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Early years · Report card

In The Woods

Inspected 11 Feb 2026 · URN EY553140

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Summary

No overall grade in this frameworkSafeguarding met

Katherine Wilson

What we read, and from where

Click a reading to see it highlighted in the report.

  • Achievement verified

    Expected standard

  • Behaviour, attitudes and routines verified

    Expected standard

  • Children's welfare and wellbeing verified

    Strong standard

  • Curriculum and teaching verified

    Expected standard

  • Inclusion verified

    Strong standard

  • Leadership and governance verified

    Expected standard

  • Framework verified

    Report card

  • Group verified

    In The Woods Nursery Ltd

  • Inspection datesingle source

    11 Feb 2026

  • Inspectors verified

    Katherine Wilson

  • Postcode verified

    B37 5UH

  • Name on report verified

    In The Woods

  • Safeguarding verified

    Met

  • URN verified

    EY553140

Page 1 of 9
Page 1 of the report

Deep dive

What this report says

In plain English

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Grade profile

Each judgement on its scale, weakest to strongest.

  • AchievementExpected
  • Behaviour, attitudes and routinesExpected
  • Children's welfare and wellbeingStrong
  • Curriculum and teachingExpected
  • InclusionStrong
  • Leadership and governanceExpected

Tone of the report

How positive or critical the inspectors' language is, from the words they chose. No AI involved.

+74Very positivemore positive than 52% of reports of this type

In line with other reports of this type.

Praisefeel safeconsistentlythrivesecurehighly effectivepositivepromptlypositively
Criticismconcernsgapsinconsistentlacknot always

How the report reads, start to finish

Every paragraph in order, sized by length. Tap one to see it on the page.

FindingsSafeguardingAbout the inspectionLeadershipWhat needs to improve positive critical
  • Findings998w+73
  • Leadership258w+83
  • Safeguarding51w−11
  • What needs to improve84w+43

Strengths

Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.

Concerns

Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.

No strong criticism found.

Next steps

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What the report dwells on

Topics by how often they come up, coloured by how they are described. Open one for an example.

Anatomy of the report

How the report is built, against others of the same type and grade.

Pages
9
Words of findings
1,391
about usual (typical 1698)
Reading level
Hard
Flesch 40, typical 43
Average sentence
16 words
Next steps
3
typical 3
Hedged sentences
5%
“some”, “not always”, “most”…

Where the words go

Findings 51%Leadership 13%Safeguarding 3%What needs to improve 4%About the inspection 29%

Full report text

In The Woods

Unique reference number (URN): EY553140 Address: Surestart, 2 Chelmsley Circle, Birmingham, B37 5UH Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 16/11/2017 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: In The Woods Nursery Ltd

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Staff very successfully promote children's welfare and emotional wellbeing. They form secure, nurturing relationships with their key children and respond promptly to their individual needs. Staff have a comprehensive understanding of how children's lived experiences influence their emotional development and learning. They prioritise building trusting and secure relationships so that children feel safe and settled before extending to other areas of learning. Staff understand that each child is unique. They skilfully adapt their interactions and the use of resources to support each child to make progress, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face other barriers to their learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders and staff have a thorough knowledge of all the children who attend the setting. They implement clear, well-structured routines that support children's independence and engagement. Staff follow these routines consistently, ensuring that they meet all children's individual needs and promote a calm, purposeful environment. As a result, children develop secure, long lasting and healthy habits. For example, they learn about oral health and how to make healthy food choices. Staff consistently reinforce messages regarding healthy choices through daily play experiences and mealtime discussions, helping children to build essential knowledge that supports their wider development.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders have established a strong culture of inclusion across the setting. Staff identify children's individual needs at the earliest opportunity through robust observation, assessment and ongoing review. Staff attend a wide range of training. This enables them to identify and implement the precise strategy to use to reflect the unique needs of each child. They act promptly when approaches may need further adaptations and adjustments to reduce barriers to children's learning and well-being.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders work closely with parents, external professionals and other relevant agencies to secure appropriate interventions and shape children's support plans. Staff regularly review these to evaluate the impact of strategies and adapt provision swiftly where needed. As a result, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make steady progress from their starting points.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders use funding strategically to enhance experiences and provide additional resources and targeted support for disadvantaged children. This contributes to narrowing gaps in children's learning and promoting their confidence and engagement. They maintain highly effective oversight of the progress of all children who attend the setting. This ensures that timely support is in place and that children receive the stability and nurture they need to thrive.

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Achievement Expected standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, develop a range of skills and knowledge from their starting points. Gaps in children's progress close rapidly and, as a result, they make sustained progress in all areas of learning.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop their communication and language well through daily, positive interactions, such as at mealtimes. For example, children talk about the food they eat and what they enjoy about it. They develop a range of skills that help to to prepare them for the next stage of their learning, including moving on to school. Staff build children's confidence to try new things, such as participating in group activities or learning to sit at the table and use the cutlery correctly at mealtimes.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders and staff establish a positive environment with clear expectations for behaviour. Staff communicate these expectations effectively and support children to understand routines. Children respond positively and demonstrate respectful attitudes towards adults and their peers. Staff provide age-appropriate guidance and consider children's stages of development when reinforcing expectations. As a result, children manage transitions well and engage purposefully in their learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff build warm, supportive relationships with children. They use consistent praise to reinforce positive behaviour and celebrate achievements across the setting. For example, children proudly share awards with all staff and peers, and they acknowledge their success, which strengthens children's confidence and self-esteem.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff actively support children to collaborate and develop friendships. Children work together to create stories using props. They negotiate roles and listen to each other's ideas. Staff encourage cooperation and model respectful communication, helping children to learn to get along with others. Leaders monitor attendance carefully and address concerns promptly with families to promote good attendance.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders and staff have an accurate understanding of the curriculum. It is flexibly designed to meet the needs of all children, including those who speak English as an additional language and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Regular reflections and reviews of the provision enable staff to make informed improvements to strengthen outcomes for all children.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The planning and implementation for children with SEND and those who may face other barriers to learning are precisely coordinated and effective. However, in other respects, teaching is sometimes inconsistent. Some staff lack the confidence to adapt their interactions to build on children's interest in activities to extend their learning. For example, during some group activities, staff do not recognise opportunities that arise to extend children's thinking beyond what they already know, to enable them to excel further in their learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff place an emphasis on developing children's language and mathematical skills. They model vocabulary during story sessions and encourage children to repeat familiar phrases. They teach mathematical concepts through counting songs and activities, such as measuring jumps, which also promote their physical development. Staff place a sharp focus on supporting children's personal, social and emotional development. They help children to build emotional resilience so that they feel safe, secure and confident in their learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders provide a clear vision for the nursery and demonstrate ambition for all children. They understand the setting's strengths and act promptly when they identify areas for improvement. Since the last inspection, leaders have focused on developing staff's knowledge and understanding around the training they receive. This has supported them to further develop opportunities with children's communication and language skills. For example, they recognise that the arrangements to support children who face barriers to their learning are a strength in the provision. Leaders do not always identify where further support is needed to ensure that teaching is consistently high quality across the setting.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders make decisions that place all children's best interests at the centre of their work. They ensure that support plans are in place quickly when children face barriers to their learning or wellbeing. Staff report that supervision meetings are supportive and help them to reflect on their practice. They say that they are well supported in their role. Leaders use professional development to tailor training for staff according to the individual needs of the children they care for. For example, staff enthusiastically talk about how attending baby development training has further enabled them to better understand babies' varying needs. This contributes to a stable and motivated team.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Parents speak positively about the setting. They describe how their children thrive, and say they value the thoughtful, individualised support that staff provide. Staff share ideas to support children's learning at home. This partnership helps to ensure that children receive the best possible care and make secure progress.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children are happy, confident and eager to attend this welcoming nursery. Warm, caring staff greet children and help them to settle quickly. Children form secure attachments with their key person and confidently seek reassurance when needed. This consistent emotional security helps children to feel safe, valued and ready to learn. Children enthusiastically engage in a broad range of planned activities. They listen carefully during cooking club and concentrate as they measure ingredients to make biscuits. Staff support children to follow

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About this setting

Unique reference number (URN): EY553140 instructions and develop early mathematical skills. Children proudly share their achievements with staff and friends, demonstrating growing confidence and self-esteem.

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About this setting

Children benefit from rich opportunities to develop their physical skills. They explore the different ways to climb up into the soft steps in the soft-play area to practise coordination and balance. Children move imaginatively in the garden, pretending to be sea creatures. They copy actions, such as walking sideways like a crab, as they negotiate the space to move with increasing control. Children show curiosity and perseverance during sea creature hunts, celebrating their success when they find hidden objects.

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About this setting

Children develop positive relationships with their peers. They collaborate to build towers, negotiating ideas and solving problems when structures become unstable. They show resilience as they try again and delight in their shared success. During group singing sessions, children listen attentively, join in with actions and confidently count objects. This strengthens their communication and early mathematical understanding. Children show motivation and purpose in their play. They demonstrate enjoyment, concentration and pride in their achievements. As a result, children gain suitable knowledge, skills and confidence for the next stage in their learning.

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Next steps

Leaders should target the support for staff more precisely to raise the quality of teaching to a consistently high level across the setting.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, special educational needs coordinator, parents and children during the inspection.

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About this inspection

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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Address:

Surestart 2 Chelmsley Circle Birmingham B37 5UH

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: In The Woods Nursery Ltd

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Urgent improvement

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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