Saplings (Childrens) Day Nursery Ltd

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is inadequate

The provider has not addressed all the weaknesses that were raised at the last inspection. As a result, the provision for children has not improved in some areas. There is a continued impact on children's safety, behaviour and their learning and development.

Older children are not provided with consistent messages about what staff expect from them and how they want them to behave. For example, children are encouraged to use sand timers to know when it is their turn, but staff do not enforce turn taking. Children display boisterous behaviour towards their friends.

Staff do not talk to children about their unwanted... behaviour. As a result, children do not learn right from wrong. Although the manager has been developing the curriculum, it is too complex for most of the older children.

Children enjoy playing and exploring with the different resources on offer. However, these are not targeted to support what children need to learn next. For instance, children are given scissors to cut paper, but they do not know how to use them.

Older children quickly lose focus during the activities, which do not interest them. Consequently, they do not develop positive attitudes to learning and are not prepared well enough for starting school. Despite the weaknesses, children arrive happy and are pleased to see their friends.

They receive a warm and friendly welcome from staff. The arrangements for babies are more successful. They are provided with stimulating and well-planned activities.

For example, babies enjoy exploring sensory activities. They happily scoop and pour the flour and water, while staff encourage them to share with their friends. This supports babies' learning and development.

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

Ongoing weaknesses that have been raised at the previous inspection remain a concern. The provider and manager do not ensure that all staff have the safeguarding knowledge they need to keep children safe. Although the manager demonstrates clear intentions for children's learning, staff do not understand how to implement the curriculum effectively.

For instance, group activities are poorly planned and have little impact on children's learning. Children become restless, and staff do not meet their emotional needs. This impacts on children's progress.

The manager receives limited support from the provider. There are no arrangements in place to provide the manager with supervision, coaching or mentoring. The manager has introduced systems to supervise the staff team, although these generally focus on their well-being rather than addressing weaknesses in teaching.

Staff feel supported but are not provided with opportunities to develop through focused targets and training. As a result, they do not improve their teaching ability.Some staff recognise where children have delays in their development or have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

They refer to other professionals to access help for children and their families. However, staff do not use the information they know about individual children, to help them make progress and close any gaps in their development. For example, some children with SEND spend a considerable amount of time wandering around aimlessly.

They have limited staff interaction and are not supported to engage in the activities on offer. In addition, staff do not use consistent strategies to support children who find it difficult to manage their feelings and behaviour. For instance, when children demonstrate challenging behaviour, staff use ineffective methods or ignore the child.

This causes these children to become confused and means that they do not understand what is expected of them.The leadership team, consisting of the manager, deputy manager and room leader, do not recognise the impact of poor teaching on older children's learning and development. The weaknesses in the planning of the curriculum mean that staff do not have a secure understanding of what older children need to learn.

For example, they do not understand how to support children's communication and language development effectively. Staff provide language group activities in a noisy environment, where other children are also taking part in music and movement. Children become restless and do not engage with the activities.

This does not support children's progress and impacts on their behaviour.Arrangements to promote children's good health are not understood well enough by some staff. For instance, they do not notice that some children are extremely cold when outside, due to not having coats on.

In addition, staff do not monitor to ensure that all children have access to drinks during the day.Staff working with babies have a good understanding of their development. They support babies' communication and language development well.

For example, they respond to babies' babbles and use single words to name objects for babies to hear and mimic. Staff provide babies with sensitive personal care routines. For instance, they talk to babies while changing their nappies and comfort them while settling them off to sleep.

This supports babies to make good progress.Children like spending time outside. For example, younger children enjoy using water to paint the fence.

Older children have fun climbing and balancing on the obstacle course. This supports children's physical development.There are some effective arrangements to share information with parents each day.

Overall, parents speak positively about the key-person system and the support their children receive.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.The manager and staff have completed safeguarding training.

They know how to make a referral about a child or an adult. Most staff are aware of the signs and symptoms of abuse. However, some staff do not have a secure knowledge or understanding about female genital mutilation and the 'Prevent' duty.

This does not safeguard children. Risk assessments are in place and the building is safe and secure. However, some children's behaviour compromises their safety and well-being.

For instance, staff do not recognise when children are hurting each other. Therefore, they do not provide children with the support they need to understand why such behaviour is not appropriate or safe. The manager has implemented secure recruitment and vetting procedures, to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

The provision is inadequate and Ofsted intends to take enforcement action.

We will issue a Welfare Requirements Notice requiring the provider to: Due date ensure all staff have a secure knowledge and understanding of female genital mutilation and the 'Prevent' duty guidance 08/12/2023 Implement effective supervision for the manager and strengthen monitoring systems, in order to identify and prioritise training needs, to improve the quality of teaching 08/12/2023 ensure all staff support pre-school children to understand and manage their personal care needs to ensure their health is not compromised 08/12/2023 provide staff with support and coaching to implement appropriate and consistent strategies for managing children's behaviour, to help all children to feel safe and understand how to manage their own feelings and behaviour 08/12/2023 ensure strategies and learning intentions for children with SEND support the children to make good progress and are understood and followed by all staff.08/12/2023 To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage, the provider must: Due date ensure all staff understand how to plan and deliver a curriculum that is precisely tailored to the individual needs of each child, particularly the older children and those children with SEND.

08/12/2023

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