Little Pumpkins Nursery Ltd

Inspection of Little Pumpkins Nursery Ltd 2-4 Crowther Road, LONDON SE25 5QW

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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 Good

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The provision is inadequate

Children's safety and well-being are compromised at this nursery. Leaders consistently fail to meet statutory adult-to-child ratio requirements. As a result, staff cannot always supervise children effectively and the environment becomes chaotic. For instance, children climb on the furniture and argue with their peers. This has a particular impact on children who need additional support with their learning to interact and engage. Although staff try to address children's behaviour as incidents arise, they are not able to due to the lack of staff.

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The provision is inadequate

Leaders have failed to ensure that they met the required child-to-staff ratio to meet statutory qualification requirements. Recently appointed staff take on key-person responsibilities without fully understanding the role. This is challenging for staff who lack the qualification and experience required to meet children's needs. Staff cannot effectively monitor children to help them manage their behaviour and support them to have a positive attitude to their learning. That said, staff try their best in difficult circumstances. They treat children with kindness and compassion. Staff play alongside children, encourage conversation and praise their efforts.

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The provision is inadequate

Children are confident and independent. They enjoy climbing and exploring in the outside space. This helps to develop their physical skills. The manager does not ensure that all children receive high-quality learning opportunities. Consequently, staff are not able to provide an ambitious curriculum. When staff do plan activities based on children's individual needs, children enjoy these. All children, including those who need additional support, do not make the progress they are capable of, due to the weakness in planning and behaviour management.

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need to do better?

n On the day of the inspection, most of the adults working with children did not hold a recognised childcare qualification. Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that they meet staff-to-child ratio requirements. This has an impact on staff's ability to keep children safe and meet their individual needs. Leaders have redeployed staff to other branches, leaving this setting without enough qualified staff to meet children's needs or legal requirements. This hinders the manager's ability to deliver high-quality, inclusive education. The failure to meet legal requirements has an impact on children's safety and well-being. n Overall, children enjoy playing together. For example, children work together to create mixtures using a range of ingredients at the 'potions station'. They talk about how herbs smell and they use different scoops and bowls to add to the mix. However, due to weaknesses in teaching, not all children benefit from

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need to do better?

targeted support. Staff do not have the knowledge and skills required to implement an effective and challenging curriculum. This does not support

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need to do better?

31 October 2023 children, including those who need additional support, to make good progress in their learning. n The youngest children receive plenty of affection. Staff working with babies are passionate about their roles. Babies enjoy songs and rhymes throughout the day and staff chat to them with animated expressions. This helps babies to build an affectionate bond with the staff who care for them. Staff caring for the youngest children have not received any training that specifically addresses the care of babies. However, they create a calm, stimulating environment which helps babies to settle. n In some areas of the setting, the disorderly environment and lack of staff available to support children mean children's behaviour and attitude to learning are poor. For example, when some children are climbing furniture or running around indoors, it affects other children who cannot concentrate. Some children,

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need to do better?

particularly those who are new to the setting or those who need additional support, become unhappy when their peers become very noisy. This has an impact on their ability to engage with the curriculum. n Leaders have developed a healthy, balanced menu which provides a range of options to accommodate allergies and dietary preferences. Children enjoy their meals and they eat well. However, staff responsible for preparing and handling food have not received training in food hygiene and managing food allergies. Furthermore, staff cannot always monitor children effectively at mealtimes, as ratio requirements are not met. While staff are clearing away plates, children eat food directly from the table. This affects children's welfare, social development and their understanding of how to keep themselves safe. n The manager does not follow procedures thoroughly when gaining the required written permission from parents to administer medicine. This is a breach of

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need to do better?

requirements and significantly compromises children's health and safety. n The systems for staff induction and ongoing supervision are not effective. Induction arrangements do not ensure that staff understand their roles and responsibilities. Supervision arrangements do not ensure staff get time to discuss how to address concerns about specific children. Supervision does not address weaknesses in teaching or provide opportunities for staff to develop through focused training. As a result, staff do not improve their teaching ability. n Staff regularly update the electronic communication tools they use to inform parents about their child's routine during the day. Parents share information and comment on activities in the same way. The manager invites parents to face-to- face meetings and staff complete a health and development review when children are aged between two and three years. This helps keep parents up to

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need to do better?

date about their child's learning and development. n Leaders do not evaluate or monitor the provision effectively to keep children safe and promote their interests. They do not take prompt action to address identified areas of concern, such as checking that staff ratios and qualification requirements are met. During the inspection, senior leaders demonstrated they are aware of the issues although they have not addressed the weaknesses to ensure they are meeting requirements.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Children's safety and welfare are not prioritised. Overall, staff feel confident to raise any concerns they have about the welfare of a child with the manager or local agencies responsible for child protection. However, staff knowledge of safeguarding is limited. For example, not all staff, including those with a lead responsibility for safeguarding, have an understanding of the 'Prevent' duty or female genital mutilation. Staff cannot adequately supervise children due to the failure to meet ratio requirements, which compromises children's safety and emotional well-being. The manager does not ensure procedures for the administration of medication and safe food preparation are followed to promote children's health and well-being.

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Due date

ensure the statutory requirements for staff qualification and adult-to-child ratios are consistently met to promote children's safety, learning and well-being 30/11/2023

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Due date

implement a broad curriculum which considers the individual needs, interests and development of each child, including children who need additional support, and ensure staff can implement it effectively 30/11/2023

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Due date

ensure that staff with key-person responsibilities fully understand the role and can tailor learning and care to meet children's individual needs 30/11/2023

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Due date

provide appropriate training and professional development opportunities for all staff to ensure they offer quality learning and development experiences for children that continually improve 30/11/2023

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Due date

31 October 2023 ensure that all staff receive child protection training and have up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding issues, including the 'Prevent' duty, and how to identify and report safeguarding concerns 30/11/2023

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Due date

ensure induction and supervision arrangements are robust and provide effective support, coaching and training for practitioners that promote the interests of children 30/11/2023

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Due date

ensure staff responsible for preparing and handling food are competent to do so and have received training in food hygiene and managing food allergies 30/11/2023

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Due date

obtain written permission from parents before administering medication and keep a written record each time a medicine is administered. 30/11/2023

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY468690 Local authority Croydon Inspection number 10313776 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 72 Number of children on roll 58 Name of registered person Little Pumpkins Nursery Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 020865652517 Date of previous inspection 20 February 2020

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Information about this early years setting

Little Pumpkins Nursery Ltd registered in 2013 and is located in South Norwood, in the London Borough of Croydon. The nursery is open Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 6pm for 51 weeks of the year, except for bank holidays. There are 11 staff, including the manager, four of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. This includes three who hold a level 3 qualification in childcare and one who holds a level 2 qualification in childcare. The nursery receives funding for free early years education for children aged two, three and four years.

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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 provider. 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 spoke with the nominated individual about the leadership and management of the setting. 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 inspector carried out a joint observation of a group activity with the manager and discussed their reflections. 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 October 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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