Apple Grove Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is inadequate

A number of statutory requirements are not met at this nursery.

This impacts negatively on the care and education children receive. The provider has failed to ensure there is an appropriately qualified first aider on the premises and available at all times when children are present. This puts children's safety at risk in the event of a medical emergency.

The provider does not ensure that all staff have a secure understanding of their roles and responsibilities in relation to safeguarding. This includes how to recognise possible signs of abuse and the external processes to follow in line with local safeguarding gu...idelines.Children do not benefit from consistently good-quality teaching.

Consequently, children are frequently bored and wander around. Too often, children display unwanted behaviour that disrupts other children's play and enjoyment in the nursery. On several occasions, staff do not notice when some children hurt others.

Staff do not adapt resources so that they can be accessed by all the children. This results in children becoming frustrated and upset when they are unable to join in. Children who need additional help do not receive the support they need.

This impacts on children's attitude towards learning.

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

There are considerable weaknesses in leadership and management that impact negatively on children within this nursery. The provider has failed to ensure at least one person who has a current paediatric first-aid certificate is on the premises and available at all times.

In addition to this, the provider does not ensure all staff have a suitable knowledge of safeguarding to ensure children's safety is assured.The provider does not ensure that staff provide a broad and well-sequenced curriculum to help children make the progress they are capable of. Staff do not plan activities and experiences to support children to build on what they already know and can do.

Weaknesses in the curriculum mean that children have limited opportunities to make good progress in their learning.The provider has failed to ensure staff receive the necessary induction, coaching and training to ensure they have appropriate knowledge and understanding to be able to fulfil their roles and responsibilities. As a result, there are several weaknesses in practice.

The provider does not ensure there is an effective key-person system in place. Staff who have key-person responsibilities do not have a sufficient understanding of the early years foundation stage. Because of this, they do not plan effectively to support their key children's learning needs.

Staff do not receive the support they need to manage children's behaviour effectively. Consequently, they do not support children to learn right from wrong.For example, when children gather around the sandpit, they have disagreements over the toys.

Rather than support the children to play cooperatively, staff inform children, from a distance, they will have to leave the activity. This does not help children to learn about behavioural expectations.Although there are plans in place for some children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), staff do not provide the support they need in the setting to make the best possible progress in their learning and development.

Staff do not provide children with stimulating activities and experiences that help them become absorbed in purposeful play and motivated learners. For example, some children cannot reach the sand and, rather than being supported to join in, children are repeatedly moved away when they try and climb to reach. Children try to use resources from the role play area in their play and staff stop their play and instruct children to return the items.

Staff do not recognise these moments as opportunities to extend children's learning.Children enjoy their time outdoors in the spacious garden area. They develop good physical skills as they ride around on wheeled toys.

Staff provide children with healthy snacks.

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?

The provision is inadequate and Ofsted intends to take enforcement action.

We will issue a Welfare Requirements Notice requiring the provider to: Due date ensure at least one person who holds a current and relevant paediatric first-aid certificate is on site and available at all times when children are present 04/12/2024 ensure that all staff receive safeguarding training so that they understand how to recognise the possible signs of abuse and know how to respond to any child protection concerns they may have about a child in their care 04/12/2024 implement effective and robust induction procedures and provide ongoing support, training and supervision for all staff to ensure that they have appropriate knowledge, skills and understanding to fulfil their roles and responsibilities 04/12/2024 implement an effective key-person system to ensure staff have the knowledge to fulfil their roles and responsibilities to meet children's care and learning needs at all times 04/12/2024 support staff to ensure they manage children's behaviour effectively 04/12/2024 ensure children with SEND are provided with the support they need to help them make the progress they are capable of.04/12/2024 To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage, the provider must: Due date devise and implement a broad, well-sequenced educational programme that builds on what children already know and can do and supports them to make the progress they are capable of 07/01/2025 ensure staff consistently provide activities that are interesting, ambitious and stimulating so that children engage in purposeful play and are able to become motivated learners.

07/01/2025