Partou Stockwood Lane Day Nursery & Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement The provider has struggled with recruitment, and this has had an impact on the quality of the provision. However, the provider has started to address this situation while they are currently recruiting new staff.

For instance, they have reduced their opening hours and have stopped accepting new children into the nursery, to help improve the well-being of staff and the care and education offered to children. However, this has not yet had the desired impact in day-to-day practice. Some children struggle to settle, and partnerships with parents are not fully effective.

Due to the changes in staff, not all children have a key ...person to work with parents and provide the individual support that children need to help target their learning precisely. Overall, most children are happy and build nice relationships with staff and their peers. Staff are kind and considerate.

They eagerly greet children when they arrive, encouraging them to choose what they would like to play with. Leaders have implemented a new curriculum that focuses on children becoming more independent and having confidence. They provide children with a wide range of exciting activities that entice children to be involved.

Younger children enjoy digging for animals and shells in the sand, and older children are thoroughly engaged as they play imaginatively with the mud kitchen. Staff model language and ask children questions as they mix their ingredients together and eagerly talk about their creations. Staff set clear and consistent boundaries and children behave well.

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

Leaders are aware of the improvements that they need to make to raise the quality of the provision. For instance, they have identified that the staffing crises has had an impact on the support and consistency for individual children's needs and partnerships with parents. They have recently recruited a new management team, and they have started to work on making positive changes.

They have had to make difficult decisions to close rooms on occasions, due to staffing numbers. However, this is to ensure that they have enough staff to keep children safe.Staff are starting to assess children's progress.

However, there are weaknesses in the key-person system. Some staff are not aware of children's individual needs and information is not consistently shared when children move to the next room in the nursery. The changes to staffing mean that assessments have not been consistent.

As a result, some children have not had the required progress check at age two. This means that gaps in children's development are not quickly identified.Leaders and staff have identified some children who may benefit from more support with their development.

They have plans in place to work in partnership with parents and other professionals. However, as this has only recently been identified, no action has yet been taken. Staff consider the children's needs when they interact with them, and offer them more support when they need it.

Staff adjust their routines to recognise children's needs. For instance, they provide a quieter space for children to eat when they struggle with the busy lunchtime routine.Staff work with parents to reflect on what will help children to feel more secure.

They adjust drop off and collection times to reduce any distress to children. Staff share information with parents about their children's day and what they have eaten. However, parents do not receive information about their children's learning and, due to changes to staff, they do not know if their children have a key person.

Children develop good physical skills. They benefit from lots of opportunities to have fresh air and exercise. Children enjoy playing outside and staff provide them with lots of opportunities to be involved in outdoor activities.

Younger children enjoy challenging themselves with climbing and balancing, with the support of staff. Older children enjoy using the ride-on toys to race around the garden. Children eagerly involve staff in their games, and staff help children to learn how to keep themselves safe as they play.

Staff help children to develop their independence throughout the nursery. Younger children confidently wash their hands before meals and serve their own food. Older children prepare themselves to go outside without support, putting on their coats and shoes and finding their hats.

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 key-person system is implemented effectively to understand each child's needs, target learning precisely, and work in partnership with children's parents 21/02/2025 ensure that staff work closely with parents and other agencies, and provide additional support when they identify that children will benefit from extra help 21/02/2025 ensure that staff complete a progress check for every two-year-old child as required.

21/02/2025