The Old Barn Day Nursery and Preschool

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement Children receive a warm welcome from staff as they arrive for the day.

They confidently leave their parents and younger children that need it are given reassurance when upset, tired, or not sure about joining in with the activities on offer. Staff interact positively with children. They get down to their level and join in with their play.

However, the implementation of the curriculum within the nursery is variable. Staff working with children under two years old are not clear about what they want individual children to learn. This means that not all staff are able to build on what children know and can do, and children's ...learning is not always promoted effectively.

Some areas within the nursery, such as the pre-school bathroom, are not maintained to the required standard. For example, the wooden dividers between the toilet cubicles have exposed, damaged and splinted chipboard. This means this area cannot be cleaned to the required standard to ensure that hygiene is maintained.

That said, children are supported to learn about how to keep themselves healthy, they wash their hands before eating and after using the bathroom. Staff help children to understand why they need to apply sun cream before going outside to play on warm and sunny days.

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

There are secure procedures in place to manage children's special dietary requirements and allergies.

Although staff ensure that tables where children sit to eat meals are clean, some areas of the nursery are dirty, and not all areas within the nursery are well maintained. In particular, the floors and toy storage units have a build up of dirt. This increases the risk of the transmission of viruses and infections.

The acting manager has a good knowledge of the curriculum and what children should learn. The pre-school staff implement the curriculum well, they support children to build on what they already know and can do. They give children time and opportunity to practise skills that they will need for their eventual move to school.

However, the acting manager has not ensured that the curriculum has been successfully implemented throughout the nursery. This has led to weakness in the delivery of the curriculum for children under two years old.Staff who have key person responsibility know their key children well.

They understand what activities the children enjoy and what they want children to learn next. However, staff that assume responsibility for children when their key person is absent are not fully aware of the children's development needs. This reduces the opportunity for staff to support children to practise and develop the skills they need to learn.

Parents comment that their children are happy at the nursery and enjoy attending. Staff keep them well informed about their child's day. Staff use an online diary to send them photos of their child playing and to keep them informed about what their child has eaten, if they have slept and the type of activities that their children have taken part in.

Staff are positive role models and encourage children to use manners and to take turns with equipment and toys. Pre-school children are friendly and sociable. They happily include each other in their play.

Children work as a team to fetch water from the outside tap to pour down a pipe, in order to fill up large containers. Pre-school staff use the children's interests in filling the containers to model and encourage language in relation to counting, volume and capacity.Staff complete the statutory progress check at age two and talk to parents regularly about children's development.

They promptly recognise the signs that children may need additional help or support. Staff work alongside parents and other professionals where gaps in children's learning and development are identified, to implement targeted support. Where children attend more than one setting, there are procedures in place to ensure that the staff share information with the other setting to ensure continuity of care.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff understand their responsibility to keep children safe and protect them from harm. They are alert to the signs and symptoms that may indicate a child is at risk of abuse.

Staff understand the action they need to take in line with the local authority safeguarding partnership guidance, if they were to be concerned about the conduct of another member of staff or a manager. Staff support children to learn how to take safe risks within their play. They supervise children closely as they balance to walk along planks and rope bridges.

Ratios and space requirements are met.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage, the provider must: Due date ensure the premises and equipment are maintained and meet a good standard of hygiene.16/06/2023 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff working with children under two years old to understand the curriculum intention and implement it consistently nensure all staff understand the development needs of the individual children that they care for.