Croft Day Nursery Bexleyheath

Inspection of Croft Day Nursery Bexleyheath The Upton Centre, 14 Upton Road, Bexleyheath DA6 8LQ

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Inadequate Leadership and management Inadequate Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not applicable

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The provision is inadequate

Children in the pre-school room do not benefit from a well-sequenced and ambitious curriculum to help prepare them for their next stage in learning. Some of the children in the room wander around, move between activities and do not fully engage in meaningful learning. In addition, those children who have been identified as having special educational needs and/or disabilities sometimes do not receive the right support throughout the day to help them make better progress.

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The provision is inadequate

Despite these weaknesses, the curriculum intent is implemented well in the other rooms. Children feel happy and content in the nursery. Babies display good emotional development as they go to familiar adults for cuddles of reassurance. They are very curious and explore their surroundings with confidence. For example, they focus intently as they touch, feel and explore different textures, such as shredded paper and mud. They use their acquired knowledge well to climb play equipment and navigate around obstacle courses, both indoors and outside. Two- year-old children display high levels of independence when using cutlery during mealtimes.

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The provision is inadequate

Children are sociable and have formed strong friendships in the nursery. They learn the expected behavioural boundaries and staff continually support and praise children who are learning to share and take turns.

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need to do better?

n The leadership team has identified some aspects of improvement but this is not yet fully implemented. The manager does not have a secure knowledge and understanding of some child protection procedures. In addition, some unqualified staff do not fully understand their roles and responsibilities. They are unclear about their duty to safeguard children who may be at risk of extremist views and behaviour. This means that some staff may not be able to identify and act appropriately when there are concerns about a child's welfare. n Recruitment and induction processes are weak. The provider fails to follow robust procedures to assess the suitability of staff working with children. Some staff have not gone through any vetting checks to determine if they are suitable or not. However, they are not left unsupervised. The provider does not ensure that newly recruited staff are inducted appropriately to carry out their duties and

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need to do better?

responsibilities. Some new staff do not know what the children's individual needs are and how to fully support them. These weaknesses do not fully support children's welfare. n Staffing arrangements do not meet the needs of children, particularly in the pre- school room. At times, there are not enough staff in the pre-school room to support children's learning and meet their individual needs. Due to the lack of

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need to do better?

26 April 2022 sufficient staff in the room, some negative behaviours are not noticed by staff. Some staff working in the room do not know what the children need to learn and why. Children who need extra support with their learning are often left alone. This means that not all children make the progress that they are capable of. n Children who speak English as an additional language are not supported well enough and fully represented in the nursery. Some staff do not have detailed knowledge of what languages children are exposed to at home to help them plan for their learning. In addition, those who are aware of this do not provide enough opportunities for children to hear and use their home language at the nursery. Children's diverse backgrounds are not celebrated to help them feel confident and proud of who they are. n Staff are caring and have developed trusting relationships with the children. Staff teach older children to understand different emotions, such as how to

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need to do better?

manage difficult situations appropriately. In addition, staff offer regular praise and encouragement throughout the day to help boost children's self-esteem. This builds successfully on children's confidence and independence. Generally, most children behave well for their age. n Partnerships with parents are effective, overall. Staff use the online system and face-to-face communication well to keep parents informed about children's care and learning. In addition, parents are kept up to date with staff changes and other welfare matters through regular emails. n Staff implement the curriculum intent for physical development well. They encourage babies to move around, crawl and practise walking in the safe learning environment. Children enjoy taking age-appropriate risks in their play. They competently ride bicycles and climb play equipment in the large garden. In addition, children are provided with healthy meals and staff extend their

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need to do better?

understanding of healthy eating through discussions and role play activities.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

The manager and some staff do not have a secure understanding of the nursery's safeguarding policy. For instance, the manager does not understand the correct procedures to follow in the event of an allegation being made against a staff member. Some staff do not know how to raise concerns outside the nursery. The provider does not ensure that all staff working directly with children are suitable to fulfil their roles and responsibilities. Some staff working in the nursery have not had any Disclosure and Barring Service checks done, neither do they have any references in place. These weaknesses compromise children's safety. Most staff are able to recognise the signs and symptoms that may indicate a child is at risk of harm and know how to raise their concerns. Staff ensure that the dietary needs of children are met. They risk assess the learning environment well and respond swiftly to any accidents that occur on the premises.

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Due date

ensure all staff and the nursery manager have a suitable understanding of the nursery's safeguarding policy, particularly the correct procedures to follow if there is an allegation against a staff member and the relevant agencies to report concerns to 22/09/2022

p.4

Due date

implement robust recruitment and induction processes to ensure that all staff working with children are suitable to fulfil their roles and responsibilities 22/09/2022

p.4

Due date

ensure all staff working with children understand their responsibilities under the 'Prevent' duty guidance 22/09/2022

p.4

Due date

ensure that the staffing arrangements across the entire nursery meet the needs of all children, particularly in the pre- school room 22/09/2022

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Due date

provide an inclusive curriculum that takes into account children's individual backgrounds and experiences, with stronger emphasis on those children who speak English as an additional language. 22/09/2022

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should:

n use self-evaluation effectively to identify and address areas to improve.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2634940 Local authority Bexley Inspection number 10230830 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 127 Number of children on roll 183 Name of registered person Oakhurst Guardian Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 02083046285 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Croft Day Nursery Bexleyheath registered in 2021. The nursery is located within the London Borough of Bexley. The nursery is open from 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday. There are 32 staff members who work at the nursery. Of these, 21 hold relevant childcare qualifications at level 2 and above. This includes the manager who holds a qualification at level 7. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education to children aged two, three and fours years.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the setting 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 setting. n Documents such as staff suitability and qualifications were viewed by the inspector. n A joint observation was conducted by the inspector and the manager, and discussions were held about children's learning. n The inspector spoke with parents, staff and children and took their views into account. n The inspector conducted a learning walk with the manager of the nursery. n The inspector observed staff's interaction with children and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider.

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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

26 April 2022 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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