Woodland Wanderers

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are warmly welcomed into this homely setting; they cannot wait to see their friends and key persons and start their day. Staff ensure that children feel valued, secure and listened to. The environment is ready and planned following their interests and ideas, meaning children are eager and motivated to join in and play. Staff form strong attachments and work seamlessly as a team to get to know all the children, their interests and next steps. They track their learning and development and use in-the-moment planning ideas.

Children benefit from quality interactions. Staff guide play and learning well with open-ended questioning that builds on what children know and extends learning. They maintain attention and concentrate for long periods, demonstrating good fine motor skills as they tackle their daily tasks, such as grating their own soap and washing their shoes after a muddy walk.

Staff foster children's curiosity and love of the outdoors. They are immersed in forest school outings, which enhance their curriculum for physical development. Children take risks and enjoy climbing, balancing and exploring nature every week.

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

• Children feel confident to express their feelings and share their thoughts. Throughout the day, they make many choices and enjoy deciding what trip they will be going on, what they would like to eat and what stories they would like to read. They are confident communicators, and staff support their language development well. They model vocabulary and use new words to help all children, including those who speak English as an additional language, to flourish.
• Children love reading and sharing books because staff are such engaging storytellers. They use props and retell stories and children listen intently. They have a wonderful repertoire of songs, and children join in enthusiastically singing in their engaging Spanish classes each week.
• The curriculum is ambitious, and children benefit from a range of planned experiences that enhance their mathematical development and knowledge of the world around them. They are able to sort, count and categorise objects and use their own ideas to build stairs and towers with blocks.
• Children have plenty of opportunities to explore freely and express themselves. They choose from well-organised, exciting resources. They feel safe and secure as they select activities and are willing to have a go. They enjoy finding their family photos and sharing ideas and information from home.
• Adults foster independence and encourage children to explore resources and get themselves ready for outings. They are encouraged to tidy up and prepare their own snack. However, staff do not always implement boundaries consistently. This sometimes impacts the children's attitudes towards learning, their behaviour and following routines.
• Parents speak highly of this homely setting. They share the same vision as the practitioners and work in partnership to support their children's learning. They are happy with how the staff communicate and the experiences the children have. They can see the progress children are making and are amazed by their confidence and independence skills. They feel children receive a broad and ambitious curriculum and most importantly, are ready for the next stage of education.
• Leaders are passionate and dedicated to this nursery. They support their staff well and plan for professional development, training and supervision to extend staff's knowledge. They regularly seek opportunities to build on knowledge for forest school, Makaton and Montessori teaching approaches. Staff speak highly of their well-being and being part of this special team.
• Leaders and managers embrace cultural diversity and lead with integrity. They are inclusive and ensure that children receive the support they need. They have an active role in the community, going above and beyond to involve children in local life, buying produce for shops, visiting the local open spaces and taking part in cultural festivals.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• embed a more effective routine to meet all children's needs and implement strategies to support children's behaviour and attitudes towards learning even further.