RAFA Kidz Worthy Down

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement The provider recognises that improvements are needed to raise the quality of the nursery. Leaders demonstrate they are aiming to provide high-quality experiences to children. However, staffing issues have impacted on the quality of staff's practice and children's experiences.

The older children's needs are not always met well enough by staff. Staff sometimes do not organise themselves or changes in routines effectively to ensure they support children and promote their well-being at a consistently good level. Staff are sometimes not aware of children who need support with their behaviour.

At times, this leads to some child...ren not being engaged well in their play and learning.The key-person approach has some strengths, including staff knowing their individual key children well. Babies benefit from supportive warm care and attention.

New babies who are settling in receive reassurance and comfort when unsettled. Staff provide calm and caring interactions with the youngest children. Staff plan interesting and fun activities for all ages of children.

During these planned focused activities, the older children benefit from some good-quality interactions with staff. Despite some weaknesses in practice, leaders and key persons provide support to children who need some extra help in their learning. All children make progress, although not all make the progress they are capable of.

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

Leaders work alongside staff to help model expected practice to them. Staff have access to training and receive regular support. Despite this, the quality of the provision and staff's practice is not consistently good.

The provider is experiencing recruitment issues, which have an impact on developing the staff team. However, the provider tries to use the same agency staff regularly to try and offer continuity for children's care. Staffing in the baby room is more stable and babies benefit from staff who know and meet their needs securely.

Staff, including those with oversight of other staff, do not consistently implement their roles and responsibilities well enough. Staff working with the older children sometimes do not organise themselves effectively, particularly when routines change. As a result, they do not have a full awareness of what is happening around them, to enable them to meet children's needs.

Some routines, such as at snack time, mean that older children sometimes sit and wait or wander around while waiting to eat. Staff do not fully encourage these children to engage in other activities or play while waiting.Although some staff remind children of the behaviour expectations, they do not provide further guidance when the same behaviour is repeated.

Children sometimes hurt others or run around the room. This then leads to some children slipping over on spilt resources. Staff are not always fully alert to children slipping over, although they take appropriate action when they become aware.

The provider has recently addressed a significant safety incident, including improving the security of the premises and implementing new procedures.Leaders and staff show they understand the needs of children who attend. Staff are aware of the learning intentions of the curriculum.

They have a secure awareness of their key children and what they need to learn. When staff engage with children during planned activities, they support them well. For example, staff encouraged children to use their language skills to share their ideas and experiences when making dough.

Staff support babies' language development securely, such as repeating words they try to say. However, staff sometimes do not recognise when older children need support for their learning, such as when children are not engaged in play or planned activities. This means that not all children benefit from consistently good learning experiences.

Although there are weaknesses in the quality of the provision, children settle well on arrival and enjoy their time at nursery. Staff praise and encourage children during activities, which helps to support their self-esteem. Children develop some appropriate independence.

Babies learn to feed themselves. Older children gain confidence in visiting the toilet by themselves. They learn to do some things for themselves, such as pour their own drinks.

Children who need some focused support take part in small-group activities, such as 'bucket time', which helps to promote their listening and attention skills.Leaders have taken positive steps to engage with the local community and identify additional experiences for children and extra support available for parents. Staff gain information from parents when children first start to help them understand their needs and development on entry.

They exchange information with parents through daily handovers and an online app. Staff make links with outside professionals when needed, including schools. This helps to support children's move on to school.

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 further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: develop the leadership skills of staff with oversight of other team members, to help them direct and support other staff in their roles and responsibilities, so that children's needs are met more effectively nimprove how daily routines are organised and managed to ensure staff understand what is expected of them and of children, to enable staff to consistently promote children's well-being nensure staff provide consistent interactions and support to help guide children's behaviour and promote their engagement in good-quality play and learning experiences.