The Woodlands

Inspection of The Woodlands Mill Lane, Woodhall Spa LN10 6QZ

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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

Children show positive relationships with staff. When children become upset or unsure when there are visitors in the room, staff provide them with comfort to support their emotional well-being. This helps children to feel safe. Children know the routine that is embedded by staff. For example, in the baby room, children are quick to get their shoes when it is time to play outdoors. In the toddler room, when children sit down for lunch and staff ask what they need, children say 'a plate'.

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The provision is good

Children in the pre-school room are excited to act out favourite stories, supporting their literacy skills. They wait in anticipation, as they balance on a broom, for staff to begin to read a story about a witch. When staff ask them to work together to find objects to represent characters in a book, children quickly work as a team and collect these. When staff read children stories, they leave off the end of sentences for children to finish. This helps to keep children engaged and enables them to contribute to the story telling. Children in the toddler room are supported to have a 'can-do' attitude to learning. For example, when they thread wooden shapes onto a pole and begin to struggle, staff say 'keep trying'. This encourages children to persevere.

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need to do better?

n The manager and staff place a strong focus on supporting children's communication and language skills. In the baby room, staff sing plenty of songs to children as they play and during routines of the day to help support their speaking skills. Staff in the pre-school room explain the meaning of new words, such as 'secure', when children enclose toy animals in pretend cages. This helps to extend their vocabulary and understanding of words. n Staff know the children well through an effective key-person system. When children first start attending, they are invited to attend for settling-in visits. This is when their key person helps children to become confident and familiar with the nursery, supporting their emotional well-being. n Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well by staff. Individual targets are put in place and shared with parents to meet children's individual needs in the nursery and at home. The manager spends

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need to do better?

additional funding effectively to meet the needs of individual children. For example, the staffing ratio is enhanced to provide children with further support to help manage their feelings and emotions. n Staff say that they feel supported and valued by the management team. They attend supervision meetings with the manager. This helps them to reflect on their practice and identify professional development opportunities. For example, staff complete training courses to develop their understanding of how to identify and support children if they have speech delay.

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need to do better?

30 October 2023 n The manager and staff gather feedback from parents, helping them to reflect on their practice. Recent changes in the pre-school room promote children's listening and attention skills. For example, staff provide children with activities for short periods of time before expecting them to sit and listen for longer. This helps to prepare children for future learning at school. n Staff promote positive behaviour. For example, in the baby room, staff clap their hands to praise children's achievements. This helps to raise children's self- esteem. In the toddler room, staff sing a song to remind children to use good manners. n Children are excited to join in activities staff plan for them. However, occasionally, when staff intend to support certain aspects of children's learning during planned activities, they do not carry this out in practice. This means that some children are not able to learn as much as possible. For example, when

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need to do better?

staff in the pre-school room plan to support children's social interactions with their peers as they explore pumpkins, this is not fully achieved. n Staff support children's mathematical skills, such as to recognise numbers, weight and size. For example, when children explore pumpkins in the nursery garden, staff help them to measure and weigh the pumpkins. Staff ask children to find a pumpkin the same size as a ball.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff help children to understand how they can keep themselves safe. For example, they talk to children about how they can hold scissors safely. Staff help children to recognise potential hazards when they use the internet at home and who to report their concerns to. The management team and staff understand their responsibilities to safeguard children. They know how to identify the signs of abuse, including if children are being drawn into extreme views or radicalisation. They know where to report any concerns they have regarding children's safety. When recruiting new staff, the management team follow a robust recruitment process. This helps to ensure that staff are suitable in their roles.

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should:

n support staff to develop the implementation of planned activities to reflect the identified learning intention for the children taking part.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2655642 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 10308752 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 36 Number of children on roll 43 Name of registered person Stars Day Nurseries Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01526 354387 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

The Woodlands registered in 2021 and is situated in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire. The nursery employs 10 members of childcare staff. Of these, one holds an appropriate early years qualifications at level 5, seven at level 3 and the manager with qualified teacher status. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 8am until 5.30pm. 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 provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The management team and the inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed how the manager implements the curriculum. n The inspector observed the quality of education during activities, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n Children interacted with the inspector throughout the inspection. n The inspector spoke with staff at appropriate times throughout the inspection. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager and deputy manager. n The inspector held a meeting with the manager, deputy manager and provider. She reviewed relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff

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Inspection activities

working in the nursery. n Parents shared their views on the nursery with the inspector.

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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

30 October 2023 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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