Collingbourne Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is inadequate

There are significant weaknesses in the safeguarding practice at this nursery. The provider and staff fail to identify and respond to safeguarding concerns about children. They do not follow their safeguarding procedures.

They do not record safeguarding concerns sufficiently. This means that safeguarding concerns are not responded to in a timely way, leaving children at risk of harm.Teaching across the nursery is weak.

Staff do not understand how to implement the curriculum so that children benefit from purposeful learning. The activities on offer are not differentiated for the youngest children in order to meet ...their needs effectively. This means children do not engage in stimulating activities that help to build on what they already know and can do.

Additionally, staff do not implement consistent methods to teach children how to behave. Staff tell children what they want them to do, but this is not always understood or followed. This results in children running around and not listening to staff.

Despite these weaknesses, children appear happy at the nursery and build close relationships with staff. They invite staff into their play and accept comfort when they are upset. They explore the environment and enjoy taking part in some activities, such as action songs as they copy movements role modelled by staff.

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

The provider has not ensured that safeguarding procedures are implemented to keep children safe. Staff, including the lead person for safeguarding, do not have a robust knowledge of signs that may indicate a child is at risk of harm. This means that they do not recognise when concerns should be reported to the relevant agencies, and therefore, children's safety is at risk.

Additionally, safeguarding concerns about children are not recorded sufficiently. This further impacts on children's safety and well-being.Children's behaviour is not well supported.

Staff responses to unwanted behaviour are inconsistent. For example, some staff simply say 'no snatching' when children take toys off others, while other staff give more-detailed responses which are often too complex. Therefore, children do not understand what is expected of them.

The provider has not focused professional development opportunities on improving the quality of teaching. Although staff receive regular supervision meetings and complete some training, the provider does not help staff to understand how to implement the curriculum or develop their teaching skills. This means that children do not benefit from high-quality learning opportunities.

Children are not always supported to be independent. Although children use the toilet by themselves and wash their hands, there are times when staff do things for children that they can do for themselves. For example, during snack time, staff feed some children rather than supporting them to do this for themselves.

Additionally, during activities, staff do not encourage children to practise new skills, and they often complete tasks for them. Therefore, children are not supported to become independent learners.Routines are not organised in a way that allows children to be fully immersed in their learning.

For example, during a story, children are suddenly asked to wash their hands. At other times of transition, children run around and do not understand what they need to do next. This disrupts children's learning.

Parents are generally happy with the care their children receive. However, parents do not receive regular information about their children's development or know who their child's key person is. This does not support consistency of care for children or provide opportunities to further their learning at home.

Staff use stories such as 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' to help children to learn about healthy foods. Some children develop their imagination as they use dough to create caterpillars.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must: Due date ensure all staff understand how to identify safeguarding concerns about children and report these in a timely way 16/02/2024 maintain accurate records for the safe and efficient running of the setting, with particular regard to recording robust safeguarding information 16/02/2024 ensure staff provide appropriate and consistent behaviour management strategies to support all children to understand expected behaviour rules 29/03/2024 improve partnership with parents and provide them with regular information about their children's development and who their child's key person is 29/03/2024 provide staff with effective coaching, training and support to improve their teaching skills and help them to understand how to implement the curriculum and provide high-quality learning experiences.29/03/2024 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nimprove the organisation of routines so that children are provided with uninterrupted learning to help them remain fully engaged support staff to encourage children to have a go and do things for themselves to promote children's independence and support their learning.