Welcome Nurseries @ Eastham

Inspection of Welcome Nurseries @ Eastham 162 Eastham Rake, Wirral CH62 9AD

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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 Not applicable

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The provision is inadequate

Children's safety and learning are compromised because staff are not deployed effectively. Children do not always receive focused teaching, as staff are required to undertake tasks that take them away from the children. Children are moved between rooms in an attempt to maintain adequate supervision. This does not provide continuity in their care and learning. That said, children show that they are content as they run up to and hug staff when they arrive at the nursery. Children confidently leave parents at the door, due to COVID-19 protocols. Children are assigned a key person. However, when staff are absent and due to current staffing challenges, staff that cover the key-person role do not know what children need to learn next. This means children are not making adequate progress.

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The provision is inadequate

Children are happy and behave appropriately for their age. They listen to instructions from the staff. They play together with their friends using small people figures. They use twigs to represent 'The Stick Man' story in the sand tray. When in the garden, they play energetically on ride-on toys. Children are learning to help each other when they look for their wellington boots and have a go at zipping up each other's coats. They practise being independent when they blow their lunch to cool it down and peel their own satsuma.

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The provision is inadequate

While there are plenty of toys and activities for children to choose from, most staff are not sure of what they want children to learn during these activities. Furthermore, many of the activities in the pre-school room lack appropriate challenge. That said, staff in the toddler room plan age-appropriate experiences and consider some next steps in children's learning.

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need to do better?

n The deputy manager, who is the acting manager, undertakes a workload that is unachievable for one person. She prepares children's meals, manages day-to- day tasks and is often counted within the ratio supervision of children. Because of the workload, she is unable to maintain oversight and ensure the safe running of the nursery. As a result, children's safety and development are significantly compromised. Furthermore, appropriate consideration has not been made to ensure there is an additional deputy manager to cover the acting manager. n The curriculum across the nursery is weak and poorly planned. Leaders and most staff do not have enough knowledge of child development. This means that they are unable to provide coherently planned and ambitious activities that stimulate children's learning. Children experience activities in the pre-school room that are too simplistic and often lack challenge. n Leaders and staff have identified some children that would benefit from extra

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need to do better?

support with their speech development. They respond to parents' requests to

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need to do better?

11 November 2021 make referrals for help from other professionals. However, leaders do not understand how to support the children while waiting for external help. This means children's progress is delayed. Staff do not proactively undertake training that is specific to helping meet children's needs. That said, some staff attempt to use teaching strategies to help children's language and speech, however, it is not specific for the children within their care. This means children do not make sufficient progress and are not ready for their next stage in learning. n Staff are caring and want the children to do well. However, they have not received effective support or training in how they can assess what children know and can do. They complete extensive written and typed assessments that are overly burdensome. Although assessments are made, most staff are not sure what children need to learn next. As a result, children have little direction and do

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need to do better?

not make the progress they are capable of. This has a greater impact on children who are already behind in their development and those who may have additional needs. n Most staff do not understand how to support children with their communication and language development. Some staff use incorrect language when interacting with children. They use terms, such as 'din dins' and 'ta' and refer to children as 'babes' instead of using their name. This means children do not always hear the correct words. Children have limited opportunities to develop their thinking skills because staff ask questions that prompt a 'yes' or 'no' answer. Those working with younger children do not support them to remove their dummy during play to help their emerging speech. Occasionally, staff introduce new vocabulary, such as 'pomegranate' and 'segment' when talking to children about fruit. However, these occurrences are rare. n Staff show commitment and access online training in their own time. However,

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need to do better?

the impact of staff training is insufficient. It does not support most staff to make necessary improvements to their practice and teaching. All staff, including the acting manager, are not being adequately supported. Staff supervision meetings are ineffective because leaders are unable to identify meaningful and appropriate targets for staff to work towards. The acting manager does not have the opportunity to do these due to her unrealistic workload, Furthermore, she does not have enough knowledge of how to coach the team to ensure continued improvement. Senior leaders do not evaluate how effective the teaching is or recognise weaknesses in the staff team. Therefore, children are not supported in the most appropriate ways by staff. n Parents speak kindly about the staff and feel that they are well informed about their child's time in the nursery. They receive information about what their child has enjoyed at nursery. However, they are not given ideas on how to support

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

The designated safeguarding lead does not have an accurate understanding of who to report concerns to about the welfare of a child. Furthermore, she is not

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Safeguarding

11 November 2021 confident in what to do and who to contact if an allegation is made against a member of staff. Staff have attended safeguarding training and have some understanding about the signs of abuse. However, they lack knowledge of who to share concerns with. Although staff know to respond promptly, their uncertainty around safeguarding procedures places children at further risk. Staff are not deployed effectively to ensure adequate supervision of children should an emergency arise. This further compromises the safety of the children. Despite this, staff try to think of logical ways to keep children safe within the given circumstances.

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Due date

ensure staff are deployed effectively to supervise children, so that they remain safe and are provided with quality care and learning experiences throughout the day 31/12/2021

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Due date

ensure all staff have an up-to-date knowledge of and understand the procedures to follow if they have any concerns about a child 31/12/2021

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Due date

ensure all staff have an up-to-date knowledge of and understand the procedures to follow if an allegation is made about a colleague 31/12/2021

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Due date

ensure there is a deputy manager who is capable and supported to manage the nursery in the manager's absence 31/12/2021

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Due date

implement an effective key-person system to ensure that during staff absence, staff continue to ensure children's learning is tailored to their specific needs 31/12/2021

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Due date

support staff to help them improve their understanding of what they want children to learn and the quality of their interactions with them 31/12/2021

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Due date

11 November 2021 implement an effective curriculum that clearly identifies what children need to learn, building on their prior knowledge and skills, so all children make consistently good progress 31/12/2021

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Due date

ensure staff have regard to the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice so that they can identify, support and take prompt action to meet children's individual needs 31/12/2021

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Due date

take action to ensure effective supervision, coaching systems and training opportunities are in place to support gaps in staff's knowledge, to improve the quality of education provided to children, with particular regard to understanding the age and stages of children they teach 31/12/2021

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Due date

take every opportunity to engage children's communication and language development across the curriculum 31/12/2021

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Due date

improve how assessments are used to reflect on what staff know about children to inform tailored activities and teaching experiences. 31/12/2021

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2626084 Local authority Wirral Inspection number 10210463 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

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

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inspection

Total number of places 60 Number of children on roll 32 Name of registered person Welcome Nurseries Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01513272764 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Welcome Nurseries @ Eastham registered in 2021. The nursery opens weekdays, 7.30am to 6pm. It provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year- old children. The nursery employs seven members of staff. Of these, five staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first inspection the nursery received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector has taken the impact of the pandemic into account in her evaluation of the nursery. n The inspection was carried out following the risk assessment process. n The inspector spoke to parents, staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection. n The inspector and deputy manager carried out a learning walk to discuss the curriculum provided. n The inspector checked relevant documents, including children's registers and evidence of the suitability of staff. n Staff interactions with children and the quality of education were observed. n The deputy manager and inspector carried out a joint observation.

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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

11 November 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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