Little Gems

Inspection of Little Gems Brickfield Industrial Estate, Gillingham, Dorset SP8 4LT

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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 Good

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The provision is inadequate

Children are settled and happy. However, their safety and well-being are compromised, as staff do not follow the correct procedures to safeguard children effectively.

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The provision is inadequate

Children arrive confidently and enjoy their time at nursery, playing with the varied resources and getting involved in a suitable range of activities. For example, older children take part in a cutting and painting activity based on some children's interest in the World Cup. Babies enjoy exploring the ball pit and playing with the easily accessible toys. Children build friendships and interact well with staff. There is lots of conversation, and children develop strong communication and social skills. Staff have provided a communication friendly space in the toddler room, where children sit and chat with their friends. Children learn about taking turns and using 'kind hands' and 'walking feet'. However, staff do not help older children to regulate their behaviour effectively. This results in some children being noisy and boisterous.

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The provision is inadequate

Generally, staff know children well and recognise their interests and what they need to do next. However, they do not fully understand the new planning system put in place by the manager. They are not skilled at recognising learning opportunities and extending children's learning. They do not support children to make as much progress as possible.

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need to do better?

n Children show care and respect for others. Older children put a protective arm around babies, and all children interact well with one another. Staff remind children of the rules for behaviour. However, they do not always tackle the behaviour of some children in the pre-school room who raise their voices and sometimes run about with no purpose. This does not help the children learn to regulate their behaviour or ensure a calm learning environment where others can focus on activities. n Staff know the children well overall, and key persons can describe the next steps their designated children need to take in their learning. Staff working with babies build close relationships with them and support them well. However, those working with the other children fail to recognise opportunities to extend their learning. Consequently, some teaching practice is weak. For example, sometimes staff do not consider whether children are capable of completing a

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need to do better?

planned activity successfully. This means that, although they enjoy parts of the activity, most of them cannot succeed. The manager has introduced new planning, but staff are not skilled at recognising, and building on, learning opportunities. In the toddler room, children play with little purpose during free

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need to do better?

21 November 2022 play and with minimal support from staff, other than some general conversation. n Children are strong communicators. There is a lot of conversation throughout the day, and many children speak articulately and with confidence. Staff engage babies in making sounds and echo these back to them to encourage early communication skills. Staff in the baby and toddler rooms use some basic signing to support children's communication. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) assesses children's language development and puts additional support in place as required. n Children develop independence as they move up through the nursery. Babies learn to clean their own faces after eating, and older children fetch their lunchboxes and drinks by themselves. Children are confident, moving around independently and choosing what to play with. They do not display any anxiety about the presence of a visitor, and several are quick to show them toys and

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need to do better?

engage in conversation. n Staff work closely with parents to help children settle. Parents report that their children enjoy attending and are making progress. However, the sharing of important information with parents is weak. Staff have failed to inform parents of a significant incident involving their child. This shows a poor understanding of serious safeguarding issues and what actions to take in such an event. n Leadership and management is weak. The deputy manager and staff failed to follow safeguarding procedures after a significant incident where a child left the premises unsupervised. They also failed to inform the manager of what had happened, so she was unable to take appropriate action. The manager recognises that she has not carried out supervision meetings with staff or completed observations of their practice for some time. She is aware that this has resulted in weak practice. She is also aware that staff have struggled to

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need to do better?

implement the planning system she wants them to use and has begun work to provide them with further support.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff complete training and understand the possible signs and symptoms that may suggest a child is at risk of harm. However, they did not recognise the significance of a child being able to leave the setting unsupervised and failed to take any action following this incident. This compromises children's safety and puts them at risk of harm. Staff discuss how to use resources safely with the children and explain, for example, why it is not safe to use the rocking horse too close to others. Staff now regularly check that the external gates are padlocked to ensure that the premises are safe and secure.

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Due date

ensure a strong safeguarding culture across the nursery and that all staff follow safeguarding procedures to protect children 22/12/2022

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Due date

ensure that parents are informed of any significant incidents involving their child 22/12/2022

p.4

Due date

ensure that staff practice is monitored and effective coaching put in place to improve the quality of practice and teaching across the nursery 17/01/2023

p.4

Due date

ensure that staff understand how to plan for and extend children's learning to help them make more progress 17/01/2023

p.4

Due date

ensure that staff manage older children's behaviour more effectively to reduce noise levels and provide a calmer learning environment. 17/01/2023

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY547022 Local authority Dorset Inspection number 10262596 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 42 Number of children on roll 67 Name of registered person Tobin, Gemma

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reference number

Telephone number 01747 837869 Date of previous inspection 3 April 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Little Gems registered in 2017. This privately owned nursery is situated in Gillingham, Dorset. The setting opens Monday to Friday, from 8am until 5.30pm, all year round. The nursery receives funding to provide free early years education for children aged two, three and four years. There are 17 staff. Of these, two have qualifications at level 6, one has a qualification at level 4, 10 have qualifications at level 3 and three have qualifications at level 2.

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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 owner/manager and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n Children communicated with the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector spoke with the owner/manager about the leadership and management of the setting. n The SENCo spoke to the inspector about how they support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and

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Inspection activities

outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The inspector carried out a joint observation of a group activity with the owner/manager. n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.

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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

21 November 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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