Lullabies

Inspection of Lullabies c/o Palmarsh Primary School, St George's Place, Hythe, Kent CT21 6NE

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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

p.1

The provision is inadequate

Leaders and managers do not identify risks and hazards posed to children when on the premises. Procedures for checking staff suitability are not robust enough, and there are gaps in staff's safeguarding knowledge. This compromises children's safety.

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The provision is inadequate

Although there are breaches of requirements, children come in happily. They chat to familiar adults and know the routines. Staff encourage them to help set up for lunchtime, gathering chairs and cleaning the tables. Older children enjoy exploring outside, climbing on the wooden play equipment together. Staff support younger children to join in with a story recalling different characters. They help babies to play with favourite toys. However, there are times when staff do not successfully engage all children. They do not match activities precisely enough to what children need to learn next. At times, information is not shared with other staff so they can support children's next steps. Despite this, children generally demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. They enjoy joining in with songs, rhymes and stories. This supports their listening and communication skills.

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need to do better?

n Leaders and managers have not ensured a safe environment for children. Unsuitable items such as garden machinery, medicines and sprays are left within children's reach. Risk assessments are not in place to identify and minimise these hazards. In addition, leaders fail to ensure that emergency evacuation procedures are robust and understood by staff. This does not support children's safety. n Leaders and managers do not have a robust knowledge of safe recruitment procedures. For example, they fail to check the reason for gaps in employment or long absences from work. Staff do not benefit from regular supervision with managers to identify gaps in practice and develop their knowledge and skills. Consequently, managers are not aware that some staff have gaps in their knowledge of how to report safeguarding concerns. Those staff working with the youngest children have not had appropriate training in the care of babies.

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need to do better?

Although babies are offered cuddles and comfort, when they become upset, some staff are unsure how to support them. n Staff praise and encourage children. They celebrate children's achievements and display children's 'wow' moments for others to see. However, information is not shared effectively enough between staff to ensure all those looking after children know how to support their learning. This does not help them make the best possible progress. n Older children develop independence skills. They help themselves at lunchtime and go to the toilet independently. However, at times, staff do things for

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need to do better?

28 September 2023 children that they are capable of doing for themselves, such as wiping their own noses and writing their own names. This means that children do not consistently do things for themselves to develop their independence skills. n Children benefit from activities that support their language development. They enjoy exploring coloured rice with large tweezers outside, talking about what they find. They enjoy joining in with rhymes. This supports their listening skills. However, staff are not confident to explain how activities link to children's individual next steps. This means that they do not always know how to support them to make the most progress. n Leaders and managers are passionate about supporting local families. For example, they collect donations for the local food bank and signpost families for support. They have positive partnerships with local schools. They take children to the on-site school farm. This supports children's understanding of the wider

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need to do better?

world. Leaders and managers have ambitious plans for the future. They want to develop an allotment so that children can grow their own fruits and vegetables. n Parents talk highly of the setting. Parents appreciate the welcoming and friendly staff and talk of the setting as being like a family. They say that the setting supports them to help their children at home. They say that their children have developed confidence, independence and skills for school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Leaders and managers do not adequately risk assess the environment to ensure it is safe for children. They do not complete robust enough checks where there are gaps in staff's employment history. They have not ensured they have up-to-date safer recruitment knowledge. Staff are not sure of the processes for reporting safeguarding concerns. This does not ensure children's welfare. Leaders and managers have not ensured that staff know how to evacuate the building safely in the event of a fire. However, staff can identify signs and symptoms of abuse and talk about what would concern them. They have effective procedures in place for the checking of sleeping babies.

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Due date

ensure robust risk assessments are in place to identify and minimise any risks or hazards to children 31/10/2023

p.3

Due date

28 September 2023 put in place effective systems to ensure staff working with children are suitable to do so 31/10/2023

p.3

Due date

ensure those staff working with the youngest children have completed appropriate training specific to the needs of babies 31/10/2023

p.4

Due date

put in place regular supervision opportunities for staff to enable leaders and managers to monitor staff's practice, knowledge and skills 31/10/2023

p.4

Due date

improve staff's knowledge of the processes for reporting child protection concerns, including the role of the designated safeguarding lead 31/10/2023

p.4

Due date

ensure an emergency evacuation procedure is in place and that staff know how to evacuate children safely from the building and where to go 31/10/2023

p.4

Due date

ensure staff share information about children, including their next steps and gaps in learning, so that they can match activities precisely to what children need to learn next. 31/10/2023

p.4

should:

n support staff to recognise when children can do things for themselves to support further their independence skills.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY428701 Local authority Kent Inspection number 10311486 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 63 Number of children on roll 63 Name of registered person Wells, Elizabeth Anne

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reference number

Telephone number 01303260303 07724736574 Date of previous inspection 23 March 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Lullabies registered in 2011 and is located in the grounds of Palmarsh Primary School, in Hythe, Kent. The nursery is open each weekday, from 8am to 6pm, for 50 weeks of the year. The provider is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are 13 members of staff, 11 of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications from level 2 to level 6.

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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 viewed the provision and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. n The deputy manager, manager and inspector completed a learning walk of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation during lunchtime.

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Inspection activities

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. n The childminder 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

28 September 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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