Weydown Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is inadequate

There is poor oversight of the setting by the provider. Weakness in leadership and management means that breaches in requirements have not been identified or acted on.

This has an impact on children's welfare. The provider does not monitor the quality of staff's practice or maintain required documentation appropriately. Children do not benefit from the consistent emotional support they need to help them feel secure.

For instance, when older children become upset and cry, some staff ignore them and do not offer the comfort and reassurance they need. Children's efforts are not always recognised. For example, when o...lder children ask to write their names on the artwork, staff do not acknowledge them, despite them asking repeatedly for help.

That said, staff who work with babies recognise the importance of the early relationships they build. For instance, they offer encouragement as children take steps to the slide and praise them as they slide down. This helps to support younger children's confidence.

Leaders' and staff's understanding of what need children need to learn next is inconsistent. Although staff provide a variety of activities for children, they are not tailored to their individual needs. Consequently, older children lose interest or do not take part.

Some wander aimlessly around the room, while others chose play that is disruptive. At times, the environment is chaotic. Children with additional funding and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make poor progress.

Staff know that some children, including those with SEND, need additional support, particularly with their communication skills. However, they do too little to support them. Strategies are not put in place to help children make the progress they are capable of.

This means that children do not gain the skills they need in readiness for school.

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

Leadership of the setting is not effective overall. The provider does not ensure that the required records are available.

They do not monitor the quality of staff's teaching or the experiences children receive. Lines of accountability are unclear. This has a negative impact on how staff can understand and fulfil their roles and responsibilities, including in relation to safeguarding.

Too little is done to address weakness in care practices and teaching, which impacts on children's well-being and the progress they make. In addition, the provider has not notified Ofsted of a serious accident, as required. This is an offence, but Ofsted is now aware and does not need to take any action on this occasion.

Support for staff, including those who take leadership roles in the nursery, is poor. Staff supervisions are ineffective and do not ensure that staff have the skills and knowledge they need to promote children's learning and development.Staff who take senior roles, including those who are new to their role, do not have have the support they need to fulfil their responsibilities.

Those who take key roles in leadership do not benefit from regular support from the provider in their role to improve their personal effectiveness. Often leaders are working directly with children to meet staffing requirements. This hinders how they can fulfil leadership roles and limits the impact they have in their vision for the nursery.

These factors combined result in low staff morale and weaknesses across all aspects of the provision.Staff have a poor knowledge of safeguarding, which has not been identified or addressed as a result of ineffective supervisions. Some staff have a poor knowledge of signs and indicators of abuse.

Furthermore, they do not understand how to follow the nursery procedures to report concerns they may have about children. A lack of effective staff supervision has failed to identify or target gaps in staff's knowledge. This does not promote children's welfare.

Leaders have some vision for the curriculum. However, this is not consistently embedded in staff's practice. Those who work with babies have a clear understanding of their focus for learning.

For instance, they support babies and toddlers early crawling and walking to help them become confident in their physical skills. However, for older children, the focus is less well known or supported. Some staff are unclear on what children are learning next and when activities are provided, they lack any educational aim.

Where children, including those with SEND, need extra support, strategies are not known to help key staff who work with them to support their needs, particularly around supporting children's communication skills. Too often learning in incidental. This does not support children to develop the skills they need for future learning.

Staff offer some opportunities for children to develop their independence. For instance, at mealtimes, babies learn how to hold spoons and coordinate their movements to scoop and eat foods. Staff help children to learn some routines that promote a healthy lifestyle.

For example, toddlers learn the importance of washing their hands before they eat. Older children learn hygiene routines and practise new skills to ensure that they become increasingly independent in their self-care needs.

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 ensure that persons with governance and oversight understand and fulfil their roles and responsibilities 25/02/2025 ensure that all staff have a comprehensive knowledge of all safeguarding policies and procedures, including how to recognise and respond to concerns about children's safety and welfare 25/02/2025 implement appropriate supervision for managers and staff to identify training needs and to put in place the coaching and support needed to enable them to fulfil their roles and raise the quality of teaching 11/03/2025 ensure that the needs of children with SEND are met through agreed strategies that are understood and consistently implemented by all staff 11/03/2025 ensure that information and records required for the safe and efficient management of the nursery are accessible and made available to those with a valid reason to view them.11/03/2025 improve managers' and staff's understanding of how to plan and tailor a curriculum to precisely target children's next steps in learning.

11/03/2025