Woodlands Nursery

Woodlands Nursery Belton Woods Hotel, Belton, Grantham, Lincolnshire, NG32 2LN

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 21/11/2014 12/01/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Teaching is good. Staff encourage children to solve problems and to develop their own ideas during their play. As a result, children are motivated and engaged and they are provided with good challenge to reach the next stage in their learning.  Children are kept safe. The manager and staff have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities in safeguarding children. All staff understand how to report any concerns and children learn about safe practices during play and routines.  Key person relationships with children are strong and children develop strong bonds with the staff, who welcome them and care for them well. This ensures that children settle quickly at the nursery and they are happy and confident to explore their surroundings.  Parents routinely contribute information and observations from home, which ensures continuity between the nursery and children's home learning. Partnerships with parents

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This provision is good

support children to make good progress in their learning.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The programme of professional development for staff is not sharply focused to ensure that the good quality of teaching continues to be enhanced further so that children make the best possible progress.  Staff do not always ensure children are able to make choices about their personal care to extend further their good independence skills.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed play and learning activities in the indoor and outdoor environments. She also spoke to children and staff at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector viewed a range of children's learning records.

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Inspection activities

 A range of documentation was examined, including details of staff suitability checks and qualifications, policies and procedures and the self-evaluation.

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Inspection activities

 A meeting was held with the manager and her deputies to look at monitoring processes, improvement plans and other documentation.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the deputy.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with a number of parents throughout the day to check their views on the quality of the provision.

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Information about the setting

Woodlands Nursery opened in 2002 and has been under the current ownership since 2004. It is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. It operates from a purpose-built premises on the site of Belton Woods Hotel, near Grantham in Lincolnshire. The premises consists of two playrooms, an office, a kitchen, entrance hall and toilet facilities. Children have access to an outdoor play area and the hotel's grounds and adventure playground. The nursery is accessible to all children and is open Monday to Friday from 7.30am until 6pm, all year round. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. There are currently 41 children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age range. There are 13 staff working with the children, 10 of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. Nine at level 3 and one at

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Information about the setting

level 5. The nursery receives support from the local authority Birth to Five service.

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 review and extend the planned programme of professional development to ensure it is more sharply focused on continuing to develop staff's skills to an outstanding level so that children's achievements are raised to the highest level

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 enhance opportunities for children to develop their independence skills even further during the daily routine, such as when using the toilet.

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who attend

Staff in the nursery are enthusiastic about their work and demonstrate a good knowledge of how children learn. Children enjoy participating in a range of interesting and stimulating experiences, which successfully promote the seven areas of learning. The quality of teaching is good and staff have high expectations of children, which means children make good progress in their learning. This provides children with the skills needed for when they start school. Staff make effective use of practical tasks during routines to extend children's mathematical development. For example, children's calculation skills are promoted when they add how many boys and how many girls will be having lunch. This is challenged further as they are encouraged to think about how many children there will be if one more child joins the group. Staff adapt their teaching strategies to ensure children who are more able, receive sufficient challenge in their learning. Children enjoy imaginative play

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who attend

with their friends and develop their own ideas, using brooms as their horses as they gallop outside. Young children and babies are effectively supported by skilled staff as they are provided with sensory activities to explore. They thoroughly enjoy playing with different textures, smells and sounds. Children's understanding about the wider world around them, is supported well. For example, staff maximise the use of the outdoor space and the hotel grounds to support children's exploration of nature and the changing seasons. Children enjoy exploring and making mud mixtures in different size containers. Staff encourage children to look around them as the wind blows leaves from the tall trees behind the nursery. Children are very physically able as they are provided with a range of experiences to develop these skills. They show confidence as they balance skilfully and step from one crate to another. Children are developing good pencil control as they write their name and

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who attend

they show confidence in serving their own food at lunchtimes.

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who attend

Children's communication, language and literacy is supported well. Staff engage children in conversations and they are encouraged to talk about events in their lives and about things that interest them. Children have access to a wide selection of books, both indoors and outdoors. They use non-fiction books as they investigate insects and birds in the outdoor area. This promotes their understanding of the natural world around them. Babies are learning to communicate about people who are close to them as they point to photographs displayed of their friends and family. Children hear staff using language for thinking as adults skilfully pose questions to children during their play. For example, children mixing their own dough are prompted to think about what else they can add to make their mixture less sticky. As a result, children are beginning to ask a variety of questions and they also learn to try different approaches when they do not at first

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who attend

New parents complete an 'All about me' form and provide information about children's likes, dislikes and their interests. Staff find out what new children can already do and they use this to inform their initial assessments of children's starting points. Staff observe children as they play and assess their achievements in individual learning journals. Parents contribute to these journals by providing observations of significant events at home. For example, parents provide details about a family holiday or their child's first birthday. This means that staff know the children well and are able to tailor activities and experiences at nursery to match children's interests and abilities from home. Observations are used to identify children's stage of development and plan interesting experiences to support each child's continued development and learning. As a result, children are making good progress towards the early learning goals. Parents meet with staff on a termly basis to

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who attend

discuss their children's stage of development and they are kept informed of what their children need to do next. Staff complete the progress check for children between the ages of two and three years, which documents children's ongoing achievements and areas where they need support. It is shared with parents to ensure children's needs are continually met.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children and their parents are greeted warmly as they arrive at nursery and their friends are excited to see them. There are flexible settling-in procedures and parents report that the caring and friendly staff team have helped them to feel confident to leave their children for the first time. Children show that they feel safe and secure at nursery. For example, sleeping babies arriving at nursery are happy to wake up and join in the activities as they wave goodbye to their parents. This is because there is an effective key- person system and children quickly develop strong and positive relationships with staff. Children are prepared well for the next stage in their learning as they benefit from taster sessions before moving to a new room. As part of this process, staff play games and provide experiences to find out about children's interests and individual learning styles. This enables them to plan appropriately for children, who feel safe and secure when they

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

move up. Children going to school benefit from well-planned activities, which help them to anticipate and learn about their next setting. They find out about their new school by looking at photographs and talking to teachers who visit the nursery. Children use their imagination as they play in the pretend classroom, dressing and undressing themselves in the uniform gathered from local schools. Consequently, children are prepared well emotionally for the next step in their learning.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children are learning to keep themselves safe, as staff provide simple explanations and model how to use resources appropriately. They help to tidy away as this maintains a safe environment where they enjoy playing. Children receive gentle reminders about good hygiene practices and staff explain how germs are spread through coughing and sneezing. This supports children's growing awareness of how to maintain their own health. Children have daily access to the outdoors in the enclosed garden area and through nature walks in the surrounding woods. This provides them with good opportunities for exercise and fresh air on a daily basis. Children are provided with healthy and nutritious food and they help themselves to drinking water throughout the day. Staff are calm and caring in their approach and as a result, young babies co-operate well as staff provide for their intimate care needs.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Staff use regular praise and encouragement to develop children's self-esteem. Consequently, children are happily engaged in their play and behaviour is good. Children are confident to ask adults for help when they need it and they feel free to express their feelings. For example, children remind each other of acceptable behaviour and the need to say 'excuse me' as they move around the room. They take turns to listen to each other as they sing in small groups. Children are confident as they take part in daily singing and story sessions. They follow instructions from staff and know what is expected of them during the day. For example, children anticipate time to clear away for snack and help themselves to brushes to sweep up the dough scattered around the table. In the main, children's independence is supported well. However, children are not always able to make choices about their personal care, such as when to go to the toilet.

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provision

The manager and her team have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Detailed policies and procedures are in place and are reviewed regularly at monthly staff meetings. These include the use of mobile phones and cameras in the nursery, which staff fully understand and adhere to. Their knowledge and awareness of child protection issues is updated through safeguarding training. Safeguarding policies and practice form an important part of induction for staff and students who are new to the setting. As a result, staff clearly understand their duty to protect children from harm and they know the procedures to follow if they have a concern. The manager has put in place a robust recruitment process, which ensures that appropriate suitability checks are carried out and the nursery follows safer recruitment guidelines. This ensures children remain safe as they

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provision

are cared for by a staff team whose suitability has been fully checked. Staff are deployed effectively throughout the nursery to ensure a good level of supervision and children are cared for by committed, knowledgeable and experienced staff. This ensures children's needs are effectively met and their well-being maintained.

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provision

The manager is passionate about improving outcomes for children and there is a commitment to self-evaluation. An effective and close management team work together to drive forward improvements across the nursery. This includes individual improvement plans for each area of the nursery, which are developed and monitored to enhance the provision for children's different age groups. The nursery's self-evaluation is informed by the view of others, as the manager seeks feedback from parents and takes into account advice from their local authority adviser. This information is used to inform plans for the future, such as parents' suggestions in developing the garden area. There are clear systems in place for monitoring the effectiveness of the educational programmes through tracking children's progress. Children's learning journals are reviewed regularly to ensure that assessments are accurate and that children's next steps provide a good level of

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provision

challenge. Staff are supported in their role through a system of supervision and appraisal and they are encouraged to gain further qualifications. However, the planned programme of professional development across the nursery is not sharply focused on enhancing the already good teaching skills of staff so that children make the best possible progress.

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provision

There are very good partnerships with parents in place as staff recognise the importance of working together to support the children in their learning and development. Where children's progress is less than expected, staff work closely with parents to ensure children get the support they need. Where children attend other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage, the manager has established a system for daily communication where observations are shared between the two settings. This effectively supports children's continuity of learning. Ongoing dialogue and visits from local schools ensures that children are well prepared for moving on to school when the time comes.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Requires improvement The provision is not giving children a good standard of early years education and/or there are minor breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. We re-inspect nurseries and pre-schools judged as requires improvement within 12 months of the date of inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement action. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or

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Grade Judgement Description

is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. Met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY293980 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 861500

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 41 Name of provider Positive Attitudes Ltd Date of previous inspection 12/01/2009 Telephone number 01476 514347

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Type of provision

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children,

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Type of provision

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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