Wootton Community Nursery

Inspection of Wootton Community Nursery Wootton Community Nursery, Innovation Way, Wootton, Bedford MK43 9SP

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not applicable

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The provision is good

In the garden, children enjoy climbing and balancing on a variety of surfaces and heights. They wait patiently for their turn before they step on the tyres, logs and planks that they have previously arranged. Less confident children hold hands with the attentive staff, who offer encouragement and simple instructions to help children complete the course. Not only do children strengthen their muscles and learn to balance, they also learn to take turns, share and support each other. This helps to enhance their social skills and development.

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The provision is good

Babies take time to feel the texture of jelly. They scoop the contents of small bowls out to find wooden cars set in the food. Staff describe what the babies are seeing, smelling and doing, helping to immerse them in meaningful language. Staff respond to the babbles and single words babies try out with equal amounts of enthusiasm. This helps to maintain two-way communication for long periods of time.

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The provision is good

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. Attentive staff work closely with other professionals to help ensure children receive consistent and appropriate care and education. Staff sensitively encourage children to persevere to complete activities, helping them to remember what they already know.

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need to do better?

n The manager and leaders have high expectations of staff performance and children's capacity to learn. This contributes to an environment in which staff are engaged and take pleasure from children's achievements. In turn, children are motivated, curious and willing to have a go and experiment. Children behave well and consider the feelings of their friends. n The manager is receptive to the well-being of her staff. Regular discussions and support help to ensure that staff feel valued. Supervision sessions and team meetings help to identify any training and development needs that staff may have, helping to bring fresh ideas that fit the nursery's ethos into practice. As a result, a consistently good curriculum is offered throughout the nursery. n Staff effectively communicate with parents. They share information through a secure electronic system and welcome parents to share observations and news from home. In addition, staff send newsletters and information sheets to

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need to do better?

parents. This assists parents to have a greater understanding about how and what children need to learn to help prepare them for the next stage in their development. n Children practise tasks that help them become independent. They clear their plates away after they have eaten their nutritious meals and learn how to put

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need to do better?

10 February 2022 their own coats, shoes and boots on. Staff remind children how to work out how to master these skills. From an early age, children know how, why and when to wash their hands. This helps children adopt good hygiene routines to help keep them healthy. n Children and babies settle quickly in the nursery. The nurturing staff offer cuddles to help reassure babies when people they do not know enter the room. Staff sit with toddlers when they settle for sleep. Their actions of gently stroking children's backs while they are snuggled under blankets is replicated by the receptive children during their role play. n Staff embrace strategies that follow children's interests, influencing how they arrange the rooms and the activities in an exciting way. As a result, children are motivated and engaged. However, staff do not always focus adult-led activities on what children need to learn next. In addition, staff do not consistently take

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need to do better?

opportunities to add challenge to the investigations and experiments children initiate on their own. As a result, children's learning is not maximised. n Children are encouraged to explore and experiment. They move equipment around to use in a variety of ways. For example, they drip paint into the water tray and watch what happens as it mixes with the water. However, managers have not clearly communicated how the curriculum is implemented in the nursery to some of the temporary staff who infrequently work in the nursery. As a result, some of children's creativity and experimentation is restricted.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff know the signs and symptoms to look for to help identify if children are at risk of harm or abuse. They know how to report their concerns and understand their responsibility to help ensure these are followed up. Managers ensure that all staff, including temporary staff, know who the designated members of staff for safeguarding are. This helps to ensure that all concerns are effectively communicated and acted upon. Staff complete regular training to update and refresh their safeguarding knowledge.

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should:

n plan activities that focus more precisely on what children need to learn next n support all staff, especially those who infrequently work in the nursery, to have a clear vision of the ethos and strategies used to support children's self-chosen play and learning within the nursery.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2612882 Local authority Bedford Inspection number 10221908 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 60 Number of children on roll 56 Name of registered person One YMCA

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reference number

Telephone number 01234341977 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Wootton Community Nursery re-registered in 2020. The nursery employs 14 members of childcare staff, of whom 10 hold relevant qualifications at level 2 and above. The nursery operates Monday to Friday, all year round between 8am and 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year- old children.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the manager and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the provision. n The manager and inspector completed a learning walk of the nursery. The manager described how the curriculum is planned and the impact it has on children's learning. n The inspector observed activities in the nursery and garden. She spoke to staff and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection. n A joint observation was carried out with the inspector and manager. n The inspector held a telephone conversation with the provider. This included a discussion about staff recruitment. n The inspector looked at a range of documents, including the evidence of staff suitability, records of complaints and examples of risk assessments. n The inspector spoke to a small number of parents. She took their views, and

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Inspection activities

those of others contained in letters and emails, into consideration.

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Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection 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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Inspection activities

10 February 2022 regulates and inspects to 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, 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, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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