Woodland Nursery

Inclusion: Expected standard

Staff know children well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and other barriers to their learning. They adapt activities and routines in response to children's individual needs. For example, staff use 'now-and-next-boards' to help children to understand what will happen at different times of the day, building their sense of belonging and security.

Leaders and staff are swift to assess and identify children's needs. They are committed to minimising any barriers to learning that children may face, tailoring their support to meet their individual needs. They build strong, trusting relationships with children's families. Leaders seek the support and advice from external agencies and work in collaboration with them to promote the best possible outcomes for children. For example, the nursery works with speech and language professionals to ensure that children receive expertise in this area of their learning. This has a positive impact on the progress that children make.

Leaders and staff typically have high aspirations for children, and they make adaptations to activities to encourage their full participation in learning. Staff support children who speak English as an additional language well. Staff are skilful at communicating with children in their home languages, ensuring they fully participate in all activities on offer, while celebrating children's diverse cultural experiences. For example, staff move around the table where children are drawing, saying 'hello' in a range of different languages. This also builds children's understanding and awareness of the world around them.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

The curriculum covers all areas of learning and generally reflects children's interests, building on what they already know and can do, which prepares them for the next stage of learning. Leaders typically ensure that the curriculum is inclusive by adapting teaching, resources and routines to reduce barriers to learning. This enables children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and other barriers to their learning, to participate alongside their peers. Leaders have a secure understanding of the quality of the curriculum and teaching. They identify the strengths of their curriculum and teaching and highlight areas for further development. For example, staff have undertaken training to develop the quality of their interactions with children, to promote consistency of teaching practice across the nursery.

Staff provide nurturing interactions with babies and children that support their personal, social and emotional development well. Babies smile and enjoy back-and-forth communication as they sing their favourite nursery rhymes and settle comfortably beside staff for stories. Children's communication and language skills are generally well promoted. Staff engage in purposeful conversations with children to extend their vocabulary and develop their understanding of learning. For example, staff introduce and repeat the names of different fruits, such as 'plum' and 'cherry', and the names of the days of the week, as children share stories. This expands children's vocabulary and promotes their conversational language.

Typically, staff weave mathematical concepts and ideas into children's play. For example, older children confidently explore how many jugs of water it will take to fill a container, recognising when it is full and empty. Young children count the ingredients they add to their 'magic potions', and identify and talk about the shapes they find in their play environment. This typically promotes mathematical learning well. Children benefit from regular opportunities to play outdoors, helping them to develop confidence and physical skills. Staff support children to develop important social skills, such as turn taking and sharing as they play alongside their friends. This prepares children well for the next stage of their education.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those with other barriers to their learning, typically achieve well from their starting points. They make progress in their communication and language skills, interacting confidently with their friends and staff. Children who previously needed one-to-one support to regulate their emotions, learn to manage this more independently over time. They show improved emotional regulation, taking part in activities alongside their friends.

Children develop counting skills and an understanding of early mathematical concepts. For example, they learn to order the days of the week as they share familiar stories, and older children count the number of sides on the shapes that they make in sand. Children develop positive attitudes to learning, persevering as they work together to solve problems as they play.

Children typically develop confidence and independence when completing tasks, such as tidying away toys and pouring their own drinks. Generally, they learn self-care skills, such as good hand hygiene before eating and after visiting the toilet. Children make clear progress from their starting points, towards the next stage of their education. Overall, children develop the skills and knowledge needed, preparing them well for the next stage of their education and for school.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders and staff typically establish clear expectations for children's behaviour. They provide consistent routines that children respectfully follow, helping children to feel safe and secure and understand what is expected of them. Overall, children demonstrate positive attitudes towards learning and engage well in activities that interest them. Staff ensure that children understand the rules and routines of the setting. They are good role models, offering specific praise and encouragement to reinforce positive behaviour, building children's confidence and self-esteem. Children learn to cooperate and work collaboratively with their friends, sharing resources and taking turns as they play alongside each other. For example, children work together to create and build waterways in sand. They discuss their ideas and negotiate ways in which they can channel the water to take a different direction. They listen to each other, thinking carefully about how they can solve problems.

Children learn good health and hygiene routines, such as washing their hands before eating and sitting safely at mealtimes. Staff model routines for children, such as collecting their plates and cutlery at mealtimes. As children grow in confidence, they begin to develop independence in following these routines on their own. This prepares children well for the next stage of their education. Inclusive approaches, including personalised routines and behaviour strategies, generally enable children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to engage and participate in all learning opportunities on offer. Generally, children behave well and when needed, staff gently remind children of the impact that their actions have on their friends. This helps children to develop social skills and build important relationships with others. For example, during outdoor play, as children attempt to fill a container to the top with water, others are encouraged to work together to plug the holes in the container to prevent water from escaping. This builds recognition of how they can help others and develop appreciation of their friends.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Needs attention

Leaders and staff do not ensure that procedures within the nursery consistently promote children's welfare and wellbeing. For instance, they do not ensure that children wear sun hats when playing outside in the hot weather, or that changing mats are always maintained in a clean and hygienic condition. Leaders do not ensure that staff members carry out consistent risk assessments to ensure children's safety both indoors and outdoors. For example, staff do not identify loose toilet seats or hazards to sleeping babies in cots. That said, leaders respond promptly to eliminate risks once identified.

A strong key-person system is in place that helps children develop a sense of security and emotional wellbeing. Children across the setting, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, benefit from nurturing relationships with familiar staff who know them well. This promotes their emotional security and ongoing learning and development.

Leaders ensure that all children eat healthy meals and snacks during their time at the nursery. Staff help children to understand how the foods they eat are nutritious and healthy, helping them to grow big and strong. This promotes children's understanding of healthy lifestyles. Children develop secure hygiene practices during mealtimes and when visiting the toilet. Staff are positive role models and children learn polite manners, using 'please' and 'thank you', as they share toys and play games with their friends. Children enjoy lots of opportunities to play outside in the fresh air. Babies develop core physical skills as they walk up and down bridges. Young children develop coordination skills, laughing and giggling as they roll balls to each other across the floor. Staff recognise and praise children's efforts and achievements, building their self-esteem and confidence.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Leaders' oversight is not always effective at identifying processes that are inconsistently implemented by staff to promote children's health and wellbeing. For example, some children do not wear sun hats when playing outside in hot weather and some children drink from cups used by other children. Leaders fail to oversee risk assessments that ensures children's safety and wellbeing. For example, toilets used by children have loose fitting seats, and cots where babies sleep have cable ties attached that pose hazards to sleeping babies. This does not consistently promote children's safety and wellbeing.

There has been a change of leadership since the previous inspection. New leaders demonstrate a positive attitude and approach to ongoing improvement. Leaders have developed their complaints policy to ensure that all complaints and accidents are fully investigated and responded to within required time scales. Leaders have also implemented staff training to effectively develop the quality of their interactions to promote and extend children's learning and development.

Staff have regular supervision meetings and report that their wellbeing is well supported. Leaders provide mentoring and coaching for staff, creating a culture where staff feel valued. This has a positive impact on staff morale and ongoing professional development.

Leaders want the best for the children and families that they care for. They engage positively with parents to support children's ongoing learning and development. Leaders work with external professionals to ensure that the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are met. Leaders arrange meetings for pupils moving on to school to support continuity of care and facilitate a smooth transition between settings. This prepares children well for the next stage of their education and for school.