Ashburton Family Services (Woodlanders Kindergarten)

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

The management team is passionate about embracing the community spirit and providing an inclusive practice for all, helping to support the needs of children within the area.

Stay and play sessions, where children can engage in craft-making with their parents, help to provide them with good creative skills prior to their move to the setting. Children then feel emotionally secure when they start pre-school, enabling them to settle quickly. Staff have high expectations for all children.

They reflect well on their teaching practice and adapt the learning environment to support each child. For instance, a 'cosy corner' has ...been created for those who prefer quieter spaces, and physical areas such as trampolines encourage those children who enjoy being more active. Children are happy and behave well.

They have a positive attitude to learning and show respect for each other. Children use good manners at all times and share resources effectively. For example, older children confidently use a sand-timer to promote turn-taking when using the computer.

Younger children offer to help each other, and play cooperatively. Children are safe, and staff are vigilant at supervising children. A high staff ratio ensures children's safety and well-being is at the forefront of practice.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

Staff support children's language and communication skills well. Younger children begin to build sentences and older children learn new vocabulary, such as 'crowd' and 'camouflage'.All children have a good range of experiences to help them understand similarities and differences between themselves and others.

Stimulating activities to engage children in conversations about their family and other cultures embrace diversity. Children enjoy being actively involved within the community. They walk to the local care home and engage in action songs with the elderly.

They stroll around the park, talking to residents about themselves and raise money for children who are less fortunate.Staff provide children with opportunities to support their mathematical skills. Younger children count 'bears' and older children make a 'tally chart' to record how many girls and boys there are.

On occasions, staff do not enable children to explore these independently or provide additional opportunities to consolidate and extend their learning even further.Children have a range of books they can access throughout the day. Younger children turn the pages independently.

Older children listen attentively to stories in small groups. However, staff sometimes miss opportunities to help children talk about stories further, including discussions about key characters and story structures, and to use books within activities in order to challenge their early reading skills even more.Staff provide children with a wide range of extra-curricular activities to ensure they all have the same opportunities and experiences.

Children attend yoga classes to support their confidence and physical well-being. They learn French and attend 'Forest School', learning effectively about the world around them.Children learn about recycling food waste.

They use leftover food for their 'wormery', which is converted into compost. Children use this in their 'gardening club', where they plant fruit, vegetables and sunflowers.Partnerships with parents and other professionals are effective.

Parents and staff consistently share children's progress. Established links with local schools and outside agencies help to provide an inclusive approach to support children's overall development.Staff teach children to manage their feelings well.

They use effective strategies to support them in making positive choices and to develop strong self-esteem. Children persevere with new skills, such as when trying to use tweezers, and staff praise them consistently. A 'wow' tree for children to hang their achievements on encourages them to feel confident in their own abilities.

The management team provides staff with training and frequent supervisions to ensure they continue to develop their good teaching skills. For instance, staff are passionate about children learning through play. They plan stimulating activities that entice children to explore and investigate.

Staff reflect well and identify how they can improve teaching and activities even more to benefit the children.Care practices are effective. Staff respond warmly and attentively to children and help them to manage their personal needs.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff teach children how to manage risk well. Children confidently climb trees and use rope ladders.

They know how to keep themselves safe on the slide and understand when it may be unsafe to use, such as when wet. The premises are secure. A keypad system and combination locks are in place to ensure that unauthorised persons cannot enter the setting; this is to protect children's welfare.

The management team and staff have a secure understanding of child protection and can identify when a child may be at risk of harm, including wider safeguarding issues. They understand their roles and responsibilities in reporting any concerns to relevant agencies to help keep children safe.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: provide further opportunities for children to explore activities chosen by adults independently to help them consolidate and build on what they already know provide older children with consistent challenge to enhance their early reading skills further.

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