Woodlands Day Nursery Barnet

Inspection of Woodlands Day Nursery Barnet 1-3 Orchard Road, Barnet, Hertfordshire EN5 2HL

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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 Good

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The provision is good

Children are happy and confident at nursery. They have formed secure relationships with their key person. Staff are sensitive and responsive to children's needs. Babies new to the setting receive prompt cuddles and gentle care when they need reassurance. This helps them to feel safe and emotionally secure.

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The provision is good

Children's development of communication and language is prioritised. They enjoy listening to stories and participating in songs. Lunchtime routines are used as an opportunity to enhance children's confidence in speaking in a group situation. Staff are skilled in initiating topics of conversation. They introduce helpful facts to extend children's knowledge. For example, children are excited to learn that pasta comes from Italy, which is part of Europe. Children eagerly share their experiences of visiting different countries and the foods they enjoyed.

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The provision is good

Staff have a good understanding of child development. They implement a broad curriculum that supports all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to make good progress. Staff support children's understanding of polite behaviours through their positive role modelling. They provide children with meaningful praise, which helps to foster kindness and helpful behaviours. Staff read stories to encourage children to talk about their emotions. They help children to understand that some emotions can create strong feelings and that this is okay. These positive opportunities help children to understand and develop strategies for self-regulating their own behaviour. This in turn supports children to develop positive attitudes towards their learning.

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need to do better?

n Leaders and managers have a good oversight of the early years curriculum. They work closely with their staff team. This helps to ensure that planning for children is thoughtfully sequenced and that appropriate next steps are in place to support their progression. There is due focus on supporting children's school readiness. This includes establishing links with local schools to support smooth transitions. n Leaders and managers have high expectations for their staff team. They are committed to staff's professional development and ongoing supervision. Staff express they are happy in their roles. They share that they feel well supported both personally and professionally. The impact is evident in the staff's warm and caring interactions with children. n Staff have established effective partnerships with parents and outside professionals. This helps to support a consistent approach towards children's care and learning needs. Staff ensure that all children are supported to have a

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need to do better?

voice. For example, visual learning prompts help children to make choices about

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need to do better?

11 August 2025 their play and learning. n Staff know their key children well and understand what next steps are needed to help them progress. This helps to ensure that planning is tailored to children's individual needs. However, when key staff are absent, the curriculum planning is not always implemented consistently. n Staff plan many learning experiences to teach children about the world around them. Children plant seeds and learn how to care for them. They enjoy responsibilities to care for animals, including the nursery fish and giant African snails. Children are confident to share that snails like to eat cucumber and apples. They carefully chop the food into small chunks. These responsibilities help children to foster a sense of care for others. n Children confidently initiate their own ideas and express their imagination through role play, such as pretending to be builders. They share their plans, and

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need to do better?

staff engage in discussions with them. However, staff do not always extend these child-led experiences, particularly for older children who would benefit from further challenge. n Staff plan effectively around babies' home routines, ensuring that their individual needs are met. Mealtimes are flexible and unhurried, allowing both babies and older children to eat when they are ready. Older children are developing their independence as they self-register for lunch and help themselves to plates and cutlery. This helps to support their self-esteem and gives them autonomy. n Children enjoy physical play as they excitedly participate in parachute games. They learn to balance on wooden blocks as they are supported to create long beams to test their skills. Babies are developing their physical strength as they are encouraged to crawl and to stand. They enjoy learning how to roll balls and how to crawl over small apparatus.

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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 refine the delivery of the curriculum so that learning experiences take account of children's individual learning needs when their key person is absent n strengthen teaching skills so that staff consistently consider implementing challenge for older children.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 160975 Local authority Barnet Inspection number 10414381 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 71 Number of children on roll 89 Name of registered person Childbase Partnership Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 020 8447 1914 Date of previous inspection 16 February 2023

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Information about this early years setting

Woodlands Day Nursery Barnet registered in 2001. It is located in the London Borough of Barnet. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, from 7.30am to 6.30pm, throughout most of the year. The provider employs 38 members of childcare staff. Of these, 23 hold childcare qualifications. One staff member is qualified to level 4, with the majority of other staff qualified at level 3 and level 2. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The manager and the deputy 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 carried out separate joint observations with both the manager and their deputy. These were of planned adult-led learning experiences and observations of the lunchtime routines. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and out in the garden, and assessed the impact that this is having on the children's learning. n The inspector spoke with staff and the children at appropriate times throughout the inspection and took account of their views. n Parents shared their experiences with the inspector during the inspection, and the inspector took account of their views. n The inspector held a meeting with the leadership team to discuss how they evaluate the provision, including their safeguarding duties.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.

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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

11 August 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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