Woodlands Pre-School Nursery Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thoroughly enjoy their time in this warm, caring and exciting nursery. They make strong and sustained progress in all aspects of their learning. Children are extremely well prepared for the next stage in their learning, including starting school. For example, children are highly inquisitive as they search carefully for a wide range of insects in the nursery's exciting woodland area and find out about their different lives and habitats.

Children are safe and secure. They are extremely well behaved. Babies build very strong bonds with the experienced and skilled staff who care for them. They rapidly acquire the confidence to explore the vibrant and tactile environment that they play and learn in. Children learn to recognise and manage the risks in their play. For instance, they learn to work together to use the rope swing safely or develop their climbing and balancing skills in the trees or wooden climbing structure.

Parents are very appreciative of the warmth, care and high expectations of the managers and staff. They welcome the detailed information that they frequently receive about their children's progress and the guidance for learning at home. For example, the visits from 'Woody Bear' help with children's toilet training, and the use of the well-stocked lending library supports communication and their personal development.

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

• The highly experienced managers provide incisive leadership in all aspects of the nursery's work. They give rigorous challenge and support to help staff to fully contribute to the direction and development of the provision. Managers and staff work together well to create a well-researched and imaginative curriculum to help children to make excellent progress in all aspects of their learning.
• Staff enrich children's communication skills extremely well. For example, they carefully plan to introduce children at each age group to a rich and broad vocabulary that is built on their own interests and the experiences that staff introduce them to. They ensure that children see and hear new words in different contexts and help to make them memorable. For instance, children talk about 'consistency' and 'texture' in their modelling work, and explain how a butterfly comes from a 'chrysalis'.
• Staff identify gaps in development at an early stage and act promptly to address them. They plan very precisely to help children to achieve key steps in learning. Staff work closely with other early years professionals to ensure that children achieve their potential, and use any additional funding well.
• Children's love of books and stories is strongly promoted. Staff identify a range of songs, rhymes and books that children will experience as they progress through the nursery. They capture children's interests through daily routines of songs and rhymes that help children to focus their attention and develop their communication, personal and well-being skills. For example, children learn how to keep safe on the internet through the use of exciting and well-told stories and careful questions.
• Children are very well behaved and considerate to each other. Staff constantly model good manners and make excellent use of cheerful songs to help children to share and play well together. The well-planned 'golden rules' help children to develop very positive attitudes and social skills. Children learn to care for others. For instance, they feed the lambs that are born in the farm that the nursery is based in.
• Children's physical development and appreciation of healthy lifestyles are strongly developed. Children are very physically active throughout the day, and they benefit from the nursery's well-prepared, nutritious meals. Staff help children to know when and how to wash their hands thoroughly and to keep their teeth clean.
• Staff morale is high. They are proud of their roles and work effectively together. For instance, the 'well-being team' ensures that staff feel valued and that their contribution to the nursery's success is recognised. This contributes to the nursery's positive and welcoming ethos.
• Parents welcome their involvement in the life of the nursery. They comment very positively about how well the nursery kept children safe during the COVID-19 pandemic and supported their learning at home. Parents state that the 'team were absolute heroes' during this time. Parents regularly participate in the life of the nursery through stay-and-play days, successful charity events, and special cultural events and anniversaries.