Walmgate Day Nursery

Inspection of Walmgate Day Nursery Walmgate Day Nursery, 34 Walmgate, YORK YO1 9TJ

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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 Requires improvement

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The provision is inadequate

Children's safety and well-being cannot be assured due to weaknesses in practice. Staff do not follow procedures for children who have food allergies and intolerances rigorously enough. In addition, leaders and managers are unable to provide evidence that they have carried out checks on the suitability of some staff. Despite these areas of concern, children are generally happy and settled in the nursery. They are cared for by staff who know them well and are attentive to their needs. There are effective settling-in arrangements in place for children who are new to the nursery.

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The provision is inadequate

Children behave well. They receive regular praise for using good manners. Children learn to share and to take turns. Staff build positive relationships with children. They give children plenty of cuddles and reassurance if they become unsettled or feel unwell. Babies giggle with delight as staff encourage them to crawl through a tunnel. Toddlers confidently talk to staff as they engage in role-play activities. In the pre-school room, children develop their mathematical skills through skilful questioning as they make play dough shapes. However, children's play is not always purposeful, and many children spend too much time wandering around looking for something to do.

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need to do better?

n A range of new procedures to meet individual children's dietary needs have been developed following an incident earlier in the year. Staff freshly prepare nutritious meals, taking children's special requirements into account. However, on the day of inspection, a snack provided by staff in one of the rooms was not suitable for all children in the room. Although prompt action was taken when this was pointed out, children's health and well-being were compromised. n The provider carries out appropriate checks with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) on new staff members. However, the manager was unable to provide evidence that any other suitability checks have been carried out. This compromises children's safety. n Staff confidently describe the purpose of the activities they plan for children. However, they do not consistently match learning opportunities accurately enough to individual children's needs. For example, staff provide young children

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need to do better?

with colouring-in sheets even though they are not able to hold or control a pencil well enough. Children, who staff say need to engage more with other children, are not encouraged to join others in their play. n Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive effective interventions. Staff prepare support plans and share these with parents. Children's key persons provide dedicated time to focus on strategies recommended by professionals from other agencies, such as speech and

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need to do better?

31 May 2023 language therapy. They make appropriate use of any additional funding. As a result, children with SEND make progress. n Staff use a range of different questions to promote children's communication and language. They use songs and rhymes effectively in the baby room. At mealtimes, staff sit at the table and talk to children. However, staff focus their attention on more-confident children. This means that quieter children do not participate enough in group activities. When children play independently, less- confident children do not always benefit from interactions with staff. As a result, they spend too much time wandering around without purpose. n Staff support children to become increasingly independent as they progress through the nursery. Babies are encouraged to feed themselves. Pre-school children serve their own food. However, children have to wait too long at the table, which makes them restless.

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need to do better?

n Partnerships with parents are generally effective. Parents know about the key- person system. They welcome the detailed feedback they receive when they collect their children. However, staff do not always communicate to others in the most appropriate way, the information parents pass on to them, when they drop off their children. Children's learning is interrupted when staff pass on this information to other staff, and they do not consider whether it is appropriate to share the information in front of other children. n The manager has a clear understanding of what she wants children to learn. There is a clear emphasis on ensuring that children are equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to prepare them for the next stage in their learning. Currently, pre-school children are supported to be ready for their move on to school. n The manager is aware of the areas of improvement required within the nursery.

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need to do better?

There have been several recent changes to the staff team, and she is working hard to ensure that they understand their roles and responsibilities. The manager has welcomed support from the local authority.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Although the provider carries out checks from the DBS, they are unable to provide evidence of any other measures they have carried out to ensure the suitability of some staff. The provider has said that references have been checked for recent appointments, but there are no records of this. There are appropriate induction procedures in place, including ensuring that staff are familiar with the nursery's safeguarding policy and procedures. Staff can describe the indicators of a range of different forms of abuse, such as neglect and sexual abuse. They know what to do if they have any concerns about a child or about the conduct of a member of staff. Staff carry out effective risk assessment processes to make sure that the premises are safe and secure.

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Due date

ensure that procedures to manage children's special dietary requirements are understood and implemented by all staff 30/06/2023

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Due date

improve staff's delivery of the curriculum, so that they focus more closely on individual children's learning needs to enable all children to make effective progress 16/06/2023

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Due date

make sure that effective procedures are put in place to demonstrate that checks have been carried out to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children. 16/06/2023

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should:

n support staff to improve the engagement of quieter children in purposeful play and learning, during group activities and free play n improve mealtime routines to maximise learning opportunities and reduce the amount of time children need to wait for their food n improve the sharing of information between staff and parents, so that this is done in a timely but appropriate way.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2697150 Local authority York Inspection number 10293615 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 42 Number of children on roll 62 Name of registered person Walmgate Day Nursery Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01904 733833 Date of previous inspection 10 January 2023

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Information about this early years setting

Walmgate Day Nursery re-registered in 2022 and is located in York. The nursery employs 15 members of childcare staff. Of these, 12 members of staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above. The manager has a degree in Early Childhood Studies. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round, except for a week at Christmas and bank holidays. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the nursery. n We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. n The manager and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n The inspector observed the interactions between staff and children. n Children communicated with the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector spoke to parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The manager provided the inspector with a sample of key documentation on request.

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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 2023 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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