The Old Station Nursery - Pershore

Inspection of Polkadot Childcare Coventry House, Station Road, PERSHORE, Worcestershire WR10 2DB

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good 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 well-being are not assured. Staff do not supervise children adequately in the pre-school room or know where children are at all times. Consequently, children are not safeguarded well enough.

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The provision is inadequate

Nevertheless, children show a real interest in what is provided. For example, pre- school children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), show high levels of engagement as they observe the real caterpillars. Children recall words, such as 'enormous', 'cocoon' and 'chrysalis', and confidently talk about what the caterpillars need to help them grow. Children are active and move around deciding what do. For example, a group of children solve problems as they learn how to make giant bubbles, and others consider how tea bags change when they are added to water. Children are keen to share their thoughts and enjoy using new vocabulary. They learn to negotiate as they vote for their favourite book. Children behave well and they show concern for others. However, they have few opportunities to learn about cultural diversity within the group and the wider community.

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The provision is inadequate

Children are imaginative and creative. For example, outdoors, toddlers are eager to make marks with water on the fencing and equipment, using their brushes and rollers. Equally, babies are confident as they crawl and move around their room investigating the rich range of experiences on offer. However, during a painting activity, staff caring for babies focus too heavily on teaching colours and counting rather than providing simple, age-appropriate language.

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need to do better?

n The senior leadership team carries out regular audits of the nursery, and the manager and staff carry out daily risk assessments. Despite this, the arrangements for supervising children in the pre-school room are inadequate. Staff allow children in the pre-school room to independently access and use the adjoining bathroom. However, staff deployment is ineffective during this time and does not ensure that children are in sight or hearing. This compromises children's safety. For example, on the day of the inspection, staff were unaware of a child who was upset in the bathroom and were unable to say how long they had been there. This poor practice not only puts children at risk but also compromises their emotional well-being. n The poor supervision of children impacts directly on their personal, social and emotional development. That said, the manager and staff clearly understand that play is essential to help promote children's development. They provide a

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need to do better?

rich range of activities to help children to develop their curiosity, and children immerse themselves in their play and learning. The educational programme is

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need to do better?

31 May 2022 devised around the changing seasons, children's interests and popular and traditional stories. This captures children's interest and motivates them to learn. n Staff know their assigned key children well, including their personalities and family circumstances. All children, including babies, have daily opportunities to play and extend their physical skills. Staff teach children about the importance of good oral hygiene. They creatively help the youngest children to understand why they must not bite each other and what their teeth should be used for. n The manager, on occasions, works alongside staff to cover staff absences and has a clear overview of the quality of teaching. Staff benefit from regular supervision sessions and training to keep their knowledge up to date. However, the manager does not regularly observe individual staff's practice to identify precisely how they can raise the quality of their teaching even further. For

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need to do better?

example, on occasions, staff working with the younger children focus on counting and colours rather than using a rich range of language during their interactions. n Staff work closely with parents and share information with them about their child's learning and development. Staff observe children daily to find out what they enjoy and regularly assess their progress. They swiftly identify any children who need additional support, including those with SEND. Staff work closely with these children to help them get involved and make the most of what is on offer. This inclusive approach helps children to close gaps and make progress over time. n The programme for understanding of the world is extremely strong in some aspects. Staff provide a rich range of experiences for children to learn about living things and life cycles. For example, children care for vegetables and flowers they have planted and consider what they need to help them grow.

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need to do better?

Children are supported well to learn about themselves and their families. However, staff plan fewer opportunities for children to learn about their differences and about communities beyond their own experience.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

The leaders and manager have failed to recognise the risks associated with the pre-school children not being in sight or hearing of staff when they independently use the bathroom. This poor practice of not supervising children and knowing where they are seriously compromises their welfare. Despite this, all staff are trained in child protection issues and have a secure knowledge of the signs of abuse and the procedures to follow if they have a concern. There are robust recruitment, vetting and induction procedures in place to ensure all staff are suitable. Staff support children to use scissors and play equipment safely, and teach them about road safety.

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Due date

improve the deployment of staff to ensure children are safe and always in sight or hearing of staff when using the pre-school bathroom. 01/06/2022

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should:

n focus more precisely on professional development opportunities to help staff caring for the youngest children to consistently provide a rich range of age- appropriate language during their interactions n provide even more opportunities for children to learn about diversity and communities beyond their own experience.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2531684 Local authority Worcestershire Inspection number 10215121 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 90 Number of children on roll 59 Name of registered person Polkadot Day Nurseries Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 07813898939 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Polkadot Childcare registered in 2019. 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. It employs 12 members of childcare staff. Of these, one holds a qualification at level 6, one holds a qualification at level 5, three hold a qualification at level 3, four hold a qualification at level 2, and three are unqualified.

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Inspection activities

n This is the first inspection the nursery received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the manager and has taken that into account in the evaluation of the nursery. n The inspector and the manager completed a learning walk together to check the safety of the premises and to gather information about the experiences provided. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities and assessed the impact that this has on children's learning. n The inspector carried out two joint observations with the manager. n The inspector held a meeting with the manager and members of the leadership team. She looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery. n The inspector took into account the views of parents.

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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

31 May 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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