Happy Kids Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is inadequate

Weaknesses in the leadership and management of the setting have a significant impact on the quality of the education provided. The provider, who is also the manager, does not have a good enough oversight of the quality of the provision. The quality of teaching and the educational programme is weak.

Staff do not have a robust understanding of their curriculum intent and what they want children to learn and why. They do not provide an environment that is enabling and allows children to be active learners who can think critically and be creative. This impacts on some children, who have limited opportunities to reach their fu...ll potential.

At times, staff appear disorganised with the routines, and this leads to a noisy and chaotic learning environment. This does not support children to have good attitudes to learning. For example, staff do not serve the children's snacks and meals at the same time, and some children start to eat, while others have to wait.

This leads to some children becoming confused, and they take food from others, creating an unsettled environment. Despite this, children are happy; they settle well and are greeted warmly by staff. Children take part in circle time, where they enjoy singing and join in with activities.

For example, they count numbers up to 20 and recite the alphabet, shapes, days and months of the year. However, this learning is repetitive and does not ensure that children have a deep understanding of concepts in a meaningful learning environment.

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

There has been a turnover of staff since the previous inspection, and most staff are fairly new.

Some staff lack a basic understanding of child development, and they do not ensure that a purposeful learning environment is planned to capture children's interest and make them eager to explore. The position for deputy manager has been vacant for some time. Although the provider recruited recently, the appointment was unsuccessful.

This has some impact for newer and less experienced staff, who need more guidance and role modelling from senior staff to develop their skills further.Staff focus on teaching all children about shapes despite a number of children not being ready to engage in this learning. Staff lack awareness of how children learn.

For example, they provide pre-drawn dot-to-dot shapes and ask children to join the dots and then ask them what the shapes are. When some children are unable to name a shape, such as a hexagon, staff do not support children's learning further despite having a shape activity accessible to model the shapes.Staff lack an understanding of providing a language-rich learning environment.

They spend time with the children as they engage in drawing, or when playing with a toy, but they lack awareness of how to extend communication. They rely a lot on asking questions such as 'What colour is this?' or 'What shape is this?'.Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are not provided with a good enough educational programme.

For most of the time, children with SEND are left to explore their surroundings and do not receive sufficient support to help them make the best progress possible.The manager has systems in place for the regular supervision of staff. However, systems not focused enough on identifying weaknesses in staff practice.

The manager is aware that staff lack knowledge of planning effectively and has set up reflection time once a week to try to support staff development. However, this has not yet had a positive impact.The nursery has no cooking facilities to provide a hot meal during the day.

Therefore, children have a packed lunch provided from home. However, some of the packed lunches contain less nutritious options. Despite staff recently providing information to parents about healthy and nutritious foods to provide, this has not yet been fully embedded.

This means children's overall health cannot be assured. Children have been learning about healthy eating. The manager has started to provide fruit at snack time for all children, and they talk about how eating fruit will make them strong and give them muscles.

Children learn about good hygiene. They know to wash their hands before eating and are independent in their self-help skills. There is only one toilet and hand basin, and all children go to the bathroom together.

This means that children have no privacy when using the toilet. This does not support them to learn about their own personal safety and protect their dignity.Parents report that they are happy with their children's care.

They are kept informed of their child's progress at the end of the day and attend parents' meetings regularly. The provider is very accommodating and flexible for parents and supports them by sometimes providing extra sessions or changing children's days or times if parents need help with their childcare.Children's safety is assured.

Recruitment is robust to ensure staff are suitable. Staff ensure the nursery environment is safe and secure. For example, the front door is kept securely locked at all times.

Children receive praise from staff and learn about the rules at nursery, such as being kind and respectful to each other. Overall, children behave well.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is 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, the provider must: Due date undertake further training and coaching opportunities to increase staff's knowledge of child development and the early years foundation stage requirements so that children are provided with high-quality learning experiences across the seven areas of learning 29/02/2024 provide a suitable curriculum that identifies the individual needs and interests of all children, including children with SEND, and focuses on the most relevant steps for children's development 29/02/2024 ensure there is a named deputy who is capable and qualified to take charge in the manager's absence 29/02/2024 ensure that staffing arrangements meet the needs of all children and that routines are well managed and run smoothly.29/02/2024 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nimprove staff's understanding of supporting children's communication and language effectively develop children's awareness of the importance of privacy when using the bathroom continue to support parents in understanding about nutrition and healthy options for packed lunches.