Academy Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is inadequate

Staff are kind to children and understand their role in keeping children safe. However, many of the staff team are new, including the manager.

Staff do not yet know children well enough to plan high-quality learning experiences that meet children's needs. Recent changes to staffing arrangements have resulted in children not having a consistent key person. This means that children's individual care and learning needs are not met.

Routines and activities are often poorly organised. As a result, children spend large amounts of time sitting and waiting for something to happen. At times, they become bored and restless....

Staff do not support children to develop positive attitudes to learning. Children are not encouraged to use their communication skills to express their thoughts and feelings. Children who are disadvantaged or who may have gaps in their learning suffer the most from weaknesses in the quality of education.

Some children do not speak during activities and receive only supervisory attention from staff.Leaders have identified some areas for improvement accurately, but effective action has not yet been taken to address these. Leaders know the parents whose children attend the nursery well.

They use additional funding effectively to support families and to provide visits to the pantomime or local parks.

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

Staff do not provide appropriate support for children who speak English as an additional language. They are not aware of the languages children speak at home.

Staff do not help children to understand new vocabulary so that they can understand the routines of the day. Children who speak English as an additional language often do not communicate at all for long periods of time and are not encouraged by staff to develop their spoken language skills effectively.Staff do not identify and act on concerns about children's development promptly enough.

Currently, not all children who may require additional support are getting the help they need. As a result, some children are not making appropriate progress in their learning.Staff do not help children to develop their communication and language skills effectively.

Most children do not talk to each other or staff and are silent as they play. Weaknesses in staff support for children's communication skills hinder children's progress.Planning for children's learning does not take into account what children already know and can do.

Staff do not work effectively with parents to establish children's starting points. Staff are not always clear about what they want children to learn. Plans for children's activities are not age-appropriate.

Staff working with babies under the age of two discuss planning for children to identify colours and numbers. This does not focus on the key language skills that young children need to learn. As a result, children are not receiving a curriculum which is tailored to their developmental needs.

Routines and children's activities are not well organised. Children have to wait for staff to organise snacks and resources for lengthy periods of time. This means that a significant amount of time is wasted for children, during which they learn to stay quiet and occupy themselves instead of being involved in meaningful activities.

Staff working with children do not understand their individual needs. During the inspection, staff were unclear as to the sleeping arrangements for a baby and were not sure who the child's key person was to check this. Following changes to staffing, leaders have assigned less-experienced staff as a key person to children who need the most support.

As a result, children do not receive the guidance they need from staff, and the arrangements for the role of the key person are not effective.Leaders have implemented a training programme and supervision meetings for staff. Staff say that they are well supported by leaders and describe how they feel able to discuss any concerns they may have with them.

However, staff are not clear on what they need to do to improve their practice. Staff are confident to talk about the training they have received but have not been supported, at this stage, to link this to how they can further develop their teaching. The systems in place for the coaching and training of the staff are not yet effective.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is 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 the arrangements for the role of the key person meet children's individual needs 04/08/2024 provide effective coaching and training for staff in order that they understand how to improve their practice 04/08/2024 ensure that staff work with parents to find out about children who speak English as an additional language in order to support children's language development effectively 04/09/2024 support the development of all children's communication and language skills successfully through positive and engaging interactions with staff 04/09/2024 act promptly to identify those children who may have gaps in their learning and implement effective strategies to support their future development 04/09/2024 work alongside parents, to identify what children know and can do, and use this information to plan an appropriate curriculum that matches children's learning needs 04/09/2024 ensure that planning for children's learning activities and routines is sharply focused and well-organised so that all staff understand their roles and responsibilities.

04/09/2024