Marian Mission Educational & Family Support Centre

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is inadequate

Leaders do not have sufficient oversight to ensure the safe and efficient running of this nursery. This compromises children's safety and welfare. There are some areas of the curriculum that are planned well.

For example, leaders plan around core themes and texts. They understand the importance of modelling language to children. However, this does not always translate into practice.

Too often, staff focus on managing behaviour and routine tasks at the expense of meaningful engagement with children. This impacts on the progress children make. Leaders and staff have failed to embed routines and behaviour expectatio...ns.

There are no clear strategies in place to communicate changes in routines, and rules are not applied consistently. For example, golden rules are discussed during circle time sessions but are not applied in context. Children do not know what is expected of them, and this impacts on their behaviour.

Staff do not share consistent strategies to manage poor behaviour. This leads to a disorderly environment, which has a significant impact on the children's learning and well-being. For example, story time is abandoned, as staff are unable to get the attention of children.

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

Leaders have not monitored staff's safeguarding knowledge effectively enough to ensure that all staff can identify potential signs of abuse and know the appropriate procedures for reporting concerns, including any allegations made against staff. This puts children at risk of harm.Leaders and staff do not have a good understanding of the curriculum.

For example, staff share that there is no curriculum in the afternoon, as it is 'just free play'. Key persons are not clear about children's next steps. They identify broad areas of need, such as communication, showing a lack of knowledge about how young children learn and progress through the curriculum.

Staff have not prioritised personal, social and emotional development, in response to the needs of children. They do not actively teach essential skills, such as taking turns with resources. This frequently leads to heightened situations, and children do not get the support they need to self-regulate.

Staff do not communicate effectively with each other, and this has an impact on the continuity of care for children. They do not have a shared approach to managing poor behaviour, and they are sometimes unable to get children to follow simple instructions. This further contributes to a chaotic environment.

However, there are moments when the setting feels calmer, and children engage in activities. For example, children enjoy painting at an easel together.Leaders and staff fail to implement strategies to meet the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

For example, non-verbal children are not given any tools to communicate their needs. There is a lack of strategies in place to support transitions, and this is particularly disruptive for children who benefit from predictable routines. Staff do not give children with SEND the time or attention they need.

As such, their individual needs are not met, and they do not make the progress of which they are capable.Leaders and staff do not fully utilise the spaces that are available to them. For example, a large and well-resourced sensory room is rarely used, despite the high levels of need in the nursery.

The secure outside area is poorly resourced and provides limited opportunities for children to develop across the curriculum areas. However, staff do take children outside to get fresh air and engage in some physical play, such as on the bikes.Staff communicate well with parents about their children's care and development.

Parents share that they are happy with the setting. They appreciate the observations shared via an online app and the verbal feedback from staff at collection times.Leaders are not present enough in the setting to fully understand or tackle the weaknesses.

The manager delegates to her deputies without ensuring they have the knowledge and skills to lead the setting effectively. Supervisions and training opportunities are not strong enough to ensure the continued professional development of staff.

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 can identify possible signs of abuse and neglect at the earliest opportunity and know how to respond in an appropriate way, including managing allegations against staff 26/01/2024 provide staff with training and professional development opportunities to improve their knowledge of the curriculum and how young children learn 02/02/2024 improve the effectiveness of the key-person system to ensure the curriculum is tailored to meet children's individual needs 02/02/2024 ensure staff have the knowledge and skills to understand, support and manage children's behaviour in an appropriate way 02/02/2024 ensure there are effective strategies in place to meet the needs of children with SEND 02/02/2024 improve supervision arrangements to ensure staff get the support, training and coaching they need to improve their practice and raise outcomes for children.02/02/2024 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: consider how to better utilise the space and resources available, to meet the individual needs of children and to provide quality learning and development experiences.