Woodlands Nurseries

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provider leads the setting and fosters a clear vision for high-quality childcare. This is evident in the broad and successful curriculum that promotes high expectations for all children. Children have strong and positive relationships with staff. Children approach staff if they need support and to share their achievements. Staff provide children with a nurturing environment and lots of reassuring cuddles. This helps babies and younger children to feel safe and secure. Children freely explore the resources available and follow the daily routines exceptionally well. For example, after a sociable and relaxing lunchtime, babies happily crawl or toddle across the corridor to the sleep room at an unrushed pace, fully promoting their physical skills.

Older children are exceptionally active learners. They concentrate very well during free play and adult-led activities. For example, when children find magnetic letters to make their own name, they persevere until their task is complete. Children think critically and discuss what they are going to make when modelling with junk. They find the resources that they need and enjoy the staff's praise when they show what they have created independently. Children are extremely well behaved. They play cooperatively and understand the procedures that promote their safety and well-being. For example, children know that their friends have allergies to certain foods, and that they must hold the rail when walking up or down stairs.

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

• Leaders are supportive, reflective and evaluative. This enables them to fully consider any lessons learned when reviewing staff's practice. They continuously strive to make improvements that further promote children's learning and welfare. Leaders work closely with the manager. They invest in staff's individual continuous personal development through professional training and regular supervision sessions.
• Staff combine an ambitious curriculum with high-quality teaching. The highly effective key-person system ensures that staff know and understand what they want children to learn and in what sequence. This enables all children, including those with additional needs, to make the best progress. The manager works in the rooms, supporting staff and modelling teaching practice. This ensures that there is a consistent approach and high-quality teaching across all rooms.
• Staff meticulously plan challenging small-group activities to meet children's learning needs exceptionally well. For example, older children keenly participate in a mathematical activity. They recognise numbers, count and sequence numbers. Staff skilfully support and extend children's learning further. As a result, children compare quantities and identify which number is more than or less than the other. At the end of the activity, children give their views and ideas. This enables them to positively contribute to future activity plans.
• Staff use every opportunity to extend children's language skills during play and everyday routines. All children enjoy singing lots of songs; babies jig and clap along. Children's love of books is fully enhanced as staff frequently read stories. Children use books purposefully and independently. Older children take books home to share with their parents.
• Children develop an excellent understanding of their emotions as staff encourage them to express their thoughts and feelings. Staff are sensitive and give effective support to help children to manage daily routines. For example, they tell children what is happening next and use props. This helps children to understand about the expectations of their behaviour and meets their emotional needs effectively.
• Staff fully embrace children's outside play. They play games with children, and help them to use wheeled toys and climbing equipment confidently. Children have lots of areas to explore, such as sand and water cascades, and the mud kitchen. They learn about nature as they grow fruit and vegetables. Staff provide children with sessions from a sports teacher to further support their physical skills. Children have regular trips in the local community to parks and places of interest that link to topics to further enhance their outdoor learning.
• Parents say that communication is excellent. Staff give parents daily feedback. They share information about the events of the day and their children's progress. Parents feel that they are listened to by leaders, the manager and staff. Their ideas are taken forward and no issue is too big or small for staff respond to. Parents say that staff give them lots of support and ideas to support their children's learning at home. As a result, they can see that their children's language skills have quickly improved. Parents say that their children have made very good progress and that they are well prepared for school.