Woodlands Nursery & Pre School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

As children arrive at the setting, staff welcome them warmly.

The children easily separate from their parents at the door. As children enter their room, toddlers greet each other with squeals of delight and pre-school children seek out their friends to play with. Children are kind and friendly towards each other.

They are learning to be respectful of others. Staff encourage toddlers to say please and thank you. Older children know and recite the pre-school rules.

They independently use sand timers to help them to take turns with toys and equipment.Pre-school children make choices about the activities that they... want to engage in. They select board games and invite other children to play with them.

As children play a game where they match food items on cards to the items on their game boards, staff help to extend children's conversations. They encourage children to talk about food that is healthy and food that should only be eaten as a treat. Children are learning to make healthy food choices.

Children learn to take safe, appropriate risks as they play in the nursery garden. Pre-school children balance on fixed equipment as they play a game of 'the floor is lava'. They confidently climb up a large climbing frame.

Staff closely supervise children and are at hand to offer support or reassurance. They praise children's efforts and encourage children to persevere.

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

The manager and staff structure the curriculum to support and build on what children know and can do.

Staff make ongoing assessments of children's achievements and use information that they gain from parents to support their planning. Staff know the children that they care for well and understand their interests and individual development needs.Staff are committed to working with other professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

They put plans in place to support children to reach their full potential. Staff meet the needs of children in receipt of additional funding effectively. They identify activities, experiences and resources which will benefit the children.

The nursery provides dancing and football classes to encourage children to exercise, develop physical skills and encourage healthy lifestyles.Parents speak highly of the staff at the setting and the relationships that their children have with them. They comment that they are kept well informed about their child's care, learning and development.

Staff use an online learning journal and speak to parents every day as they drop off and collect their children. Parents feel that since attending the nursery, their children have developed their independence, gained social skills and increased in their confidence.Staff place an emphasis on supporting children's communication and language skills.

Staff encourage toddlers to name the things that they can see as they explore the illustrations in picture books. When children mispronounce words, staff sensitively correct them by repeating the word for the child to hear. Staff sit with children at mealtimes.

They encourage pre-school children to talk about their experiences and interests. Children gain confidence to talk in social situations.Staff teach children to develop age-appropriate independence skills.

Toddlers are encouraged to take their own coat and shoes off and hang their belongings on a peg. They wash their own hands before meals and tidy toys away. Pre-school children are supported to cut up fruit at snack time, pour their own drinks and serve their own dinners.

Staff encourage children to count how many children are sitting on the floor and how many adults are sitting with them. Children join in as staff sing songs and rhymes that include mathematical language. However, staff do not make the best use of opportunities that arise from children's play to encourage and support children to develop and build on their understanding of number, shape, space and measure.

Staff in the toddler and pre-school rooms quickly respond to any disputes between children. Toddlers are stopped from climbing on tables, throwing and kicking toys. Pre-school children are gently reminded of the rules for behaviour, when needed.

However, staff do not give children clear explanations as to why their behaviour is not acceptable. Children are not developing an understanding of the impact of their behaviour on others.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The provider has recently reviewed and updated all risk assessments. Staff use these well to keep children safe. They complete regular head counts to ensure that all children are accounted for.

Staff are vigilant to any potential hazards in the environment and quickly deal with them. All staff complete regular safeguarding training. The provider regularly questions staff to ensure that they have a good understanding of the setting's safeguarding policy.

Staff understand how to record and report any concerns they may have about a child's welfare. Robust recruitment procedures and regular checks on their ongoing suitability ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to deliver the mathematics curriculum more effectively, to enhance children's understanding of number, shape, space and measure nensure that staff manage children's behaviour in a way that supports children to learn the effect that their actions have on others.

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