The Woodlands Nursery

Inspection of The Woodlands Nursery ST Austins Priory, Cadleigh, Nr Ivybridge, Devon PL21 9HW

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Inadequate Behaviour and attitudes Inadequate Personal development Inadequate Leadership and management Inadequate Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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The provision is inadequate

The provider does not ensure staff understand procedures to follow to safeguard children. Furthermore, the nursery's safeguarding policy and procedure is not in line with the expectations of the local safeguarding partners, as required.

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The provision is inadequate

Arrangements for the management of the setting are unclear and disorganised. The provider does not ensure that staff are aware of the roles that they are expected to take on, and there is no named deputy manager in place to take responsibility in the absence of the manager. There have been staff changes in the recent months, and this has had an impact on the support that children receive. There is not an effective key-person system in place, and the staff caring for children do not know them well enough to target their interactions to meet children's needs. As a result, children do not receive challenge to help them to make progress in their learning.

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The provision is inadequate

The design and the intent of the curriculum is weak and does not have a strong enough focus on what the provider wants children to learn. While there is an expectation that staff use what they know about children alongside children's interests to extend their learning further, staff do not know enough about children to target their support precisely enough. In addition to this, partnerships with parents are not effective. Some parents are restricted from accessing information about their children's day and what they are learning.

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need to do better?

n The provider does not ensure that staff have a good enough understanding of how to identify and act on concerns about children's welfare or the conduct of another member of staff. Staff do not know how to recognise when children could be at risk of harm or how they should raise any concerns that they have. In addition to this, the procedures in place do not give staff the correct information regarding how concerns should be acted on. This impacts the safety of children. n The provider has struggled to recruit and retain staff. Recent changes have lead to confusion over roles and responsibilities and a lack of deputy manager who is capable to take charge of the setting in the absence of the acting manager, as required. n Partnerships with parents are weak, and communication is not effective with all parents. The provider does not receive parental concerns constructively, and some parents are denied access to the online application after they have raised

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need to do better?

concerns. This does not encourage two-way communication with parents. n The provider does not ensure that children have a key-person to meet their individual needs, offer a settled relationship and build a relationship with their

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need to do better?

29 April 2025 parents and carers. Staff are not aware of children's needs, and information about children is not shared with new staff who are caring for children. This means they are unable to support children appropriately. As a result, staff fail to interact meaningfully with children, as they do not know what they can already do and what they need to learn next. Despite this, staff are kind and caring towards children. Younger children are happy to be cuddled by staff, and older children listen and behave well. n The provider has not designed a curriculum that is ambitious. They do not ensure that staff deliver it so that it offers children appropriate challenge in their learning. Staff do not know what they want children to learn, as the curriculum is reliant on the staff following children's interests, which staff do not understand. As a result, activities and resources available to children are

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need to do better?

mundane and do not excite children or inspire them to learn. For example, older children play in the room meant for babies and toddlers, with resources that are not age-appropriate. They push baby walkers around the room and sit in the ball pit, with little interaction from staff. Babies spend a lot of time being carried by staff, and staff do not consider providing them with toys to play with in the garden. This results in babies who spend a lot of time simply watching older children play. n Children benefit from lots of fresh air and exercise. They enjoy playing in the garden, where they use the slide and play with water.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

There is not an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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Due date

ensure that all staff have a good understanding of safeguarding procedures, including how to identify, record and act on concerns about children's welfare and any allegations against staff 30/04/2025

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Due date

29 April 2025 ensure that the safeguarding policy and procedure is in line with the guidance and procedures of the local safeguarding partnership 30/04/2025

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Due date

implement a key-person system so that staff have a better understanding of children's individual needs, including what they need to learn next 14/05/2025

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Due date

ensure that there is a named deputy who is capable and has the appropriate skills to take charge in the absence of a manager 30/04/2025

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Due date

improve partnerships with parents and enable a two-way flow of communication to obtain and share relevant information with them about their children's care and learning. 14/05/2025

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Due date

design an ambitious curriculum and ensure that staff have the skills to deliver it to meet the children's individual learning needs, providing appropriate challenge, to help them make good progress across all areas of learning. 29/05/2025

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2643680 Local authority Devon Inspection number 10392790 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 8 Name of registered person Pml Education Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01752 717550 Date of previous inspection 9 October 2024

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Information about this early years setting

The Woodlands Nursery registered in 2020 and is based near Ivybridge, Devon. The nursery is open from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 8am to 6pm. The nursery offers government funded places. There are two staff who work with the children. One member of staff holds a qualification at level 3, and one member of staff is unqualified.

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Inspection activities

n The support manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want the children to learn. n The inspector talked to staff, children and parents at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery. n The inspector and the support manager carried out a joint observation of a communication and language activity. n The inspector held a leadership and management meeting with the provider.

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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

29 April 2025 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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