Kaleidoscope Drighlington

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement Children are happy and the youngest babies are supported to develop close bonds and attachments to key staff. Children aged 16 months to three years are cared for by either a lot of newly recruited staff or agency staff.

Managers also regularly now work in ratios caring for children, which has resulted in them being unable to effectively support staff practice. They fully understand and acknowledge the detrimental impact this has had on some children's learning experiences.Although routines and boundaries are in place, staff do not effectively implement them for children aged between 16 months and three years.

This means ...that these children do not consistently benefit from quality interactions, which build on their prior knowledge and skills. Whereas, for the youngest babies and pre-school children, they are cared for by long-term employed staff, who implement more effective routines. This results in these staff actively engaging these children in more purposeful learning experiences.

All children are adequately supervised to keep them safe. Generally, children behave well. Staff support children to develop independence with self-care skills, such as toileting and eating.

Young babies are encouraged to feed themselves and as children get older, they are encouraged to learn to serve their own meals. At mealtimes, staff sit and eat with the children, modelling good social skills and how to appropriately use cutlery.

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

While effective staff supervision and monitoring procedures are in place, managers have been unable to fully implement these as regularly as designed.

The manager understands how practice varies across the nursery as she is currently unable to offer quality coaching and support to all staff. This is all down to the ongoing staffing issues, which they are working hard to overcome. For example, children aged 16 months to three years have a lot of new or agency staff working with them, which leaves employed long-term staff with a high number of key children.

These staff acknowledge the difficulties this poses and how they are trying to do their best for the children.Routines and boundaries are inconsistently implemented for children aged between 16 months and three years. Staff do not encourage all children to participate in planned activities, like circle time, which results in children missing out on these positive learning experiences.

At other times, lots of children excitedly descend on newly set up activities, like painting. Staff do not consistently support children to learn boundaries or encourage them to wait for their turn. As staff become too busy trying to manage all children, the experience becomes less purposeful.

Staff implement routines and boundaries effectively with pre-school children, including helping them to prepare for what comes next. This results in most children participating in circle time activities, where they develop their listening and attention skills. For example, children follow instructions as they try and replicate a range of yoga exercises, where they learn to stretch and balance.

For children who are reluctant to join in, staff actively engage with them, so that they continue to benefit from quality learning experiences.Staff's knowledge of child development varies. Concerns about children's behaviour are seen by some staff as separate from their development.

When identifying next steps in children's learning, staff sometimes focus more on skills which are too advanced for children when they have not gained a secure knowledge in the core areas. For example, when children are not meeting expectations for behaviour and communication, staff are not focusing on these as key areas to support them to achieve.Children are introduced to stories, songs, and rhymes.

Staff plan activities around a book of the week to support children's learning. Pre-school children recall popular stories with staff, providing them with props as they excitedly act out the story. Younger children sit and listen to stories and engage in singing when staff deliver these in smaller, more focused groups.

Children with possible special educational needs and/or disabilities are identified by staff. However, identified targets to support these children are inconsistently implemented. This means gaps in children's development are not being supported to close swiftly enough.

Parents speak positively about the nursery and feel confident to leave their children. They explain how communication is good because they feel well informed about their child's learning and care needs. Parents trust staff to care for their child and feel welcomed by them.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Clear policies and procedures are in place to safeguard children. Management evaluates these when incidents occur to ensure they remain effective.

They also complete focused risk assessments following accidents, and adjust and make improvements where necessary to minimise further incidences. Staff have a sound awareness of a wide range of possible indicators of abuse. They know to refer any child protection concerns they have about children or staff to management.

Staff know where the safeguarding policies are displayed, so that they can refer to these if management do not take prompt and relevant action. Staff working with children are vetted through robust recruitment procedures.

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 secure routines and boundaries are implemented with children aged 16 months to three years, so that staff consistently support children's effective learning through positive engagement and interactions 31/07/2023 ensure staff knowledge of child development is secure, so that relevant next steps in learning are consistently identified and continually build on children's prior knowledge and skills 31/07/2023 endure staff consistently implement targeted interventions identified for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

31/07/2023