Puddleducks Day Nursery Ltd

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is inadequate

Leaders and managers are in the process of recruiting new staff due to changes in the team.

Although minimum requirements for staff-to-child ratios are met, staffing arrangements do not ensure that children are always supervised effectively. This impacts on the quality of staff interaction to fully support and engage children in their learning and development. At times, children are unable to form meaningful bonds with key staff.

Leaders and managers do not plan an ambitious curriculum to ensure that all children, including those who are quieter and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are su...pported consistently to make the best possible progress. Children often spend time on the outskirts of play with little attention from staff. Managers and staff do not complete effective risk assessments to ensure children's safety.

Consequently, on occasions when children are not being supervised well in the group rooms or the garden, their safety is compromised. The steps and walls outdoors are in a poor state of repair posing tripping hazards. Children often struggle to negotiate access to the garden.

In addition, the heavy garden doors are not secured. Despite this, children build positive relationships with staff overall. Staff greet them warmly as they arrive and children separate with confidence from their parents.

Children are imaginative and bring their own personal experiences into their play. They pretend to feed babies in the home corner as they play independently. They excitedly play with dinosaurs and tell visitors with enthusiasm about their favourite ones.

Staff are mostly consistent with their expectations for behaviour. Children behave well and show that they are learning the age-appropriate expectations.

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

Managers are fully aware that the areas they have identified for improvement are in the early stages and require more input.

They are reflective in how to better support the well-being of staff in line with the improvements they have planned. This includes to enhance the nursery environment and to recruit new staff. However, staff supervision is not fully effective to identify and address weaknesses in practice.

In particular, to support staff with how child supervision and risk assessments are managed to ensure children's safety.Despite the limitations of working to minimum staff ratios, the manager and staff support each other and speak respectfully to each other. However, the key-person system is sometimes compromised when staff cannot fully focus on their key children.

The manager is taking responsibility as key person for several children. This is adding to her workload considerably.Staff encourage children to develop an interest in books.

They read to children and encourage them to lead with storytelling. Children enthusiastically join group activities. This includes yoga sessions with discussions about leading a healthy lifestyle.

Children are very independent, they put on their own shoes, carefully pour water into cups, and serve their own meals.The manager completes assessments of children's development, including the two year progress check. She is aware of children's next steps and any gaps in learning.

This includes knowing how to engage the support of external agencies to support and guide parents when required. However, the curriculum is not planned and implemented effectively to meet individual children's needs consistently.Managers and staff have recently updated their safeguarding and child protection knowledge with the support and guidance of the local authority early years coordinator.

This includes raising confidence in staff to know how to contact the local authority designated officer if they have concerns about another adult or of the safety or well-being of a child. However, ineffective risk assessments mean that children's safety is compromised due to hazards not always being identified or removed.Leaders and managers follow safer recruitment procedures.

This includes receiving references prior to employment, completing Disclosure and Barring Service checks for staff and ensuring first-aid qualifications are kept up to date.Managers and staff know the procedures to follow if a child meets with an accident and/or incident in the nursery. They keep appropriate records and encourage parents to be proactive about communicating to staff, if their child requires medication.

Staff implement appropriate hygiene routines. Children benefit from nutritious snacks and meals and have independent access to water throughout the day.Parents speak positively about the nursery and the support they receive from the manager and staff.

They appreciate the daily communication and the flexibility the team offers around hours of attendance.Leaders and managers have not fully evaluated the impact of caring for children of different ages in one large group. The noise levels are often distracting for children.

During quieter periods when some children are sleeping, staff support other children in small groups. During this time, staff are better able to provide creative activities for children who enjoy painting and exploring with different tools and materials. Children match number games and puzzles together with skill and older children know the letters of their name as they confidently point this out to visitors.

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, the provider must: Due date ensure that staffing arrangements enable staff to adequately supervise children and meet their individual needs 02/07/2024 implement robust and effective risk assessments to ensure that any potential hazards to children are identified and removed to maintain children's safety continuously 02/07/2024 implement an effective key-person system and support staff in their role to meet the care and learning needs of all children 02/07/2024 make certain that arrangements for monitoring the practice of staff are effective and provide appropriate support, coaching and training to promote continuous improvement and build on staff's confidence and skills 02/07/2024 improve teaching practice to ensure children of all ages and those children who require additional support receive consistent high-quality interactions.

02/07/2024