Tops Salisbury

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is inadequate

Staff do not receive the monitoring, coaching or support that they need to be able to fulfil their roles and responsibilities. Poor staff deployment in the toddler and pre-school rooms puts children at risk of harm. Staff do not supervise children adequately and, as a result, they do not notice physical disagreements between children and rough play that results in injury.

At times, children play unsafely without this being noticed by staff. For example, children throw paper aeroplanes into the wall fan and play with plug switches without staff noticing. At times, less-experienced staff care for children without adequate s...upport from other staff to be able to meet children's individual needs.

The provider does not ensure that all children benefit from high-quality experiences to extend their learning. Staff working with babies support them to learn single words, build strong relationships with others and learn about the natural world. However, staff working with toddlers and pre-school children do not interact with children in a way that builds on what they already know and can do.

For example, some children spend long periods of time without the intervention they need from staff to help them make sense of the world around them. Due to inconsistencies in the delivery of the curriculum, children do not make good progress in preparation for school.

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

Staff supervision of toddlers and pre-school children is not effective.

For example, during mealtimes, staff do not notice a child feed another child food from their own plate, risking choking and children eating food they may be allergic to. Less-experienced staff do not have the support they need to manage children's behaviour. As a result, when other staff are busy carrying out tasks such as changing nappies, children run around the room, snatch toys from each other and throw wooden blocks, which results in injury.

Staff with management responsibilities have a clear understanding of the curriculum with a focus on developing independent, creative, confident, resilient and responsible children. However, the poor deployment of staff in some areas of the nursery impacts on the delivery of the curriculum and, as a result, toddlers and pre-school children do not receive the support they need to make good progress. The provider has identified these weaknesses, but has not provided staff with the training, support or coaching they need to rectify them.

Staff organise some whole-group activities for pre-school children that support them to practise their listening and attention skills. However, interactions with toddlers and pre-school children during child-led play are weak. For example, staff focus their interactions on the more confident children and do not support other children to participate in learning opportunities, despite them indicating they wish to join in.

As a result, some children lose interest and wander away. This means that some children do not receive effective support from staff that builds on what they already know and can do.Staff working with babies help to develop children's communication skills effectively.

For example, they add new words and narrate children's play to give their actions meaning. However, staff working with toddlers and pre-school children do not do this well enough. For example, staff do not use the agreed intervention strategies to support children's communication skills often enough, hindering their progress.

In addition, staff do not effectively support children's pronunciation of words when speech is unclear or allow children enough time to respond to questions.Staff have a good understanding of the signs and symptoms that might indicate that a child is at risk of abuse. They know how to report their concerns about children and potential allegations made against a member of staff.

Those with a lead responsibility for safeguarding liaise with external safeguarding agencies to promote children's welfare.The provider uses extra funding to purchase resources for the intended children. However, weaknesses in the delivery of the curriculum and deployment of staff have a negative impact on the learning of some children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language.

Staff speak to children kindly and provide respectful care. For example, staff ask children for permission before changing their nappies. Children build relationships with their peers and their key person.

Children enjoy plenty of exercise. The provider offers extra-curricular activities, such as yoga and swimming for older children, to promote their physical development. All children have opportunities to learn to climb, balance and negotiate space inside and outside.

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?

The provision is inadequate and Ofsted intends to take enforcement action.



We will issue a Welfare Requirements Notice requiring the provider to: Due date improve the deployment of staff to ensure that children are adequately supervised to meet their individual needs and to help keep them safe 12/07/2024 implement effective systems for the monitoring, support and coaching of staff, to ensure they have the knowledge and skills to carry out their roles and responsibilities.19/07/2024 To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage, the provider must: Due date ensure that all children benefit from high-quality interactions with staff to nurture their interests and meet their individual needs.30/08/2024 improve the delivery of the curriculum in the toddler and pre-school rooms to ensure that staff consistently build on what children already know and can do.

30/08/2024