Play Away Day Nurseries Ltd

Inspection of Play Away Day Nurseries Ltd 1,3,5 Chapel Road, West End, Southampton SO30 3FE

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding

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The provision requires improvement

Although leaders have high expectations for children's learning, staff do not always implement effective teaching. This means that children are, sometimes, left to drift between activities and are not challenged well enough. For example, at times, young toddlers who happily play alone go unnoticed by staff and receive little attention. However, children are, generally, happy and settled. They have positive attachments with staff, which support their well-being and allows them to develop their confidence. Children enjoy playing in all areas of the nursery. For instance, pre-school children enjoyed talking about pirates and worked cooperatively together to bury treasure in the sand room. Babies are provided with sensory learning experiences, enabling them to gain confidence through exploring textures.

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The provision requires improvement

Children do not receive the same experiences across the nursery. For example, on the day of the inspection, staff did not talk to older toddlers when serving their lunch. In addition, staff did not guide children's behaviour sufficiently. For instance, children were seen to wander around and not sit down to eat their lunch. Children's awareness of good manners and healthy practices were not promoted. This led to some children coughing over food being served. Staff were not quick to respond when they realised a child had spilt their drink on themselves, leaving the child sat in wet clothing for a time. Children have some opportunities to develop their independence with praise and encouragement. For instance, pre-school children are encouraged to put their coats and shoes on by themselves.

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need to do better?

n Staff monitor children's learning appropriately and understand what they want the children to learn. They provide some suitable activities to support children's learning and development. This helps children make appropriate progress. However, teaching is not sufficiently purposeful to ensure children's learning is extended and challenged, to help them make more progress. For example, at times, staff do not build on children's developing vocabulary to help them learn more words or support children's personal development well enough. On occasions, staff do not model language well enough to children. n Staff work well with parents. They gain information from parents to help and support them to understand children's care and learning needs on entry to the setting. This helps staff to assess what children know and can do already. Staff involve parents in planning for their children. They ask parents what their child's

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need to do better?

interests are at home and what they would like their children to learn. Parents are happy about the service offered by the nursery. They comment positively about their children's experiences, including their transitions between each age groups and on to school. n Children's individual backgrounds are acknowledged appropriately. The nursery

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need to do better?

2 December 2021 finds out information to help them in valuing each child as an individual, such as children who speak English as an additional language. Staff use and repeat some key words to support those children and have books in dual languages. n Children are supported to listen to adults and their peers and respond appropriately. There is a respectful culture throughout the nursery. However, children are not consistently supported by staff to manage their own feelings and behaviour. For instance, at times, older toddlers find it difficult to share and staff do not consistently support them. Pre-school children learn to take turns and share with their peers. For example, children in the garden shared the ribbons and took turns. n There is a well-established key-person system in place. Staff know children well. When children are unsettled, staff provide comfort to calm them, helping them feel safe and secure. Babies are nurtured by staff in a calm environment, which

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need to do better?

meets their needs sensitively and in a stimulating and responsive manner. For example, babies were soothed by staff gently rocking them and singing to them. n At times, staff do not effectively carry out their roles and responsibilities. For example, the older toddlers' lunchtime became a little chaotic and children's behaviour and personal care needs were not met well enough, due to staff not being organised effectively. Staff report that they feel supported. They have annual appraisals, inductions and supervisions. However, leaders do not always implement these consistently to identify areas for staff's professional development to ensure staff practice is raised to a consistently good level. n The nursery environment is welcoming and inviting. Children have access to a good range of toys and resources. Funding has been used to purchase resources to support the development of children's emotions. Children used these

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need to do better?

resources to talk about emotions and feelings when making a stick man. In each area of the nursery, children have a quiet calm space where they can rest and relax. This includes comfortable rug areas and tents with cushions.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The leaders and staff have a comprehensive understanding of safeguarding. They are fully aware of their safeguarding responsibilities to protect children's welfare and keep them safe. Staff understand the processes to report any concerns about children's welfare or other staff's behaviour. Leaders know where to seek advice from and who to make referrals to, if required. They discuss children's welfare with staff, including areas relating to wider safeguarding matters. This helps to keep staff constantly aware of the importance of safeguarding. Leaders and staff complete a range of safeguarding training. In addition, during staff meetings, safeguarding scenarios and discussions take place. These measures help keep staff updated with safeguarding practice.

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Due date

ensure staff understand and implement the curriculum learning intentions to support children's personal, social and emotional development, including supporting their behaviour and personal care needs, to help children gain the skills they need for the future. 02/03/2022

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should:

n develop the monitoring of the quality of education, to ensure children experience consistently good learning and interactions, to help them make good or better progress n build on the supervision process to identify and support all staff's professional development needs, including apprentices, to enable them to understand and carry out their roles and responsibilities to a good or better level.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 509572 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 10108518 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 100 Number of children on roll 144 Name of registered person Play Away Day Nurseries Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 023 80466563 Date of previous inspection 11 April 2013

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Information about this early years setting

Play Away Day Nurseries Ltd is one of three privately owned nurseries. It opened in 1997 and operates from a large site, consisting of three houses, in the West End area of Southampton. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6pm, all year round. The nursery receives funding for free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The nursery employs 23 members of staff, most of whom hold early years qualifications at either level 2 or 3. One member of staff has qualified teacher status.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 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 manager took the inspector on a learning walk of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n Discussions and meetings were held with the managers and staff during the inspection. n The inspector gained some views from parents about the nursery. n Children talked to the inspector about their interests and activities. n The inspector carried out joint observations with the qualified teacher and the manager. n The inspector observed the quality of the education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning.

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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

2 December 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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