Kiddisafe Nursery Woodhill

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children and their families receive a warm welcome as they arrive at this nurturing and supportive nursery. Children settle quickly and become absorbed in their play, forming strong attachments to the encouraging and kind staff. Children explore their senses as they plunge their hands into shaving foam. They push ducks around the tray and develop their language as they sing 'Five Little Ducks.' Children snuggle up to their carers as they listen to stories. They point to the characters in the book and listen carefully, turning the pages and building their speech and language skills, as they talk about the characters they see.

Older children develop their small muscles, as they skilfully tap nails into wooden blocks using hammers. Children play imaginatively in the mud kitchen. They fill containers with leaves, mud and pinecones as they stir and mix the contents exclaiming, 'It's really hot,' 'It will be ready in five minutes.' Children use their large-muscle skills as they explore bicycles. They use their feet to propel themselves forward and push down on the pedals to move forward. Children use their coordination skills as they move their bodies in time to the music. They create body percussion, as they clap their hands and stamp their feet with delight.

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

• The nursery provides a child-led, well-designed programme of education to help children develop the skills they need for their next stage of education. For example, children learn independence skills as they pour their own drinks at snacktime and put their coats on before going outside.
• Children explore the variety of enticing activities on offer at the nursery. However, occasionally staff move children on too quickly before they have finished playing. For example, children's outdoor learning is interrupted, as staff direct them to go inside after a short period. This hinders children's eagerness to use resources, as they cannot finish what they are working on before they are moved on to the next activity.
• Children develop a positive attitude towards healthy lifestyles. The management team ensure children enjoy healthy snacks and talk about the benefits of eating a balanced diet. Children make connections about what it means to eat a healthy diet. For example, during mealtimes, they say, 'chocolate pancakes are bad for you.' The staff promote oral health. Children enthusiastically brush their teeth after snacks as they sing a song about keeping their mouths healthy.
• The experienced and passionate management team are committed to driving improvements in the nursery. Staff are happy in their role and receive support from the management team on a regular basis. The managers ensure that staff receive regular training and supervision to enhance their overall knowledge and skills.
• Staff have high aspirations for children's behaviour. Children respond to gentle reminders to use their manners when asking for toys or snacks. They listen to staff instructions as they tidy up the toys they have played with. Children show that their emotional needs are met. They seek out adults for comfort if they are unhappy. Children show that they feel settled and content as they tell visitors, 'I'm happy because I am at nursery.'
• Children learn about the natural world. For example, they visit local parks to explore wildlife and learn about the seasons by collecting leaves and conkers. They grow vegetables to learn about where their food comes from and explore minibeasts with magnifying glasses in the garden.
• Parents speak very highly about the care and support the staff provide, and comment that the staff are friendly and dedicated in their roles. Parents feel that they are well informed about their children's development and are happy with their progress. They comment that they appreciate the support staff give them if they have concerns about their child's development.
• The management team and staff ensure that children who have additional needs receive swift support, helping them succeed. Staff get to know the children well. They use observations to plan and implement activities that enable learning. This helps children make the best possible progress at nursery.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to give children more time and space during activities to enable children to finish what they are working on.