Scallywags Day Nursery

Inspection of Scallywags Day Nursery 48-54 Church Street, Bocking, Braintree, Essex CM7 5JY

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Inspection date: 16 November 2023 - 25 January 2024

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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

Weaknesses in leadership and management compromise children's welfare and good health. Since the previous visit, the provider has taken some steps to address the cleanliness of the nursery in the areas that children sit and play, for example, the carpets have been cleaned. However, risk assessments remain ineffective in identifying potential hazards in the environment so they can be removed or minimised.

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The provision is inadequate

Children do not receive the level of education to which they are entitled. Staff do not sufficiently focus on the skills each child needs to develop when planning activities. Younger children's individual needs are not met and children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are not sufficiently supported to move on to the next stage in their learning. Staff do not interact with children in a way that helps them to sustain in purposeful learning experiences or develop positive attitudes to learning. However, older children enjoy being physically active. They spend time jumping in the large puddles and enjoy re- enacting the story of 'We're going on a bear hunt' in the garden.

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The provision is inadequate

Children arrive happy and are ready to play. They readily leave their carers at the door. Children form close bonds with staff who are familiar to them. Staff respond to babies' emotional needs well, offering them cuddles, comfort and reassurance when needed.

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need to do better?

n The provider does not ensure that the environment is fit for purpose and maintained to a good standard. Although cleaning routines are in place, they are not effective in promoting children's good health and well-being. Toys and chairs where children play are dirty. n At the beginning of the inspection, some staff had not been provided with suitable bins in their rooms to dispose of used nappies, meaning that used nappies were left on the floor and in reach of children. While improvements in cleaning regimes and equipment were evident by the time the inspection concluded, the nursery remains dirty and unkempt. n The manager and staff do not assess risks to children effectively enough, both indoors and in the garden. For example, they have failed to implement effective risk assessment procedures to ensure children are unable to leave the premises unsupervised. n Staff do not manage children's behaviour consistently. For example, some

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need to do better?

children run inside without consistent guidance from adults. This means that children do not understand what is expected. n At times, staff do not deploy themselves effectively to meet the needs of all the

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need to do better?

16 November 2023 children. On occasions, some staff prioritise housekeeping tasks. This takes them away from directly supervising the children, leaving the remaining staff overwhelmed. This has an impact on the way they manage children's behaviour and does not support children's personal, social and emotional development. n The quality of education and teaching across the nursery is inadequate. Although staff identify some learning intentions for children, the curriculum is not implemented well enough. They do not take sufficient consideration of what children need to learn next when planning activities. This means that learning is incidental rather than purposefully planned to build on children's skills and knowledge over time. This does not help all children reach their full potential. n The arrangements for the supervision of staff are weak. The manager does not monitor staff's practice well enough to ensure that identified weaknesses in their

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need to do better?

practice are addressed. Consequently, the quality of the provision has deteriorated since the last inspection. n Parents speak positively about the nursery. They say that their children enjoy attending. Staff share information with parents at drop-off and collection times. Parents are kept informed of their children's next steps so that they can continue their children's learning at home. Additional funding is used to provide some one-to-one support for children who need it. n The manager and staff understand how to recognise possible signs and indicators of abuse. They know how to report concerns to the relevant external agencies. Staff are aware of the whistle-blowing policy and know what action to take if they are concerned about the practice of a colleague. Recruitment processes are effective to ensure that those working with children are suitable to do so.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

There is not an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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Due date

ensure the premises, including all equipment and resources, are fit for purpose, suitable and clean and do not pose a health risk to children 22/12/2023

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Due date

16 November 2023 ensure that staff have a robust knowledge of effective risk assessment and take all reasonable steps to make sure children are not exposed to unnecessary risks 22/12/2023

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Due date

take all reasonable steps to ensure that children cannot leave the premises unsupervised 22/12/2023

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Due date

ensure children's behaviour is managed in an effective and appropriate way 22/12/2023

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Due date

ensure that staff are deployed effectively at all times to adequately supervise children and meet their needs 22/12/2023

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Due date

ensure there is an ambitious curriculum based on children's learning and development needs that is implemented effectively through planned, purposeful activities and experiences 22/12/2023

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Due date

ensure that staff supervision arrangements are effective in helping them to understand their roles and responsibilities, identifying ongoing training needs and tackling underperformance. 22/12/2023

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Setting details

Unique reference number 650124 Local authority Essex Inspection number 10305942 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 87 Number of children on roll 157 Name of registered person Scallywags Day Nursery (Essex) Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01376 331770 Date of previous inspection 28 June 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Scallywags Day Nursery registered in 1997. The nursery employs 25 members of staff. Of these, 12 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7am to 7pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors Shelly McDougall Shelly McDougall

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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 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 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 inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of

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Inspection activities

their views. n Following the original inspection on 16 November 2023, a further visit was completed on 25 January 2024 to gather additional evidence.

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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

16 November 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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