Ashbourne Day Nurseries at Wellingborough

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is inadequate

Children do not benefit from a high-quality curriculum. Leaders and managers do not ensure the staff receive the coaching, support and training they need to develop their teaching skills. Children, particularly those who need additional support, do not make good progress in their learning.

While staff correctly identify gaps in children's development, they do not plan activities or provide the support children need to help them build on what they already know and can do. Some children spend long periods wandering and playing alone with no interactions from staff or encouragement to join in activities with other children. ...Consequently, not all children develop positive attitudes to learning.

Children do not consistently learn right from wrong as staff do not manage their behaviour well enough. Some children become upset, staff do not clearly explain their behaviour expectations or help them to understand and manage their emotions. Despite these weaknesses, older children follow daily routines and are learning to be independent.

They hang up their coats as they arrive and know they must wash their hands before eating. Younger children enjoy listening to nursery rhymes and shaking rattles in time to the staff's singing.

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

Leaders and managers recognise the significant weaknesses in the quality of education and staff's teaching practice but have done little to address these weaknesses.

They do not help staff to develop their teaching skills or their ability to plan activities tailored to children's development needs. Consequently, the quality of teaching is poor, and children do not make the best possible progress in their learning.Leaders and managers do not ensure that children with additional needs receive the assistance they need.

While they recognise that some children require further support, they do not refer them to the relevant agencies. Leaders and managers do not spend additional funding to meet children's needs. For example, they use this to buy outdoor planters and soil with no clear understanding of how they intend to use these to help close gaps in children's learning.

Leaders and managers do not share strategies with staff or ensure they plan activities to help children build on their existing skills. Consequently, gaps in children's learning are not closing, and some are widening.Staff do not have the skills to support and manage children's behaviour effectively.

They do not provide children with clear direction or maintain consistent boundaries. For example, when children start a water fight using pipettes and spray bottles to wet other children, this goes unnoticed by some staff and is not addressed well by others. Staff shout across the room for the children to stop.

When children carry on, staff do not act swiftly or explain why their behaviour is unacceptable.Overall, staff interactions and engagement with children are poor, especially for children who need additional support. For example, staff tell children who speak English as an additional language to share but do not explain what they mean or help them to understand.

As a result, children become upset, and their behaviour deteriorates. Other children are left to play alone as staff lack the skills to engage with them or encourage them to get involved in activities.Staff have low expectations for children's learning.

The activities they plan and deliver do not help children build on what they already know and can do. For example, they plan an activity around Arctic animals and what happens when ice melts. Staff introduce complex and inappropriate words to children with limited language and understanding, such as igloo and Eskimo.

This results in children struggling to understand and not engaging in the intended learning.The staff ensure that the children are safe. They carry out risk assessments of the environment and ensure that equipment is suitable for children to use.

Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding procedures. They know what to do if they have concerns about a child or in the event of an allegation.Staff develop positive relationships with parents.

They gather routine care information from parents when children first attend the nursery. Staff use this information appropriately to help new children to settle. Parents say that the staff are friendly and welcoming.

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 take action to improve the quality of education and address areas of identified weakness 07/01/2025 implement effective coaching, training and support to improve staff's teaching skills and increase their knowledge of how to support children's learning 07/01/2025 improve staff skills and knowledge in managing children's behaviour and helping children understand their expectations 07/01/2025 improve staff interactions to help children develop high levels of engagement, particularly for those who need additional support 07/01/2025 plan and implement an ambitious curriculum that meets every child's individual learning needs and enables them to make the progress they are capable of.

07/01/2025