First Chapter Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is inadequate

Several staff have left the employment of the nursery. This has resulted in turbulence and a loss of effectiveness in the work of staff.

The provider has failed to ensure there are enough staff to care for the children safely. This weakness, together with a poorly thought out curriculum, means that children do not learn well. The provider does not have effective oversight of the work of the nursery.

For example, lunchtimes are poorly organised, resulting in upset children who wait too long to eat.The provider and manager do not check that staff follow safe sleep guidance for babies. This compromises babies' safet...y.

Due to the loss of key staff, there is no lead practitioner for safeguarding. As a result, staff do not have a designated safeguarding leader to guide and support them. Children do not receive a high quality of care and education.

The provider does not ensure that children have daily access to learning outdoors. This has a significant impact on children's physical development. Furthermore, staff do not manage children's behaviour effectively.

This is because the provider does not develop staff's ability to support children on how to behave. Despite these weaknesses, staff ensure that children at the nursery enjoy the songs and stories that staff share with them.

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

Children's safety is compromised because the provider and manager do not ensure that staff follow the latest government safety guidance for sleeping children.

For instance, staff place babies to sleep on a large teddy bear. This approach is unsafe and compromises babies' safety.Too few staff are available to meet the needs of children.

This is because the provider fails to employ the legally required number of staff for the number of children present. This means that, too often, staff do not attend to babies' needs when they cry for reassurance. Children's learning and development needs are not met.

Staff are gentle and caring towards children. They praise children when they listen carefully to adults. Staff guide children on how to welcome new children on their first day at the nursery.

Children learn to make friends and relate well to each other.The manager and provider do not make certain that staff follow the nursery routines for lunchtimes effectively. For example, staff sit children too early for eating time.

This results in children becoming fractious and crying as they wait to be fed.The provider has appointed a new nursery manager but did not, as required, notify Ofsted of this change. Additionally, a member of staff has not been identified as the lead person for safeguarding.

This means that the safeguarding of children at the nursery is poorly coordinated. Nevertheless, staff hold adequate knowledge of how to safeguard children.Children do not receive the required daily access to learning outdoors.

Children's physical development needs, such as learning to run, climb and jump, are not met.Sometimes, staff read stories and sing songs well with the children. However, too often, staff do not understand what knowledge to teach to the children and when.

This weakness means that staff do not help children to learn the important information that they need to know.Staff do not understand what they need to do to improve their practice. This is because they have been given inaccurate feedback by previous leaders about the quality of their work.

Consequently, weaknesses in staff's support for children's learning are not identified and resolved. As a result, staff struggle in their work and children do not learn the curriculum well.The manager and provider care about the nursery.

They are keen to make improvements to the care and education that children receive. They understand what they need to do and have begun to take steps to address these weaknesses.The provider ensures that children receive freshly prepared, healthy meals.

This helps children to develop positive attitudes towards food. Children's dietary needs are understood by staff. Effective systems are also used by staff to minimise the risk of cross-contamination.

Staff do not understand how to manage children's behaviour effectively. This reflects the nursery's weak curriculum for personal development. Consequently, staff use ineffective ways to support behaviour, such as shouting instructions to children across the rooms.

Children do not learn how to behave well.Staff communicate effectively with parents about their child's needs and experiences at the nursery. As a result, parents are kept informed about their child's day.

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, the provider must: Due date ensure that staff receive coaching, training and support, including accurate feedback about their work with children, to ensure their practice continually improves 06/02/2024 ensure that staff are always deployed to meet the required staff-to-child ratios so the needs of children are met and they are safe at all times 23/01/2024 ensure that staff are supported to understand how to manage children's behaviour effectively 23/01/2024 ensure that children receive access to outdoor provision on a daily basis so that they become fit and healthy 23/01/2024 ensure that babies sleep safely in line with the latest government guidance 23/01/2024 ensure there is a practitioner to take the lead on safeguarding and child protection to liaise with the local statutory children's services and to provide staff with support, advice and guidance 23/01/2024 ensure the routines for children's mealtimes are organised to meet their needs 23/01/2024 improve the quality of care and education and secure a quality workforce 23/01/2024 provide a curriculum that meets the needs of all children to support their good progress.

23/01/2024