Victoria House Day Nursery and Pre-School

Inspection of Victoria House Day Nursery and Pre-School Victoria Road, Marlow SL7 1DL

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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 Not applicable

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The provision is inadequate

Weaknesses in staff knowledge of children's needs mean that children's safety is compromised. The designated safeguarding lead (DSL) does not ensure that all staff have a secure understanding of the safeguarding procedures. This is a breach of requirements under the 'Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage'.

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The provision is inadequate

The key-person system is not effective. Managers have failed to ensure that each child has a designated key person that knows their child's individual health, education and dietary requirements. When staff leave, children are left for periods of time without an assigned member of staff. As such, young children are not forming secure emotional attachments to adults who are caring for them. Babies are often passed between staff. This impacts on children's settling in, effects their well-being, and their feeling of safety and security.

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The provision is inadequate

Although older children appear happy and engage with staff, they are not adequately stimulated. Staffing arrangements fail to meet children's needs or engage them in any meaningful learning. This impacts on the development and progress children are capable of making. Children generally behave well. Some toddlers show a good understanding of what is expected of them. However, due to ineffective staffing arrangements across the rooms, staff do not consistently teach children how to keep themselves safe and understand simple rules and boundaries.

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The provision is inadequate

The provider's curriculum does not meet the needs of the children. They are not provided with experiences or activities that successfully build on what they already know and can do. Some children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and children who speak English as an additional language (EAL), are not continuously provided with quality interactions or resources to support their learning and development. For example, children with significant developmental delay or additional communication and language needs do not have their plans shared with staff and these are not kept under review.

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need to do better?

n The provider does not have sufficient oversight and effective governance of the setting. There are a number of breaches to the early years foundation stage requirements. There are no systems in place to effectively monitor the quality of the teaching and learning. This results in children's learning and development not being accurately assessed and precisely planned for. Consequently, staff do not feel supported by leaders and managers and children's development and well-being are not sufficiently promoted.

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need to do better?

29 August 2023 n Managers do not provide a consistent level of support, coaching and mentoring for staff. The induction of staff and ongoing opportunities for their supervision are ineffective. This impacts on the staff having the knowledge and skills to fulfil their roles and responsibilities. n Staff are not provided with the information they require to meet the needs of their key children. For example, some staff are not provided with details of children's individual health, care and dietary needs. Some children have key persons that do not receive the support and training they need to promote children's learning and development. including those with SEND and EAL. n Managers fail to monitor risk assessments. For example, children are permitted to access the outdoor area before routine checks have been completed. Managers have not provided staff with the training and support to be able to understand and follow the setting's policies and procedures, such as daily safety

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need to do better?

checks and individual children's risk assessments and care plans. Children with allergies and dietary requirements are often cared for by staff that do not have a clear understanding of their needs. This does not sufficiently ensure children's safety and promote their well-being. n In general, staff interactions with children are warm and sensitive. They offer comfort and praise to children, in recognition for their efforts. For example, children are encouraged to be independent in wiping their hands and faces in the toddler room. They put their tissues in the bin and staff reward this with positive reinforcement. In addition, children are offered cuddles and supported to resolve their own conflicts when minor disputes occur. Children in the toddler room show that they understand that 'kind hands' and 'walking feet' are expected as part of the rules and standards of behaviour. n Staff with designated responsibilities, such as the special educational needs

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need to do better?

coordinator, do not effectively share children's plans with their key person. Children's plans are not kept under review and targets are not shared with parents and staff. Staff are not supported to understand how to adapt activities and ensure all children can access the curriculum. Children with SEND do not get the support they require and, consequently, do not make the progress they are capable of. n Managers do not ensure that staff review the progress of children aged two years. This is a statutory requirement. As such, children whose progress is less than expected are not being identified and do not receive targeted support in a timely manner. n There are weaknesses in the arrangements to work in partnership with parents. While parents value long standing members of staff, information sharing is not effective. They are not being kept up to date regarding their children's learning and development and recognise the impact this has in relation to the lack of

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need to do better?

progress that their children are making.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding knowledge is not secure across the nursery. The DSL has not fulfilled

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Safeguarding

29 August 2023 their role and responsibilities in ensuring that all staff have a secure understanding of their duties to protect children. Not all staff are confident about the areas of abuse. Some staff are not aware of the role of the local authority designated officer (LADO) and their duty to ensure that concerns about staff practice or allegations are reported in a timely manner. This does not adequately ensure children's welfare, as it cannot be assured that staff will follow the correct procedures when they have concerns. In addition, leaders and managers do not ensure that staff receive the supervision, training and support required for them to understand their roles and responsibilities, including receiving robust inductions which cover health and safety and emergency evacuation procedures. Leaders currently lack the oversight and governance of safeguarding and, there is a lack of accurate records

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Safeguarding

regarding the vetting and recruitment procedures completed to determine staff suitability.

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Due date

ensure that staff with designated lead for safeguarding, fully understand their responsibilities and the role of partner agencies, including LADO, to ensure that they are able to support colleagues to understand safeguarding issues and know to make appropriate referrals where required 08/09/2023

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Due date

implement systems for ensuring the ongoing suitability of staff and any other person who may have regular contact with children, ensuring that records are available for inspection 08/09/2023

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Due date

ensure that staff have appropriate qualifications, training, skills and knowledge to fulfil their roles and responsibilities, to meet the needs of children, including temporary staff 08/09/2023

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Due date

29 August 2023 implement effective systems for staff supervision, coaching, mentoring and training to improve staff knowledge of child development and the curriculum, to promote consistently good teaching and learning 08/09/2023

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Due date

develop an effective key-person system to ensure that all children, particularly babies and young children, have a consistent key person that helps meet their emotional and physical health needs 08/09/2023

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Due date

ensure that the premises, including the outdoor space, are clean and fit for purpose, including being compliant with health and safety legislation and hygiene requirements 08/09/2023

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Due date

implement effective systems to ensure that children and staff are not exposed to manageable risks, and ensure staff are supported to understand and follow measures in place to promote health and safety 08/09/2023

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Due date

implement effective arrangements to support children with SEND and ensure staff working directly with children are aware of plans and how to support individual children 08/09/2023

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Due date

ensure that children aged two years have their progress reviewed by practitioners in their prime areas of learning, identifying any areas where the child's progress is less than expected, and work in partnership with parents and other professionals as appropriate. 08/09/2023

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2696262 Local authority Buckinghamshire Inspection number 10303942 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 43 Number of children on roll 56 Name of registered person Little Garden Day Nurseries Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01908 211699 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Victoria House Day Nursery and Pre-School registered in August 2022 and is located in Marlow. The setting opens throughout most of the year from 7.30am until 6.30pm. The setting receives funding for children aged three and four years. The setting employees nine staff, four of these hold relevant early years qualifications at level 3 or above.

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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 deputy manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want their children to learn. n The inspector observed the interactions between staff and children. n The inspector carried out a joint observation of a group activity with the manager. n The inspector spoke to parents and received written feedback 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

29 August 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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