Worthing Day Nursery and Preschool

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is inadequate

Weaknesses in leadership and management affect children's safety and well-being. Leaders do not ensure that staff fully understand policies and procedures.

For example, staff practice around safe sleep is weak, especially for babies. In addition, staff do not always carry out risk assessments effectively to identify and minimise all hazards. This impacts on children's health, safety and well-being.

Despite this, the quality of education is good. Staff plan activities that capture children's interests and support their ongoing good progress. Babies have fun exploring their senses as they smell lemons and cucumber ...in water.

Staff build on babies' growing vocabulary as they introduce new words, such as 'splash' and 'scoop'. Staff encourage older children to work together and problem solve as they build a 'monster truck'. Children persevere at trying different ways to balance wooden blocks and tyres.

Overall, children behave well. They are polite, kind and play cooperatively with their friends.Staff get to know children well on their settle sessions.

They discuss key information with parents to ensure they can support children's individual needs. Staff respond well to children who are new to the nursery. They provide plenty of cuddles and reassurance.

Children form secure attachments with their key person and seek them out to join in with their play. This helps children to settle quickly.

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

The current arrangements for monitoring staff practice are weak.

Some staff do not have adequate knowledge and understanding of safe sleep practice and guidance, particularly in the baby room. For example, staff do not ensure coracles are clear of hazards. This compromises children's safety.

Leaders do not ensure that risk assessments are effective. Staff do not identify hazards in the environment. For example, some children spend time in rooms that are very hot with no ventilation.

In addition, staff do not have effective methods in place for checking the temperature of rooms, such as access to thermometers. These conditions do not promote children's good health. However, during the inspection, leaders took some action to rectify this.

Despite the weaknesses, staff plan an ambitious curriculum for the children that attend. They help children to develop their confidence and skills they need for their next stage of learning, including their eventual move to school. Staff know children well and what they need to learn next.

They carry out regular observations and use children's interests to plan activities that they know children will enjoy. This helps them to make good progress from their starting points.The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) has a good overview of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

She works alongside parents, staff and other professionals to develop targeted plans. The SENCo provides further support for parents and staff. For instance, she provides workshops such as 'SEND surgeries' to share different strategies.

This helps parents to understand how they can support their children's learning at home.Staff model language well and teach children new words as they play. They incorporate songs, rhymes and stories into daily routines.

For instance, children delight in singing along to familiar songs. They copy the actions with confidence. Children of all ages listen to stories with increasing attention.

Babies point to the pictures in books and help staff to turn the pages. Older children join in with the familiar phrases in stories they know well. This supports children's communication and language skills.

Staff are positive role models. They encourage children to be kind and use good manners. Children learn how to use sand timers to share and take turns with resources.

Generally, children behave well. However, at times, when minor conflict occurs, staff do not always acknowledge the feelings of other children involved. This does not support them to fully understand the impact of their behaviour on others.

Children are becoming independent. Staff support children to wash their hands before mealtimes. They encourage babies to use cutlery to feed themselves from an early age.

Older children serve their own food and pour their own drinks. This helps children to learn lifelong skills ready for their future.Staff support children to practise their physical skills.

Babies develop their core strength and confidence as they use climbing equipment indoors. Older children strengthen their hand muscles as they squeeze play dough and pour water into tubes. Children relish in their time in the garden.

They have plenty of opportunities to run, climb and balance.Partnership with parents is good. Staff provide a wealth of information, such as leaflets for oral health.

They communicate with parents and keep them up to date with their children's progress. Parents value the support they receive and are happy with the care their children receive.

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 ensure that all staff understand and follow the safe sleep policy and procedures, in line with the latest government safety guidance 09/07/2024 implement effective risk assessments to ensure that all areas children have access to are safe and suitable for purpose.09/07/2024 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to be consistent in their behaviour management strategies, to build on children's understanding of behaviour expectations.

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