Woodside Children's Centre

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children demonstrate that they are happy, safe and clearly enjoy attending this inclusive setting. The enthusiastic and caring staff know children extremely well and have high expectations of them. They are kind, patient and nurturing in their approach. This helps children to settle quickly. Children engage in their chosen activities and have a positive attitude to their learning. They form strong friendships with each other and join in games together.

Staff carefully think through their curriculum to offer inviting and interesting activities and experiences that are closely based on children's age, learning needs and interests. Babies excitedly explore sensory play, using tools to scoop and pour. Staff skilfully motivate children in the exciting outdoor water play by linking learning to their interest in vehicles. For example, children use the toy buggies to pretend that they are at a car wash, cleaning their 'vehicles' with soapy sponges and water. Older children confidently lead their own play as they experiment with cars and guttering.

Children work together and use positional language as they play. They talk about placing the guttering higher up to make the cars go faster, and then placing it down lower to make the cars slow down. Children are encouraged to take measured risks in their play, particularly in the outdoor environments, including the dedicated forest school area. They have vast opportunities to be physically active as they explore and negotiate in the exciting and imaginative play spaces. Staff place an emphasis on conversations with children, modelling language and narrating their play. This develops children's language and communication skills.

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

• There is a well-sequenced curriculum at the setting, which identifies what children should learn and is focused on preparing children for school. Staff in the rooms are clear on the learning intent for each activity they provide and how this links to the overall curriculum.
• Staff support the diverse group of children and families who attend the setting effectively. Children learn about each other's families and backgrounds. For example, they bring in photos for staff to display. Staff teach children about different cultural festivals which represent children's heritage. Children's individual home lives are valued and integrated into the setting.
• Staff ensure that children have the skills they need to move on to the next stage of their development. Staff recognise the support that children need to ensure that transitions are smooth. Children learn to be independent early on. For example, they learn to serve themselves at lunchtime and pour their own drinks. Staff help to build children's confidence and ensure that they are ready for school.
• Children are offered many experiences to support all areas of learning, including sessions at forest school. However, helping children to investigate digital toys and equipment to discover how things work is currently under consideration but not yet fully implemented.
• The support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those in receipt of additional funding, such as early years pupil premium, is good. Staff identify potential areas of need and then use funding effectively to fully benefit each child it is allocated to. For example, the funding is used to purchase resources and provide specialist support. This gives effective support to ensure that children with SEND and vulnerable children make good progress, and it helps to narrow any gaps in their development.
• In general, staff support children's behaviour well. They are positive role models and clearly explain their expectations, such as using good manners, sharing and taking turns. However, on occasion, some staff do not consistently help children to understand their emotions and recognise how their behaviour may affect the feelings of others.
• The manager supports her team well. She provides regular opportunities for staff to discuss their work and the children they care for, such as during team meetings and individual supervision sessions. Staff have the opportunity to attend training courses to enhance their professional development.
• Parents are very complimentary about the setting. They say that staff are welcoming and keep them well informed about their children's learning and development. Parents describe how staff have supported them and their children with matters such as a new baby in the family or suggestions on how to promote their child's confidence in preparation for school. They comment that their children are happy, excited to attend the setting and make good progress.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide toys and resources that support children to understand different purposes of a range of different technologies
• help staff to recognise the importance of explaining unwanted behaviour to children so that they are able to develop an awareness of the consequences of their actions.