Nightingale Nursery Sawley

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is inadequate

Children are not sufficiently safeguarded.

Leaders do not follow necessary safeguarding procedures when presented with concerns about a member of staff. Some staff lack understanding of how to safeguard children. Children receive variable early educational experiences.

For example, some staff are not clear on what they want children to learn and how to teach this. As a result, children often learn by chance rather than through tailored support and effective planning. Some children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are at a disadvantage because staff have not acted swiftly enough to make re...ferrals to ensure they receive the specialist support they need.

Despite these weaknesses, children show interest as they join in with the activities that staff provide outside. Older children dig for worms while younger children wait in anticipation to see the insects. Staff and children discuss the speed at which the worms move, and younger children recognise the difference between 'fast' and 'slow'.

Children practise using their hand-eye coordination as they transfer soil into plant pots and then carefully sprinkle seeds on top. While staff sit and engage with children as they explore, they do not do enough to help children build on what they already know.

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

Leaders have not followed the correct procedures to notify the local authority designated officer and Ofsted when staff shared concerns about the conduct of a colleague.

Furthermore, staff lacked the confidence and knowledge to report these concerns to outside agencies, when they are not fully dealt with by the management team. This means children's welfare is not assured, and relevant agencies have been unable to fulfil their child protection roles and responsibilities.Leaders and managers do not ensure all staff have up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding issues.

Some staff have an insufficient understanding of the signs that might suggest a child is at risk of harm or abuse, specifically in relation to being groomed or radicalised. This means that staff might not notice and act if a child is in danger.The arrangements in place for supervising staff are ineffective.

Consequently, leaders are unaware of important information about children's safety, care, and development. Additionally, staff do not receive the support, coaching and training they need, and inconsistencies in implementing the curriculum are not identified and addressed.The arrangements in place to support some children with SEND are not effective.

As a result, some children with SEND are not receiving the support they need to make good progress and develop positive attitudes to their learning. The new special educational needs coordinator has a plan to improve this. However, this is not yet embedded.

Staff engage children in fun games to encourage positive behaviour, such as challenging them to beat the sand timer when tidying away their toys. This helps to maintain an orderly learning environment and promotes children's good teamwork skills.Staff introduce books to children from a young age.

They read stories to babies, which helps to develop their vocabulary as the babies hear new words. They provide babies with hard-paged books to help them learn how to hold a book and turn the pages independently. This supports their early literacy development.

Staff support children to develop healthy lifestyles. They teach children from a young age that they should wash their hands before they eat to promote their health and hygiene. Children benefit from outdoor play, where they can enjoy fresh air and participate in physical activity.

Parents say that their children enjoy coming to the nursery and are happy here. They explain how staff share information about their children's care and learning with their future teachers when children are getting ready to start school. This supports children's smooth transition from nursery into their next stages of education.

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?

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must: Due date make sure staff know the procedures to follow should they have concerns about the conduct of a colleague, including how to contact the local authority designated officer 23/08/2024 ensure allegations are responded to in an appropriate and timely way, in line with local authority safeguarding partnership procedures 23/08/2024 make sure all staff receive training to enable them to identify the signs of possible abuse or neglect and ensure they understand what they have learned 23/08/2024 put appropriate and effective arrangements in place for the supervision of staff, which provides support, coaching and training to raise the quality of education and assures that children are safe 06/09/2024 make sure the arrangements in place to support children with SEND are embedded and effective.

06/09/2024