Explorers Bootle

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is inadequate

The nursery is currently having significant staffing issues which is affecting their day-to-day operation.

The instability of the staff team compromises the quality of care and education that children receive. Children are not provided with an ambitious curriculum that helps them to make good progress in their learning. Weaknesses in the key-person system means that staff do not always have the knowledge needed to meet children's individual learning needs.

This has a significant impact on children's development, particularly those children who have fallen behind in their learning and those who speak English as an... additional language. Children are not well prepared for the next stage in their learning.Overall, staff form bonds with children that help them to feel secure at the nursery.

They are kind and nurturing which promotes children's emotional well-being. However, weaknesses in the curriculum for personal, social and emotional development negatively affect children's behaviour. Staff do not embed important skills, such as sharing and turn taking.

Older children snatch from their friends and disrupt each other's play. This goes unnoticed by staff which prevents children from learning about behaviour expectations and developing good social skills.

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

Leaders identify some things they would like children to learn while they are at nursery.

However, the curriculum is lacking in depth and ambition. Children's existing skills and knowledge are not considered, and learning is not sequenced well. Staff do not implement leaders' intentions or plan activities that build on what children already know.

Consequently, children do not make good progress or develop a positive attitude to learning.The arrangements for monitoring children's assessments are not effective. Although staff assess children's development each term, when gaps in learning are identified, they are not acted upon.

Staff are not supported to share their concerns with parents or implement targeted support. This means children wait too long before receiving the additional help they need.Support for children who speak English as an additional language is weak.

Although staff have access to resources to help promote children's understanding, they do not use them. Visual timetables are too high on the wall for children to see and not referred to by staff. Consequently, some groups of children are often unsure of what is happening and what is expected of them.

They spend a lot of time wandering and not engaged in purposeful play and learning.The procedures for supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are poor. Leaders do not make timely referrals to outside agencies when necessary.

Additional funding allocated to these children, such as early years pupil premium, is not used to narrow the gaps in their learning. Consequently, the gaps widen, and children are not prepared for school.The key-person system is not robust.

Due to ongoing staffing issues, children often do not have an allocated key person with them. When staff are absent, remaining staff do not know enough about children to meet their learning needs. Children do have lovely relationships with all the staff team.

They are settled at the nursery and their emotional well-being is supported. Staff working in the baby room get to know all babies well.Partnership working with parents is weak.

Staff do not keep all parents up to date with key person changes and staffing arrangements. Parents are unsure of what children are working on at nursery and how they can extend learning at home. Furthermore, some parents are not informed of concerns about children's development.

This does not provide continuity in children's care and learning.The arrangements for staff supervision are not implemented well. Although staff have supervision meetings and their performance is observed, feedback is not frequent.

Staff have some targets for improvement, but they are not specifically focused on improving their skills and knowledge. For instance, staff are not supported to recognise when activities are pitched incorrectly or when they need to support children's language development more effectively. Consequently, there are weaknesses in the quality of education.

Children enjoy playing in the outdoor area. They show good balance when using the scooters and bicycles as they carefully navigate the paths. Staff engage children in ring games, encouraging them to sing and interact with one another.

Children use the climbing equipment with ease. This helps to strengthen their large muscles and promote good physical development.Babies enjoy taking part in dough activities.

Staff teach babies new words, such as squeeze and stretch to explain their actions and broaden their vocabulary. Babies use rolling pins and cutters to manipulate the dough and make different shapes. This strengthens their hand and finger muscles in preparation for early mark making.

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 plan and implement a broad and ambitious curriculum that builds on children's existing skills and knowledge 28/02/2025 ensure that all staff are supported to act on concerns they identify in children's assessments 14/02/2025 implement effective strategies that support children to learn and reach a good standard of English language 28/02/2025 implement robust procedures to support children with SEND to help them make progress from their individual starting points 14/02/2025 implement an effective key-person system to ensure that in periods of staff absence remaining staff know enough about children to meet their educational needs 14/02/2025 ensure that all parents receive specific information about their child's key person, staffing arrangements and what children are working on at nursery 14/02/2025 implement effective procedures for supervision, coaching and mentoring to improve the quality of staff practice.

28/02/2025