Unicorn Nursery

Inspection of Unicorn Nursery Day Care Centre, Leeds Road, CASTLEFORD, West Yorkshire WF10 5HA

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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's care and learning needs are not fully met in the room for two- to four- year-olds, in particular for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff do not provide age-appropriate and consistent strategies to help all children learn how to behave. Some children show a lack of respect towards the environment and each other. Too often, staff do not notice negative incidents that happen. Examples include children throwing toys, upending an adult chair, and accidently or deliberately pushing and smacking peers. Such actions place children and others at risk, especially during mealtimes and outdoor play. Children do not learn how to manage their feelings, and some become easily upset, withdrawn or frustrated. Staff do not recognise that the room is loud, chaotic and not helpful to children's learning. This has an impact on children's learning potential. However, staff have established positive relationships with most children,

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The provision is inadequate

who are happy to see them on their arrival.

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The provision is inadequate

The quality of care for children in the under-twos' room stands out as a strength of the nursery. Babies and children particularly enjoy their time as they play and learn in a warm and welcoming environment, with kind and compassionate staff. Staff know how younger children learn, and they provide activities across all areas of learning. They provide toys, equipment and resources in an attractive way that sparks babies' and children's interests. The attentive staff recognise when children need help, comfort or reassurance, and act swiftly to meet their needs.

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need to do better?

n The manager and staff identify children who may need additional support, including those with SEND. However, they do not provide these children with enough attention or appropriate strategies to help them access the curriculum. Staff responsible for supporting applications for additional funding do so without the urgency required. Communication training, offered to staff at the setting, has not been accepted. This has a negative effect on children's emotional well- being and fails to support communication and language development. n Staff meet the needs of babies and children to rest and sleep through flexible child-centred routines. However, the provider and staff do not have up-to-date knowledge of the most current requirements for promoting safer sleep. At inspection, one member of staff took nine two- to three-year-olds into the small sensory room to sleep on plastic mats. Some children had to share, and there

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need to do better?

were no sheets on which to lay their head. The room was very cramped, with the door closed. This means that the room was very hot and not an appropriate sleep area. n During the inspection, children were not adequately supervised. Although staff were always present in the large two- to four-year-olds' room, the garden area

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need to do better?

7 July 2022 and during mealtimes, they were often unaware of children's individual needs and incidents of negative behaviour. Staff did not sit at the table with children. The noise levels during mealtimes were so high that they could not hear when children were upset or needed help or reassurance. This does not support the safety and well-being of children. n The inspector observed poor hygiene practices in the two- to four-year-olds' room, throughout the inspection. This included children playing with shared equipment while constantly wiping their own runny noses on their hands, and coughing over others, without covering their mouths. Additionally, several children repeatedly touched pieces of crumpet on a serving plate, some putting it in their mouths and then putting it back on the plate. Children swapped cups, from which they had been drinking, with other children. They dropped cutlery and dummies on the floor and used them again. Children were given individual

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need to do better?

flannels to clean their hands and faces. They wiped the table, then their faces. Children licked food from the table. Tables used for mealtimes have broken surfaces that harbour germs. Staff present did not notice these incidents, and the inspector heard limited discussions with children about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, healthy diet or oral health. This does not promote the good health of children. n The provider has not addressed the stark difference in the quality of care and education between the two rooms that provide children's care. They have not improved staff practice in the two- to four-year-olds' room, despite being notified of weaknesses by the county childcare development officer. The quality of education in this room has not been maintained at a good level. This puts pressure on the staff team and overstretches room leaders. Although staff are suitably qualified and caring, some do not adapt their interactions to meet the

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need to do better?

needs of children in this room, including those with SEND. This means children are not making the progress of which they are capable. n Parents have been unable to enter the nursery since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and they say good-bye to their children in reception. They comment positively about the care their children receive, including those whose children need extra support. They say they value the photos and information that staff share about their children's learning.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

The provider has ensured that all staff have an up-to-date suitability check and continue to be safe to work with children. Staff have a good awareness of the indicators which can suggest children are at risk of abuse. They know what to do in the event of a child protection concern. They are aware of safeguarding issues, such as children being exposed to extreme behaviours and exploitation. However, children's health and well-being are at risk because some of the safeguarding and welfare requirements are not met. Staff do not ensure that children's behaviour, health and hygiene management are consistently high. They do not consistently teach children how to keep safe and healthy, to fully extend their understanding.

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Due date

put in place effective procedures for supporting children with SEND, to ensure that timely interventions are made to obtain additional funding, to help them make progress in their learning 11/08/2022

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Due date

ensure that children's behaviour is managed appropriately in the two- to four-year-olds' room 11/08/2022

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Due date

gain a knowledge of the most recent sleep safety requirements guidelines and ensure practice with children aged two to four years reflects this, to fully promote their safe sleep 11/08/2022

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Due date

ensure staff are deployed and communicate more effectively so that all children are supervised and monitored more closely during their play, with particular regard to the safety and support of children with SEND 11/08/2022

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Due date

improve staff's understanding of how to support the two- to four-year-old children's health and self-care development effectively 11/08/2022

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Due date

put in place robust procedures for supervision, coaching and mentoring to raise the overall quality of education in the two- to four-year-olds' room to a consistently good level 11/08/2022

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Due date

support the two- to four-year-old children's communication and language development by minimising the use of dummies and reducing background noise and distractions in the environment 11/08/2022

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Due date

ensure all activities in the two- to four- year-olds' room are pitched at the right level, building on what they know and can do, to help children to make the best possible progress. 11/08/2022

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY537722 Local authority Wakefield Inspection number 10246525 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 60 Number of children on roll 95 Name of registered person Ladybird Daycare Limited

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Telephone number

Date of previous inspection 17 October 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Unicorn Nursery registered in 2016 and is situated in Castleford, Wakefield. The nursery employs 13 members of childcare staff. Of these, 10 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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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 We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. n The inspector observed the quality of education provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. She carried out a joint observation with the manager. n The inspector spoke to staff, parents and children at appropriate times during the inspection and considered their views. n The special educational needs coordinator spoke to the inspector about how they support children with SEND. n The inspector spoke to the nominated individual about the leadership and management of the setting. n The inspector held discussions with the county team manager of the SEN service

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Inspection activities

and a childcare development officer, and took account of their views.

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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

7 July 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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