Dolphins Day Nursery

Inspection of Dolphins Day Nursery 73 Chesswood Road, Worthing, West Sussex BN11 2AB

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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The provision requires improvement

Children feel safe and secure. They arrive confidently and take their belongings to their pegs. Staff greet them warmly and children talk about exciting activities they have been doing at the weekend. Babies and young children settle quickly. Staff comfort them as they wave goodbye to their parents. Children build close relationships with staff and have cuddles to reassure them.

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The provision requires improvement

Leaders have developed a clear curriculum that covers most areas of learning well. However, this is not fully embedded throughout the nursery. Staff do not consistently understand the curriculum and it is not always implemented successfully. When activities are set up, staff are not always clear about what they want children to learn from them, and so the learning aims are not met. For example, children do not have the opportunity to think or make predictions for themselves during a colour-mixing activity, as intended.

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The provision requires improvement

Overall, children behave well. They begin to learn to use their communication skills to manage disagreements with their friends. However, staff do not support children consistently. For example, leaders intend for staff to use timers to support children in sharing equipment and resources. However, this is not often used by staff or children. As a result, children do not receive consistent information about sharing and taking turns.

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need to do better?

n Children show a keen interest in books and printed material. Staff use opportunities to sit and read with young children and babies. Older children recall previous learning from stories such as 'Little Red Riding Hood'. They talk about the 'big bad wolf' and pretend to hide. Children develop appropriate early literacy skills. n Staff share information with parents about what children have been doing each day. They provide updates and pictures of children's activities. However, parents do not consistently receive information to help them support children's learning further at home and ensure children experience a shared approach. n Staff support children to develop their physical skills. For instance, they provide them with bikes and scooters to use in the garden. Staff show children how to pedal when they ask for help. Younger children learn how to climb small steps. Staff offer them support and plenty of praise for their accomplishments.

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need to do better?

n Staff provide children with healthy and nutritious foods at snack and lunch time. However, staff do not consistently have good practices in place to build on children's knowledge of health and help them manage risks. For example, on occasion they do not reinforce their expectations about safe behaviours. This means children do not gain the information they need to make healthy choices

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need to do better?

13 May 2024 and keep themselves safe. n Leaders plan for children to learn about numbers through play. However, staff do not put this into practice. For example, when children show a keen interest in number recognition, staff do not extend children's knowledge or build on what they know. Furthermore, staff do not recognise opportunities to count with children or explore equipment such as weighing scales when children show an interest. Children are not consistently supported in developing early mathematics skills. n Attitudes to learning vary. Children show an interest in some activities that have been set up. However, staff do not give them enough support in learning and building knowledge. For example, when children begin exploring an activity, staff do not respond to them and build on what they're doing. Children lose interest and do not gain valuable information or skills. n Leaders engage effectively with professionals such as speech and language

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need to do better?

therapists. Where children have special educational needs and/or disabilities, they ensure that channels of communication are utilised. This supports all children to gain access to their early education entitlement. n Staff discuss recent training that has enhanced their understanding of how young children learn. They speak passionately about knowledge they have gained, for example, the benefits of playing outside. However, systems in place to raise teaching standards are not always consistent or effective. Although staff receive informal feedback about how they can improve their practice, this is not always reviewed or monitored. This means that teaching standards are not consistently raised to ensure children gain valuable learning from interactions and experiences. n Staff encourage young children and babies to build their communication. They use their knowledge of what children can do and encourage them to use new

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need to do better?

words such as 'ball' and 'roll'. Staff model the language and actions to build on children's understanding. This helps young children develop their vocabulary.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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should:

n improve arrangements for sharing information with parents to help them support their child's learning at home n build on staff's skills in promoting children's understanding of health and how to keep themselves safe

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should:

13 May 2024 n strengthen the curriculum for mathematics, to ensure staff understand how to build on children's early knowledge and skills n develop the arrangements for the support and supervision of all staff, to raise teaching standards and provide all children with meaningful learning experiences.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 113462 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 10346913 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 54 Number of children on roll 34 Name of registered person Mendes, Nicole Helena

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reference number

Telephone number 01903 537755 Date of previous inspection 24 August 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Dolphins Day Nursery registered in 1997. The nursery employs seven members of staff. Of these, three hold appropriate early years qualifications from level 3 to level 6. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am to 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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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 The manager and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n The inspector took account of information provided by leaders who were not present at the inspection. n Children spoke to the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation during snack time.

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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

13 May 2024 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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