Caterpillars Day Nursery

Inspection of Caterpillars Day Nursery The Square, Carshalton SM5 3BN

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Inadequate Behaviour and attitudes Inadequate Personal development Inadequate Leadership and management Inadequate Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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The provision is inadequate

Children do not have consistent opportunities to build secure emotional bonds with their key persons as there are frequent changes to staff deployment within the setting. Children's transition between rooms is not managed effectively to support continuity in their care and learning experiences. Children who need additional support, including those with speech and language difficulties, do not thrive as they do not have enough opportunities to catch up with their peers. Leaders do not achieve their aims and ambitions for individual children's progress. Children do not get consistent support from staff to learn to regulate their behaviour and to keep themselves and others safe. They do not build a thorough understanding of good hygiene routines, such as washing hands at appropriate times. Children are not prepared well for the next stages in their learning. Children who speak English as an additional language do not have sufficient

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The provision is inadequate

opportunities to explore activities and resources that reflect their home language. Nevertheless, they have some opportunities to learn about what makes them and their families unique. Toddlers share photographs of trips to the seaside with their family, and use simple phrases to describe the pictures to staff. Babies build on their understanding of words, for example, they learn to follow simple instructions and copy actions corresponding to familiar songs and rhymes. Older children build on their early understanding of the natural world. For example, staff grow plants with them in the garden. Children point to the baby cucumber and state that they cannot eat it yet, as it is too small.

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need to do better?

n Self-evaluation is weak. Leaders do not take adequate steps to address all areas of identified weaknesses. Although they have taken appropriate steps to improve staff knowledge of child protection, they have not taken sufficient action to address the weaknesses in relation to staff deployment and staff practice. The quality of the setting has dropped significantly since the previous inspection. n Leaders do not manage staff changes and absences efficiently, to ensure the delivery of quality learning and development experiences for children. Staff who are deployed to cover staff absences are not always informed of the individual needs of the children they work with. Therefore, they are not equipped to meet children's needs effectively. n The key-person system is weak. Constant changes to staff deployment mean that key persons are not always available to work with their key children. This limits opportunities for children to form a secure base from which they build

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need to do better?

familiarity with the setting and feel confident to explore. The management team does not ensure that parents have up to date information about the staff who

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need to do better?

23 August 2021 work directly with their children. The management team has not considered how to strengthen the processes to communicate with parents, particularly in the current COVID 19 (coronavirus) pandemic, to keep them informed of their children's time at the setting. n Leaders and managers do not ensure that staff practice is consistently effective to promote children's good health. Staff who care for older children did not make sure that children washed their hands before having snack, after children had been playing outdoors. They do not take adequate steps to minimise the risk of cross contamination. Children's good health and well-being are not assured. n Staff supervision and training is not effective at improving staff's skills. Unqualified staff are not monitored effectively to identify and address inconsistencies in teaching practice. Staff lack the skills to manage children's behaviour effectively. They do not provide consistent opportunities for children

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need to do better?

to learn the difference between right and wrong and to understand the impact of their behaviour on others. n Although staff carry out an initial assessment of children's starting points, and plan some appropriate next steps in their learning, they do not always put these plans in place effectively. Inconsistencies in staffing arrangements impact on teamwork, staff workload and the delivery of the curriculum. Children lack stimulation as they are not sufficiently challenged in their learning. n The management team has made some improvements to partnerships with professionals. However, these improvements are still at their initial stages. Children, including those who are funded and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, do not make sufficient progress from their starting points. n Staff deliver some small group activities effectively. For example, they teach older children the sounds that letters make. This helps them to build on their

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need to do better?

early literacy skills. They provide opportunities for young children to build on their creativity. For example, babies put a toy phone to their ear and babble, pretending to mimic conversation. Staff introduce toddlers to simple counting. This helps to promote their early mathematical skills. The staff team works in partnerships with parents to support the needs of children who have allergies and dietary needs.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

The management team has taken appropriate steps to improve staff knowledge of child protection. They have improved systems for risk assessment and the procedures to follow in the event of an emergency. They have taken appropriate steps to ensure that children do not leave the premises unsupervised. However, staff deployment and staff practices in relation to behaviour management have an impact on the well-being of children. The key-person system does not effectively safeguard children and adequate information is not provided for parents and carers. Children's safety and well-being are not assured.

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Due date

ensure that staff deployment is fully effective to meet the individual needs of children, particularly those children who need additional support 30/09/2021

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Due date

ensure the key-person system is effective to ensure that individual children's needs are met and they have consistent opportunities to build settled relationships 30/09/2021

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Due date

ensure that staff practice is consistently effective to help children learn good hygiene practices, including guiding children to develop good handwashing routines to minimise the spread of infection 30/09/2021

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Due date

ensure that staff training and professional development opportunities are effective to improve staff knowledge and understanding of how to guide children's behaviour and to help them understand what is expected of them 30/09/2021

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Due date

ensure that staff supervision is effective to discuss and address any issues that staff raise, support staff welfare, foster a culture of mutual support and effective sharing of information between staff, particularly to support a smooth transition for children within the setting 30/09/2021

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Due date

ensure that parents are informed of the staffing at the setting, including people who work directly with their children 30/09/2021

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Due date

ensure that observations and assessments are used effectively to identify children's individual needs and help staff to link up effectively with parents and professionals to identify and address gaps in children's learning 15/11/2021

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Due date

ensure that the curriculum is implemented effectively to meet the needs of individual children, so all children benefit from experiences that help to support them to make good progress towards next stages in their learning. 15/11/2021

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY474449 Local authority Sutton Inspection number 10204746 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 130 Number of children on roll 59 Name of registered person Caterpillars Day Nursery Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 02087733882 Date of previous inspection 28 June 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Caterpillars Day Nursery registered in 2014 and is situated in Carshalton. The nursery opens each weekday, from 7.30am to 6.30pm, all year round, and offers a variety of sessions. This includes an after-school club for children who attend before and after school during term time. The nursery provides funded early education for children aged two, three and four years old. It employs 18 members of staff including a receptionist and a cook. Of these, nine staff hold relevant childcare qualifications.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The acting manager and the inspector observed and evaluated an activity jointly and had discussions about staff training, support and skills. n The acting manager and staff explained how the curriculum is planned and implemented. n The inspector had meetings with leaders and managers at appropriate times, carried out discussions with them and viewed relevant documentation. n This inspection was conducted following Ofsted's risk assessment process. n The inspector observed staff interacting with children and spoke with staff and children during the visit. Parents shared their views with the inspector about their children's time at the setting.

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Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

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Inspection activities

23 August 2021 regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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