Railway Children Nursery Elsecar

Inspection of Railway Children Nursery Elsecar Building 13, Elsecar Heritage Centre, Wath Road, Elsecar, BARNSLEY, South Yorkshire S74 8HJ

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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

Staff do not plan learning opportunities which build on what children already know and can do. Adult-led sessions, including story, singing and phonics sessions, are too easy for some children and too difficult for others. In between these sessions, children choose from a range of resources. They pretend to push dolls in pushchairs and create a 'shrink ray' from construction materials. However, staff do not support and extend children's learning. Interactions between children and staff are warm and friendly. However, staff do not use these interactions to ignite children's curiosity. For example, rather than talking to children about the 'shrink ray' they have imaginatively created, they tell children they must remain seated when using the construction equipment. As a result, children move from one activity to another and do not develop high levels of concentration.

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The provision is inadequate

Staffing arrangements are poor. Leaders do not consider the impact of staff deployment on the children attending the session. Children are not cared for by their key person. Staff working with them do not know them well. Consequently, babies are often unsettled. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) who need targeted support do not receive this. Therefore, children's emotional needs are not met and they do not make the best possible progress of which they are capable.

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The provision is inadequate

Leaders do not identify or address weaknesses in staff's practice. Therefore, training and development opportunities do not raise the quality of care and education provided. Despite the weaknesses, children arrive happily at the setting. They excitedly greet their friends as they arrive and enjoy playing together.

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need to do better?

n The provider has not designed educational programmes which take account of how children learn or considered the order in which staff teach children skills. Therefore, staff do not provide learning opportunities that support children to make good progress across all areas of their development. n Staff find out about what children know and can do when they start at the setting and at the end of each term. This information is shared with parents in writing and during parents' evenings. However, staff do not assess children's abilities and interests between these times. As a result, they plan activities which are often too difficult or not challenging enough for children. Children lose interest and some disrupt others' learning. n The deployment of staff does not meet children's needs. At times, there are not enough staff working with children. Unqualified staff work alone with a group of children and are also responsible for answering the door. This means that they

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need to do better?

are unable to provide quality care and education to the children they are

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need to do better?

9 August 2024 responsible for. n Although children are allocated a key person, that person does not always work with them. Staff working with children do not know them well. Babies are often unsettled. Children's transitions are poorly supported. Some children visit their new room but then do not move to it, despite being ready for this next step. Other children move to their new room without key information being shared with their new key person. This does not support children's emotional well-being or developmental progress. n Staff remind children of the rules in the nursery. For example, as children play they tell them, 'Remember, we use kind hands.' Children tell staff when their friends are not sharing and staff ask children to take turns. Children follow their directions but become upset. Staff do not use these opportunities to help children to learn about their own and others' feelings. n Staff sing and share stories with children. Children copy some actions and watch

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need to do better?

themselves in the mirror as they dance along. Staff introduce some mathematical language, for example, when singing 'Five currant buns'. However, when children lead their own play, staff do not provide high-quality interactions that extend children's thinking or spark their interests. Staff respond warmly to children's communications but rarely initiate conversations. Some staff ask children too many questions. They do not wait for children to think or respond. As a result, children do not make good progress in their communication and language development. n The provider meets with parents to discuss targeted support for their children. However, support plans only have one target. They do not outline enough support to ensure that children make good progress in all areas. Additionally, staff do not implement the agreed support. Partnership with parents, and other professionals, is not effective. This results in significant delays in children

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need to do better?

receiving the support they need, which will impact on children's long-term educational outcomes. n The provider does not keep a written record of complaints. They do not investigate complaints in a timely manner. The provider does not write to the person who made the complaint, explaining the outcome, within the required 28 days. n Staff supervision, training and support does not identify weaknesses in staff's practice. Staff do not recieve the training they need to fulfil their roles. Consequently, the quality of care and education provided to children does not improve.

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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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Due date

plan and deliver educational programmes that support all children to make good progress across the areas of learning, including engaging learning opportunities, which take account of children's interests and build on what they already know and can do 09/10/2024

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Due date

deploy staff in a way that meets children's emotional and learning needs and promotes their well-being 23/08/2024

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Due date

meet children's individual care and learning needs through effective and settled relationships with their key person, and improved transition arrangements 23/08/2024

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Due date

ensure that staff know how to support children's behaviour, including by helping them to understand and manage their feelings 09/10/2024

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Due date

support children's communication and language skills, including through high- quality interactions and the sensitive use of questioning 09/10/2024

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Due date

provide support to meet all areas of children's needs without delay, by working in partnership with parents and other professionals, and having appropriate regard to the special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) code of practice 09/10/2024

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Due date

maintain records of all complaints and share investigation outcomes with the complainant within 28 days 23/08/2024

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Due date

provide staff training, supervision and support to raise the quality of care and education. 09/10/2024

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY342254 Local authority Barnsley Inspection number 10361392 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 52 Name of registered person Railway Children Day Care Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01226 744 440 Date of previous inspection 29 October 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Railway Children Nursery Elsecar registered in 2006 and is located in Barnsley. The nursery employs 14 members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above, including one member of staff who is qualified at level 6. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7am until 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 We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. n The manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about the curriculum and what they want children to learn. n Children spoke to and communicated with the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector spoke with manager about the leadership and management of the nursery. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact on children's learning. n The inspector carried out joint observations with the manager.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The manager showed the inspector documentation to demonstrate the suitability of staff.

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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

9 August 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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