Tops Day Nursery

Inspection of Tops Day Nursery 14 Denmark Lane, Poole, Dorset BH15 2DG

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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 welfare is compromised due to poor safeguarding processes. The provider does not ensure that staff newly recruited to management roles and lead safeguarding roles have the information they need to keep vulnerable children safe. In addition, staff who hold lead safeguarding roles do not always liaise with external safeguarding agencies to share relevant information that may impact on the safety of children.

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The provision is inadequate

The provider does not set clear expectations for staff to promote children's positive attitudes towards learning and behaviour. As a result, children do not learn how to manage their own feelings and behaviour, which negatively impacts on their personal, social and emotional development. Some staff use unsuitable strategies to manage children's behaviour. For example, when toddlers do not sit with the group at circle time, they are told by staff that they will go last to lunch as a consequence. This disadvantages children who are not yet able to sit still due to their age and stage of development.

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The provision is inadequate

The provider does not ensure children receive good-quality education that builds on what children already know and can do. The provider is aware of some of the weaknesses in staff practice but has not provided targeted support to improve them. Staff in management roles have a clear understanding of the curriculum, but do not ensure that staff understand and deliver it well. For example, staff plan activities that meet children's interests without considering how to extend children's learning further. While some staff do communicate with children well, others do not engage with children in a way that promotes children's language development. For example, staff working with babies use sentences that are too long for children to understand. Some staff working with toddlers do not give children enough time to respond or support them to learn new vocabulary.

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need to do better?

n Processes for sharing relevant safeguarding information within the nursery and with external agencies are weak and this compromises children's safety. Staff with a lead safeguarding responsibility do not have all the information they need to help keep children safe and are not proactive in seeking this information out. Staff do have a secure understanding of how to report concerns about children's welfare. However, when they raise concerns, staff with safeguarding lead roles do not always make the appropriate referrals to external safeguarding agencies. n Staff do not understand or support children's behaviour well. They often do not make their expectations clear to the children which means that, at times, the environment becomes chaotic because children are not sure what they should be doing. For example, children run around and collide with each other in the

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need to do better?

13 June 2024 outdoor area, throw water and climb on inappropriate equipment, risking injury due to falling. Children do not learn expected behaviours to help them to prepare for the next stage in their learning. n The provider has started to put some steps in place to address the weaknesses in staff practice that have been identified. For example, moving some staff into different rooms to better match their skills and experience. Rooms have been reorganised and resourced to meet the needs of children in each room. However, these changes are in the early stages and any positive impact on children is yet to be seen. n The provider designs a curriculum that focuses on developing children's social, emotional and communication skills. However, this is not well implemented by staff to ensure that children make good progress from their starting points. For example, staff working with toddlers teach children phonics using the wrong

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need to do better?

letter sounds. Staff working with older children do not challenge children's learning well enough to extend their learning. For example, during story time, they ask the same children questions who already know the answers and, as a result, other children lose interest. n Not all staff interact with children effectively. Staff do not do enough to introduce children to new vocabulary or to help them to learn how to pronounce words correctly. At times, noise levels in the pre-school room are high, which makes it difficult for children to hear and respond to what staff are saying. Staff do not engage in high-quality two-way conversations with children that nurture their communication and language development. n The provider organises children's transition to school well, including arranging meetings with teachers to share information about what children already know and can do. Children learn to dress and undress in school uniform and sports

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need to do better?

kits in preparation for school. Staff working with older children support them to develop their independence. For example, they encourage children to serve their own food and pour their own drinks. n Staff in management roles, who are also responsible for supporting the learning of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, work with parents and other professionals to ensure that extra funding is used to provide additional resources and one-to-one support for the intended children.

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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 that staff with a lead safeguarding role liaise with external safeguarding agencies to obtain and share relevant information to help keep children safe 14/06/2024

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Due date

improve safeguarding procedures to ensure that all relevant staff, including those with a lead safeguarding responsibility role, have a good understanding of circumstances in children's lives that may put them at risk of harm 01/07/2024

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Due date

support staff to set clear and appropriate expectations for children's behaviour to help children to learn to manage their own behaviour and the potential consequences of their actions. 01/07/2024

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Due date

improve the implementation of the curriculum and raise the quality of staff interactions to ensure staff are consistently guiding children to build on what they already know and can do. 08/08/2024

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY290331 Local authority Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Inspection number 10349063 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 132 Number of children on roll 148 Name of registered person Tops Day Nursery Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01202 679799 Date of previous inspection 4 January 2023

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Information about this early years setting

Tops Day Nursery registered in 2004 and is located in the centre of Poole, Dorset. The nursery is open each weekday, from 6am to 8pm, all year round. It receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two-, three- and four-years old. The nursery employs 22 staff. Of these, seven hold a relevant level 3 qualification, six hold level 2 qualifications and nine are unqualified.

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Inspection activities

n We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. 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 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 Children spoke to the inspector during the inspection. 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 talked to staff and parents at appropriate times 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

13 June 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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