Rubadubs Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is inadequate

Significant weaknesses in leadership and management put children at risk of harm. The manager has failed to ensure that the setting's procedures are fully understood and followed by staff to promote children's safety and welfare.

For example, staff practice around sleep is weak which puts all children at risk, especially babies.The curriculum lacks ambition for children. For example, during the inspection, children could access the same play dough activity throughout the day.

By the afternoon, few children showed any interest in using shape cutters on dough. Instead children crowded around the new marble run acti...vity, which reduced the impact of this activity on children's learning as they grabbed the pieces and jostled for space. When children engage with interesting activities they show good focus and enjoyment.

Staff do not use their observations of children effectively to plan stimulating and purposeful experiences to help children progress in their development. Some staff have some understanding of the developmental goals for the children in their care. This is particularly in regard to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), where there are elements of effective practice that help children with SEND progress in their learning.

Overall, however, practice is inconsistent.Overall, children are disengaged from their learning and do not focus for long on any particular task. Leaders have not ensured that staff understand the intended learning of the curriculum.

For example, staff do not know how to adapt activities in the pre-school to extend children's learning. This results in children not receiving a good quality of education tailored to meet their individual needs. Staff model good behaviour which supports children to understand what is expected of them and helps to keep them safe.

Children demonstrate they know the rules of the setting as they take care on the stairs and cease running indoors when staff instruct them to do so.

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

Staff have a basic understanding of how children learn and this is reflected in the type of activities they design to support children's development. Curriculum planning is not generally based on children's interests.

For example, the mark-making table in the pre-school has paper and pencils, another table has play dough and cutters and the book corner contains a range of books. None of these activities engage children imaginatively or help hold their focus for long. Staff tend to take a supervisory role overseeing children as they play.

Lack of staff motivation to actively teach means children are not always engaged with their learning or stimulated by purposeful activities and opportunities throughout the day.Staff do not consider how the activities provided can help deepen children's learning and build on what they already know and can do. The same activity, play dough and a range of cutters, is available in the pre-school and toddler room.

Children, particularly in the pre-school, demonstrate they are bored as they run around or move between activities with little focus. Staff encourage children to play but do not plan and sequence learning with inspiring, age-appropriate and exciting activities to motivate them. Children do not get the support they need to gain the key skills needed for their future.

Staff do not have adequate knowledge and understanding of safe sleep practice and guidance. This is evident in the practice observed, particularly in the baby room. The manager has not monitored how staff put any safe sleep training they have received into practice to ensure they can confidently and safely put babies down for their nap.

This puts children's welfare at risk.Most children take their daily nap on floor mats. For babies, this element of the daily routine is chaotic as staff attempt to organise mats and bedding.

Lack of organisation means staff accidentally give babies the wrong bedding, which is then switched between children. However, staff caring for older children deploy themselves effectively, so that sleeping areas are prepared in advance. This helps older children settle down to sleep.

Across the nursery, however, staff do not fit sheets to mats as intended, increasing the risk of entanglement, particularly for babies. Some children do not get a sheet and sleep directly on the plastic mat. Overall, staff do not support children with safe and hygienic sleep routines.

When accidents or incidents arise the manager is unclear about the procedures to follow and which members of the leadership team are responsible for implementing the policy. As a result, written record-keeping is disorganised. Furthermore, the provider has failed to notify relevant external agencies of significant incidents in a timely manner as required.

This means there is no reliable record of incidents or advice from external agencies that leaders can review to ensure ongoing risk assessment procedures are robust.The food preparation area is clean and staff involved in food preparation have suitable knowledge and understanding of managing allergies. During mealtimes, staff are preoccupied with monitoring children and distributing food.

However, there are some moments where staff take time to promote social conversation between children. Overall, children enjoy their food and they gain some early independence skills as they learn to serve themselves.Staff do not monitor children's progress effectively.

This is reflected in the activities planned and the attitude children have to their learning. When children are not engaged they drift away and wander around the room aimlessly. Staff do not encourage some of the quieter children to join others in their play.

This means children do not always get the opportunities they need to make good progress in their learning. That said, children are respectful and behave kindly towards their friends when they engage in activities together.Staff use a range of methods to communicate with parents.

In addition to electronic communications, staff use drop off and collection times to give parents an update about their child's day. Managers organise face-to-face parents' evenings to share information about children's development. This helps to keep parents updated about their child's progress.

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 devise an ambitious curriculum that consistently stimulates and motivates children to engage with their learning through purposeful activities and opportunities throughout the day 29/03/2024 use assessment to understand children's individual needs, interests and development to offer quality learning and development experiences that help them make good progress 29/03/2024 ensure all staff know how to put babies down to sleep safely in line with the latest safety guidance 29/03/2024 ensure that there is an adequate supply of bedding that it is fit for purpose and that bedding is not shared between children to promote good hygiene practices and safe, restful sleep 29/03/2024 establish robust procedures to manage accidents, including keeping written records and ensuring all staff understand the procedures to follow 29/03/2024 notify relevant external agencies including Ofsted of any serious incident and of the action taken.

29/03/2024