. Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. They are positive role models and praise the children for their behaviour and attitudes to learning. This supports children's self-esteem and confidence. Children display their confidence and behave very well at this nursery.

Since the last inspection, the leadership team has made the necessary improvements to ensure that welfare requirements are consistently met. Leaders ensure that every child, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities reach their full potential. The curriculum is designed so that children receive a wide range of learning opportunities. This includes trips to the local library, so children learn about the community around them.

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

• The leadership team has implemented an effective action plan since the last inspection. This has helped to identify areas that need improving and strengthening. The nursery has expanded since the last inspection, and leaders have ensured that safe recruitment has been robust and effective by recruiting staff who are qualified to provide good quality teaching experiences.
• Leaders have ensured there is a robust induction and supervision system in place for all staff. This helps to identify strengths in practice and areas that may need further support. The training programme has been strengthened so that teaching is effective and supports all areas of learning. For example, staff are currently training in forest school. The impact is already evident as children thrive and engage in planting activities and are learning new vocabulary as part of this learning process.
• Staff are effective in supporting children's communication and language development. This includes children who speak English as an additional language. Staff approach parents for key words in their home language so that children feel welcome and have a sense of belonging at the nursery. Staff sing nursery rhymes to babies, and toddlers and pre-school children listen to stories throughout the day. This helps children to become effective communicators.
• Staff provide lots of opportunities during the day to build children's physical skills. Babies are supported with their early walking skills. Young children use large equipment in the garden to climb, balance and jump. Older children begin to use scissors and are encouraged by staff to keep trying when they have initial difficulties. This helps to build children's resilience and confidence.
• Staff are effective in teaching children what makes their bodies healthy. There are lots of opportunities during the day to explore outdoors in the fresh air. As children plant vegetables, they recall a recent visit by a dental nurse and how to keep their teeth healthy. Children are provided with freshly prepared meals and snacks and learn what food is good for their bodies.
• Staff support children in building their independence. For example, children wash their hands after outdoor play and learn to put on and take off their coats. Older children take on extra responsibilities to set up the tables for mealtimes. However, occasionally, during busy care transitions, staff do not always consider the needs of younger children that are settling in so that they do not become unsettled during this time.
• Staff create weekly plans in each room, so that learning can be adapted according to how children engage and learn. This helps to provide children with a responsive curriculum that is relevant to their individual needs. However, occasionally, less-confident children are not thoroughly considered and, as a result, they occasionally engage less in learning.
• Parents say how happy and supportive the staff team are. They say that staff take the time to get to know their children well. Parents receive daily verbal updates, which provides them with updates about their child's day and informs them that their children are making progress.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review and improve busy care routines throughout the day, especially for the youngest children who are settling into the nursery
• develop the curriculum further to support all children, including those who may be less confident.