Woodpeckers Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children show that they feel safe and secure at nursery. They are greeted by welcoming staff as they arrive at the gates. Children separate from their parents and carers and settle quickly. Outdoors, two-year-old children sweep up the fallen leaves. They climb into the boat to sit and look at books, independently and with staff. Pre-school children learn about real tools, such as screwdrivers and hammers. They listen well to staff as they explain that they need to wear safety goggles. Children are eager to explore how to use the tools. Staff support children to become more independent. They model to young children how to wash their hands before snack. Staff are aware of children's individual needs. They closely follow babies' routines from home, which ensures consistency in their care. Babies approach staff for cuddles and reassurance when needed.

Children behave well. They develop friendships with their peers and enjoy each other's company. Older children chat to each other as they experiment with the weighing scales and different-sized pumpkins in the role play shop. Two-year-old children are familiar with the daily routines and know that when the 'tidy up' song is played before lunch, it is time to help staff put the toys away.

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

• Leaders and staff continually monitor and reflect on the provision they provide to further develop and improve the nursery. For example, shelters and toilets have been added to the outdoor areas so that children can spend a significant amount of their day outdoors. In addition, as a result of attending training, the baby room staff have developed the sensory garden. These positive changes support those children who prefer to play and learn outdoors.
• Staff work closely with parents to get to know children and their families. They act on information received during the settling-in process to ensure children are well supported when starting the nursery. Staff ensure that effective procedures are in place to support children as they move between rooms within the nursery.
• Staff provide regular opportunities for children to visit places in the area, such as local shops, the seaside, farms and care homes. Older children listen to talks from community wardens before taking part in litter picking activities. Staff take babies for regular walks, for example to the water meadows to feed the ducks. Children can grow and harvest vegetables at the nursery allotment. These types of activities help to inspire children's natural curiosity by exploring the world around them.
• Leaders have a clear vision of what they would like children to achieve during their time at the nursery. Staff know how to support children's progress. However, they do not always consider ways in which children can sustain high levels of challenge. In addition, some staff do not effectively manage times of transition between routine activities. As a result, children are not consistently engaged in meaningful learning.
• Staff sing songs and read stories to children spontaneously throughout the day. There are good opportunities for children who speak English as an additional language to see their home language around the nursery, through resources such as books and signs.
• The special educational needs and disabilities coordinators work closely with parents, staff and other professionals. This helps ensure that those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported.
• Parents are positive about the care their children receive. They comment that they like the 'family feel' of the nursery and their children are always happy to attend. Staff communicate with parents daily and share information through an online app. In the main, parents feel well informed. However, some parents are not fully aware of their child's key person, or what activities their individual children have taken part in during the day.
• Managers regularly speak to staff about their well-being. All staff say they feel part of the team and they are confident to approach leaders with any concerns they may have. Leaders have systems in place to monitor staff performance. However, these arrangements are not robust and do not focus sharply enough on enhancing specific skills and raising the quality of practice to the highest level possible.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to fully understand how to implement and sequence the curriculum, so that they can consistently build on what children know and can do
• enhance the communication with all parents to ensure that staff share specific information about individual children's care, learning and progress
• improve staff's ongoing performance management so that all staff have individual targets to continue to strengthen their practice, to further support children's progress.