Spencer’s Wood Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is inadequate

Children's safety is not assured. Adults are able to gain access into the setting unchallenged, via two security gates. Leaders do not ensure all staff understand and follow policies and procedures in place to help keep children safe.

For example, information about injuries that children sustain is not always reported and recorded in a timely way. Additionally, some staff do not understand how to report or respond to safeguarding concerns outside of the nursery. This undermines children's safety in the case of a concern.

The curriculum does not provide children with enough breadth or challenge. Some staff do not ...interact purposefully enough with children to promote their focus on learning. There are many times during the day when children sit for long periods of time, waiting for staff to complete routine tasks.

Despite this, most children settle well on arrival and staff welcome the children warmly into the nursery. Overall, staff are kind and, at times, they are able to engage with children during their play. For example, they join in singing activities, and roll balls to younger children to encourage cooperation.

Younger children are curious as they explore many sensory activities. They delight and say 'more' as they roll wooden toy vehicles through paint to make marks. Staff provide a clear commentary to help children 'push and pull' objects and bring meaning to the patterns children make.

However, not all staff have a strong understanding of what they want children to learn from activities and are not well prepared. Staff support children to develop an awareness of the community in which they live. Children have opportunities to enjoy visits to their local fields and park.

They learn about traditions and different cultures. Children practise some physical skills. Outdoors, they use ride-on toys to move around and use different tools to transport and manipulate sand.

Older children are excited to gather a variety of resources to make dens. They say they are making a 'giant wall' for their house.

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

Children are not effectively safeguarded at the nursery.

The premises are not secure and unauthorised visitors are able to enter. Furthermore, leaders do not support staff to gain a good enough knowledge and understanding of safeguarding policies and procedures and how to report child protection concerns to other agencies. These weaknesses result in the safety and welfare of children being compromised.

The provider does not ensure that staffing arrangements always meet requirements. This means there are not consistently enough suitably qualified staff working with the children and this impacts on the quality of practice and provision. However, with the help of staff from other linked settings, leaders took steps on the day of the inspection to put this right.

Accident procedures are weak. Written records of some accidents children sustain are not maintained. The arrangements for staff to communicate with each other, for example when children have sustained a head injury, are not robust.

This means children's health is compromised and is not effectively monitored. Furthermore, parents do not receive accurate information about accidents or injuries in a timely manner, in line with policy and procedures.At times, the quality of staff's interaction with children is poor.

Staff do not receive all the support and coaching they need to ensure their interactions with children are of a good quality. Young children, therefore, do not benefit from effective interactions that help lay firm foundations for their language and cognitive development. Staff plan a variety of activities.

However, the learning intentions for these activities are not fully implemented by all staff working with the children. This means children are not supported to make good enough progress in their learning.Staff support children to behave well and to manage their feelings.

Children show respect for others and follow boundaries well. However, their attitudes and curiosity for learning are not good enough due to the lack of staff engagement that, at times, hinders children's learning.Staff and leaders recognise the importance of supporting children to develop an understanding of healthy lifestyles.

Children enjoy freshly cooked meals. They know the routine well and wash their hands before eating. Lunchtimes are social occasions when children sit and chat to their friends.

Children enjoy outdoor play each day.Staff provide parents with regular information about their child's learning and development. This supports parents to build on their child's learning at home.

Parents explain that staff are friendly and caring towards their children.Recent management changes and alterations to the team mean they have not had enough time to embed changes needed to improve the overall standard of care and education children receive. The arrangements for the supervision of staff are in the early stages of development.

Although staff attend staff meetings and supervision sessions, they do not receive the most effective support and professional development opportunities to improve their knowledge and skills. This does not provide children with high-quality care and education. However, staff report they feel supported, and say that the team is building to become stronger and they work well together.

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 take immediate action to prevent unauthorised persons entering the premises and implement an agreed procedure for checking the identity of visitors 13/09/2024 ensure that all staff understand and can follow the safeguarding policy and procedures, and know what action to take in the event of a child protection concern, in line with the requirements of the local area 13/09/2024 maintain an accurate record of accidents or injuries, to ensure parents and/or carers are informed as soon as practicable after, or of any first-aid treatment given 13/09/2024 ensure qualification requirements are met in relation to the number of staff who hold at least an approved level 2 qualification 13/09/2024 develop the monitoring of the provision, in particular to identify gaps in practice to improve teaching and to ensure all staff fully understand their roles and responsibilities 13/09/2024 implement an ambitious educational programme and increase staff knowledge of the curriculum intent to help raise the standard of learning that children receive.

13/09/2024