Woodgreen Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff welcome children warmly into this friendly nursery. They build good relationships with them and recognise when they need additional support. Children seek staff out for a reassuring cuddle if they are upset or unsure in unfamiliar situations. As a result, children are happy and demonstrate that they feel safe and secure in their care. Children behave well. Staff model good behaviours and teach children the importance of being kind, taking turns and sharing with their friends. They have introduced 'Golden rules' which run through the nursery and are appropriate for each child's age and stage of development.

Staff plan activities based on children's interests. Children are eager to take part in a wide range of activities and can concentrate for periods of time. Older children develop a variety of skills as they eagerly take part in a baking session to make cupcakes. They weigh the ingredients and can recognise the numbers on the scales. They patiently wait until it is their turn to stir the mixture and know that they have to put the eggshells in the bin and not in the bowl. Younger children explore coloured rice and scoop and pour it into different size containers. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress from their starting points.

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

• The nursery has a strong management team. They know what they want children to learn and can talk knowledgeably about the curriculum. However, due to recent changes in staffing, the managers are currently counted in ratios and spend much of their time working with the children. As a result, they do not have the opportunity to monitor staff practice well enough to ensure that their expectations for the curriculum are fully implemented into practice.
• Staff's well-being is given high priority. Staff have access to a well-being officer and there is an open-door policy if staff want to talk through any concerns. Managers value staff and recognise their individual strengths. They ensure that they have access to a fruit basket and a 'perk' box with goodies. Staff say that managers are supportive and that they feel valued and respected. Managers support staff's ongoing professional development. Staff attend training to further their knowledge and skills.
• Children enjoy looking at books and listening to stories. They can act out their favourite stories and recall what happens next. Staff engage children in conversations where they introduce new words and ask questions. This helps to develop children's vocabulary, communication and thinking skills.
• Children experience many opportunities to develop their physical skills. Younger children thoroughly enjoy taking part in a dancing session, where they learn to move in different ways. They excitedly join in and respond to the music as they clap their hands, snap like a crocodile, jump like a kangaroo and fly like an eagle. Staff mirror children's enthusiasm and join in with great gusto.
• Children relish the time they spend outdoors. They persevere as they learn how to work a see-saw and roll hoops. Older children take part in races as they practise for sports day. Children learn additional skills in the forest school area. They take risks as they climb trees, balance on tyres and learn to use tools, such as hand drills to drill wood.
• Children learn about health and hygiene. They know when to wash their hands and pretend to visit the dentist in the role-play area. They grow their own vegetables, such as tomatoes and sweetcorn, in the garden and harvest them to eat. However, at times staff do not respond quickly enough to deal with children's runny noses. In addition, the arrangements for sleeping children are not appropriate as children sleep two to a mat facing each other. This does not support good hygiene practice.
• The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) is knowledgeable and very supportive of children with SEND. Staff observe and assess children's ongoing development to enable them to swifty recognise any gaps in learning. The SENCo liaises with outside professionals to ensure that children receive the right help at the right time.
• Parents receive information every day about what their children have been doing and what they are working towards. This helps them to continue with their child's learning at home. They are invited to information sharing evenings, such as phonics and what children need to prepare them for school. Parents speak very highly of the care and learning their children receive. They say that the nursery is amazing, and that staff are kind, attentive and nothing is too much trouble for them.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide the managers with time to monitor staff more precisely, to ensure that their expectations for the curriculum are implemented fully into practice
• organise sleep and care routines more effectively so that children's good health and hygiene are consistently supported throughout the day.