Woodlands Day Nursery (MK)

Inspection of Woodlands Day Nursery (MK) Byerly Place, Downs Barn, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK14 7QE

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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 Outstanding

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The provision is good

There is a concise, coherent and ambitious curriculum intent at the nursery. Each room has their own focus for what children need to learn. Staff who work in each room understand exactly how to teach children what they need to learn next. Staff recognise children's interests. During the inspection, many children showed a great interest in dinosaurs and staff made sure that there were lots of opportunities for children to explore this. Children identified features of the dinosaurs, such as their big feet and little arms.

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The provision is good

Staff promote children's physical development well. Children play outdoors, where they run around expelling energy and testing out what their bodies can do. Indoors, babies climb steps and slide and use furniture to steady themselves when they start walking. The nursery promotes healthy eating and good nutrition. All these activities encourage children's good health. Staff promote children's communication and language development successfully. They model language and use lively songs and rhymes to encourage children to learn and use new words.

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The provision is good

Children's behaviour is consistently good. Older children are starting to moderate and manage their feelings. Staff teach children to take turns and to share resources. As children get older, staff focus on helping them to learn to be cooperative. This helps to prepare them well for when they move on to school.

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need to do better?

n Staff interact positively with babies, repeating words and acknowledging and responding to their early attempts at talking. In the pre-school room, staff promote children's learning of early phonics. They work in partnership with parents and schools to help children to embed what they are learning. Children's learning gives them good foundations for the future. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress at the nursery. n Staff are not proactive in gathering information from prior settings that children attend. Therefore, they do not have information to aid their plans for children's learning that builds effectively on their previous experiences. n There are effective plans in place to help children when they experience change, such as moving between rooms at the nursery. Children receive equally good support when they separate from parents each morning. Parents are welcomed

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need to do better?

into the nursery to speak with their child's key person. Parents express their satisfaction in the care and education that children receive. n Key-person relationships are strong and staff get to know children and their families well. By finding out about children and their home lives, staff and can celebrate what makes children unique and special. Staff demonstrate sensitivity and respect for children.

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need to do better?

17 January 2024 n Pre-school age children enjoy trips to the local retirement home, where they meet older generations and learn about the local community and wider world. This fosters children's sense of identity and belonging. n During forest school activities, children show excitement and eagerness to take part. Staff skilfully teach children about emotions and feelings. During the inspection, children and staff made the face of a giant using sticks on the woodland floor. Children talked at length about how they could make the giant feel happy, such as by smiling at him and giving him a cuddle. Talking about feelings and emotions supports children to emphasise with others. n The ethos of the nursery is to encourage children to have a voice and express their choice. This simple yet empowering approach supports children to develop into resilient and confident individuals, who can explain their wants and needs.

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need to do better?

Children choose when they would like to play outdoors and routines are flexible. Children sleep when tired and eat when hungry rather than following an adult determined routine. n Staff and managers share information with parents about children's care routines. However, they do not always ensure that the information they need to share is understandable for parents. This leaves some parents unclear about children's experiences at the nursery. n There are comprehensive training opportunities available for staff. Leaders encourage staff to develop professionally and take on further responsibilities. Staff discuss the benefits of this and how it enables them to become more confident and knowledgeable practitioners.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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should:

n find out about children's prior learning experiences when they have attended another setting to build on what they already know and can do n provide parents with clearer, more simple feedback that enables them to understand about children's care routines in the nursery.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 141883 Local authority Milton Keynes Inspection number 10326645 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 83 Number of children on roll 119 Name of registered person Childbase Partnership Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01908 690 999 Date of previous inspection 3 June 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Woodlands Day Nursery (MK) registered in 1997 and is owned by the Childbase group of nurseries. The nursery is situated in Downs Barn, Milton Keynes. The nursery employs 46 members of childcare staff. Of these, 30 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and above. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 8am until 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 provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The inspector discussed the intent of the curriculum and observed its implementation during activities indoors and outdoors and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n A joint observation was completed and discussed with the manager. n During the inspection, the inspector held a meeting with the manager and the provider. She looked at relevant documentation, such as evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery. n The inspector spoke with staff and children at suitable times throughout the inspection. n Parents were invited to share their views with the inspector. Several parents discussed their views during the inspection and the inspector took account of all

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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

17 January 2024 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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