Torpoint Teddies Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is inadequate

Leaders do not do enough to ensure that risk assessments are effective and that staff keep children safe.

Children are at risk of harm because staff do not supervise children sufficiently while they play in the environment or while they eat.The manager does not have a good enough understanding of the curriculum and its design is weak. It lacks ambition and does not build on what toddlers and pre-school-aged children already know or focus on what they need to learn next.

Staff do not deliver experiences for toddlers and pre-school-aged children that sufficiently focuses on their communication and language skills.B...abies engage in some activities that help support their learning. They enjoy sensory experiences and begin to build relationships with staff and each other.

Staff gently brush babies' cheeks with a feather. Babies smile and giggle at how it feels.The manager does not deploy staff effectively to meet the needs of children.

Daily routines are not organised well. Staff do not help children to move between rooms or different areas smoothly during the day. At times, the toddler and pre-school children's shared environment is chaotic.

Toddlers and pre-school-aged children do not focus and concentrate in their learning.

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

The manager does not have sufficient oversight of the setting. Weaknesses in leadership and management means practices and procedures are not effective in ensuring children are safe.

The manager does not guide staff to develop and deliver a well-designed curriculum. Children do not make enough progress.Staff do not do enough to keep children safe.

They do not ensure internal safety gates are secure to prevent children from leaving an area unsupervised. For example, toddlers open safety gates, leave the room and access the bathroom unsupervised without staff noticing.Staff prioritise other tasks at lunchtime and do not keep all toddler and pre-school-aged children within sight and hearing.

This lack of supervision puts children at additional risk should they choke while eating.Staff do not consolidate or deepen children's knowledge and understanding across the seven areas of learning effectively. They do not use strategies, such as taking children's interests into consideration, to help motivate children to learn.

For example, staff direct toddlers to stick tissue paper onto card. Although staff say they want children to learn about colours and develop their finger dexterity, this is not achieved and toddlers gain little from the activity. Toddlers struggle to use the glue sticks and lose interest, and staff do not help them to recognise different colours.

Staff do not adequately develop pre-school-aged children and toddlers' communication and language skills. For example, while staff ask them questions about storybooks or which songs they should sing, they then immediately tell them the answer. Toddlers and pre-school children do not have time to process their thoughts and respond.

Staff are not deployed effectively to actively engage children in their learning. Toddlers and preschool-aged children spend extended times sitting or waiting for staff. For example, staff keep them together for prolonged periods and read stories while they wait for lunch to be ready.

Some children roll around the floor bored and do not develop a positive attitude to learning. At other times, toddlers wander around unoccupied as they wait to go outside with their coats on, while staff do other tasks.Staff show a secure understanding of babies' next steps of development and capture their curiosity well.

They explore flour with babies and move it around with their hands. Babies copy this and make circular movements. Staff sing a song to 'mix and mix and stop'.

Babies listen and follow these instructions. Staff interact well with babies and the babies show high levels of well-being.Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities well and help children understand the routine of the day.

For example, when it is time for a nappy change, staff show children a nappy and use a visual picture card to show the child what is coming next. Parents work closely with staff on strategies to best support their children.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

Staff do not take steps to eliminate or reduce the risk of harm to children. Poor supervision of children by staff means that toddlers can move around the setting into areas they should not usually be alone, unnoticed, and unsupervised. Children are at risk of choking while they eat because staff do not remain with them.

Staff do know the processes to follow should they have a concern over a child's welfare and which agencies to contact. They know what to do in the event of an allegation made against an adult working at the setting.

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 improve risk assessment procedures and take steps to ensure children are safe at all times 16/11/2023 ensure children are adequately supervised at all times, including when eating and when playing 16/11/2023 improve the deployment of staff to actively engage children and develop a positive attitude to their learning 07/02/2024 design and implement an ambitious curriculum that consolidates and deepens children's knowledge and understanding across the seven areas of learning 07/02/2024 ensure staff improve toddler and pre-school-aged children's communication and language skills, to enable children to process their thoughts and respond.

07/02/2024