Sparkles Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement Children happily engage in a range of play experiences where they are encouraged to learn to follow appropriate rules and boundaries. However, while there is a curriculum in place, it is not ambitious enough to effectively challenge every child. Leaders and managers sometimes place more emphasis on how they want children to learn through themes.

This means that there is less focus on the skills and knowledge they want children to develop. The use of designed play areas is not consistent. For example, when babies are cared for in their designated area, they access play resources suitable for their needs and abilities.

This... enables staff to engage with them and support their learning more effectively. For example, babies enjoy exploring sheer materials, with staff playing peekaboo with them. However, when they are in the main older children's area, they are encouraged to engage in activities which are not planned around their developmental needs.

For example, as older children try to sit and listen to a story, babies crawl over them to reach the staff member. This is because the story is too advanced for the youngest children. Children are continually supervised wherever they play, which helps to ensure their safety and welfare.

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

Staff have a general overview of how activities support children's learning. However, they do not make full use of information gained from assessments. This means that planning of future experiences is not effectively focused on building on each child's prior knowledge and skills.

The curriculum is not embedded in practice or robust enough. While children therefore make some progress, they are not achieving to their full potential.Staff talk to children as they play.

Singing and story times are introduced as part of the daily routine. Older, more confident children begin to join in as they recall familiar rhymes. Staff support children's counting skills as they introduce them to number rhymes.

However, the organisation of the environment and planning of activities do not effectively support all children to build on their prior knowledge and skills.Babies and older children are brought together for circle time. Older children learn to sit, listen and take turns.

As the ball is rolled to them, they know it is their turn to speak. However, babies do not join in, as the experience is too advanced for them. They therefore gain little from the experience.

Children's good health is promoted through the provision of a balanced diet. Information is shared with parents about healthy eating so that any meals provided from home adhere to the nursery's policies.Children are encouraged to play cooperatively with their peers and to behave well.

However, weaknesses in the curriculum mean that all children's high levels of curiosity, concentration and engagement are not effectively supported.Some children choose to participate in a planned mark-making activity. Children access a range of pens and pencils and are encouraged to draw faces.

However, staff initially stand over children as they try and discuss the facial features they are drawing. At snack time, staff also remain standing. This means that staff are unable to effectively encourage children's good interactions and social and communication skills.

Weaknesses in staff practice, as detailed above, are not being effectively identified through robust supervision and monitoring. Leaders and managers usually work in ratios with the children. This means that their focus is on the children and not on staff practice.

Therefore, staff are not benefiting from targeted coaching and training to help improve their knowledge and skills.All children enjoy playing outside. Children pour water into the top of the water wall and watch as it travels down the guttering.

Other children use tubes as they try and catch the water. Staff allow children to transport the sand over to the water wall. When a child finds the sand is stuck in their tube, following directions from staff, they bang the tube to try and dislodge the sand.

Parents confirm that they receive regular information about their child's ongoing care and learning. They feel that the staff are approachable. Parents of children who speak English as an additional language explain how their children's English is developing since starting nursery.

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 ensure that there is an ambitious curriculum in place which supports the broad range of skills, knowledge and attitudes children should develop over time 15/04/2024 make more effective use of information gained from assessment to ensure that staff plan challenging activities which more effectively build on each child's prior knowledge and skills 15/04/2024 ensure that the separate baby area is used more consistently so that the younger children are provided with secure routines which fully support their play and learning 11/03/2024 ensure that management have time to effectively monitor staff practice, to fully identify strengths and areas for improvement so that more focused support is provided to aid their continuous professional development.

15/04/2024