Woodlands Day Nursery

A wooden garden house became a hiding place from an imaginary bear in December 2022: a small example of how Woodlands Day Nursery brought stories into children's play. Books and movement ran through the day.

Ofsted rated the nursery Good at its 14 December 2022 inspection. On Portsmouth Road in Frimley, Camberley, it has 84 places in total and accepts children aged 3 to 59 months. That whole-nursery capacity is separate from the size of an individual child's group.

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care: play, conversation and physical activity contribute to learning alongside everyday routines.

In December 2022, adults used stories to prompt conversation about pictures and what might happen next. Older children worked on a large puzzle, with help when needed, giving them opportunities to persist rather than abandon a difficult task.

Outdoor play that month included supported climbing for babies, sand digging and see-saws. Older children used the garden for ball games and acted out We are going on a Bear Hunt around the wooden house. Stories became opportunities to move and play together.

Weekly visits from an external sports provider in December 2022 introduced football and basketball. Children also tried yoga positions and breathing exercises. An advent calendar supplied another learning opportunity: a Zulu song from South Africa and counting the days until Christmas connected music, cultural exploration and numbers.

At the December 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and described staff identifying additional learning needs through observation and assessment, with management understanding how to work with speech and language therapists and involve local authority services.

Babies' settling sessions in December 2022 took place at different points in the day, allowing them to become familiar with people, toys and their surroundings. Sensory play included exploring edible materials with adults nearby.

Room changes needed more attention that month: information about children did not always reach colleagues sufficiently. Independence teaching also differed between rooms for children aged two to three. Some children served food themselves, while elsewhere adults undertook tasks children could have attempted. Those differences matter because everyday care can also be a chance to practise doing things independently.

The address is Portsmouth Road, Frimley, Camberley, GU16 7UJ. Opening hours are 6.45am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, across the year, with closures on bank holidays and between Christmas and New Year.

In December 2022, the nursery received early education funding for three- and four-year-olds.

• Room transitions. Information sharing between rooms needed strengthening in December 2022. On a visit, ask how a child's routines and support needs now reach their next team.
• Learning independence. December 2022 practice differed between the rooms for two- to three-year-olds. Ask how staff give children consistent opportunities to serve food and attempt personal-care tasks.

Woodlands suits Frimley families with babies, toddlers or preschool children. Its December 2022 day combined books, garden play and visiting sports sessions, giving children several ways to participate. The practical attraction is the early opening and evening closing time; the decision points are consistency in independence teaching and continuity when children change rooms.