Woodlands Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children have developed warm and trusting relationships with the attentive and nurturing staff team. An effective key-person system helps children to feel settled and secure. Young babies in particular enjoy spending time with familiar adults who are particularly kind, caring and gentle in their interactions. Toddlers engage in an array of exciting activities. For example, they make play dough where they explore textures and colour. Pre-school children skilfully recognise the syllables in their names and begin to solve simple mathematical problems. Staff have high expectations of what children can achieve. As a result, all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are making good progress.

Children behave well. They understand the nursery's rules and quickly follow the instructions given by staff. Children benefit from clear and consistent reminders, such as 'kind hands' and 'listening ears'. This helps children to understand what is expected of them as they learn to share, take turns and develop their attention skills. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, children demonstrate resilience and emotional security. Recent teaching has focused on strengthening children's confidence in social situations as they learn to play together again and adapt to new surroundings and routines.

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

• Staff devise a curriculum based on what children need to learn next. They gather detailed information about children's existing skills and abilities, which helps to inform planning from the outset. Leaders recognise, however, that the planning for outdoor learning is not always given the same detailed consideration and does not fully support those children who prefer to learn outdoors. That said, leaders have exciting and ambitious plans to further develop the outdoor learning environments.
• Children's language skills are developing well. Staff working with babies and toddlers constantly model language. They introduce new vocabulary and use repetition to aid children's understanding. Furthermore, as children play, staff provide a running commentary, which helps to ensure children hear a rich variety of vocabulary. Staff working with pre-school children ask thought-provoking questions and consistently give children sufficient time to think and respond. As a result, children are becoming skilful communicators.
• Staff organise the environment well to make the most of child-led play. This means that children are able to independently select what they want to play with and initiate their own learning. As a result, children build on what they already know and can do. Older children enjoy participating in group activities such as circle time. They learn about the days of the week and the date. They use recall skills as they chat about special events, such as a family member's birthday.
• Staff use this spontaneous moment to reinforce children's understanding. However, occasionally these large-group activities are too large. As a result, some children find it difficult to fully engage and participate in the learning opportunities provided as they lose interest and become distracted.
• Children understand how to keep themselves healthy. They benefit from daily, energetic outdoor play and know to take regular drinks to remain hydrated. Young children develop their coordination and balance as they use a slide and small climbing frame. Older children participate in running games and learn to navigate the space available as they operate wheeled toys. Children enjoy balanced and nutritious meals. They chat with staff at snack times and mealtimes and discuss their favourite foods, understanding that too many sweets are bad for their teeth.
• Children have plentiful opportunities to develop their independence skills. Staff encourage children to have a go first before offering their support. Children wash their hands independently, managing their self-care needs with increasing confidence. They serve themselves at mealtimes and help to tidy away when finished. This helps children to develop essential skills needed in readiness for school.
• Staff describe how they feel very well supported and part of a cohesive staff team. They benefit from regular staff meetings and engage in peer observations where they are encouraged to reflect on their practice. Staff receive a wealth of training that contributes positively to the good level of care and attention that children receive.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to develop their skills in planning purposefully for outdoor learning
• refine the organisation of some group activities, to ensure that all children are able to engage, concentrate and fully participate in the learning opportunities provided.