Little Waves Daycare

Inspection of Little Waves Daycare Green Gates Childrens Centre, Keilder Close, Redcar, Cleveland TS10 4HS

p.1

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

p.1

The provision is inadequate

There are significant weaknesses in practice that impact on children's care, learning and development. Children's welfare is not fully assured. This is because leaders and staff have a weak understanding of how to identify and protect children at risk from harm or abuse, and are unclear on how to respond and report any concerns they may have.

p.2

The provision is inadequate

There is a broad curriculum for children's learning. However, this is not understood or followed by staff and does not have the intended impact on children's development. Staff's understanding of child development is weak. Activities are not planned well enough to meet children's needs and assessments are often inaccurate. Many children are not developing the skills they need to build secure foundations for future learning, particularly in their communication and language development. Although staff identify that some children need more support in their learning, actions have not been taken to help them to make better progress. Arrangements to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are not focused enough to help them to make the best possible progress.

p.2

The provision is inadequate

Despite these weaknesses, children show a sense of belonging in nursery and play happily with their friends. Staff are kind and helpful and join in children's play.

p.2

need to do better?

n Leaders and staff have a basic awareness of some indicators that children may be at risk from harm or neglect. However, overall knowledge of the different types and wide range of symptoms of abuse is weak. This means that children who need help to stay safe may be not be identified and concerns about their welfare may not be reported swiftly. n Leaders do not hold all of the information necessary to help them to keep children safe from harm. They do not seek or share information with other professionals involved in protecting children. They are not aware of the reasons that some families have support from social care services, or of the factors affecting children's welfare outside nursery. There are gaps in the information they hold about some children. n Leaders do not ensure that staff are aware of the procedures to be followed if they are concerned about a colleague's conduct or suitability. They do not know

p.2

need to do better?

the correct procedures that must be followed should there be an allegation against a member of staff. n Teaching does not help children to make good enough progress. Some activities do not motivate children to learn and children wander around the room as staff miss opportunities to ignite their interest. Despite this, some children show enjoyment in stories and are keen to use the puppets and babies show an

p.2

need to do better?

14 October 2024 interest in sensory play activities. However, on occasion, young children move away from activities due to them being too long or complex to maintain their attention. Furthermore, not all activities for babies are appropriate for their age. For example, staff encourage them to draw spiders and count their legs. n Assessments are cumbersome and fail to identify what children need to learn. Staff check off what they have seen children do on an electronic system. The information gathered does not always accurately reflect children's abilities. Although there is some awareness of the very low levels of communication and language skills of younger children, plans to help children in this area of learning are weak. Progress checks are completed at age two. However, they do not identify clear and appropriate aims to help children to learn more. n The provision for children with SEND is not organised well enough. Leaders

p.2

need to do better?

make referrals to external agencies and welcome support from other professionals. However, they are not aware of individual targets in place for children and the strategies needed to support their development. This means that children are not supported well enough to make good progress. n The key-person arrangements are not embedded. Staff do not have a good enough understanding of the needs of the children they have responsibility for, in order to meet their care and learning needs. Partnerships with parents are not as effective as they could be. For example, some do not know who their child's key person is or what staff are teaching their children. n Although some weaknesses have been identified by leaders, they do not have a comprehensive understanding of the aspects of the provision that need most improvement. The arrangements for monitoring and evaluating the provision lack rigour. Although there is a new manager in place, information about

p.3

need to do better?

previous incidents and complaints in order to bring about improvements has not been shared, hampering their ability to bring about improvements. Ofsted has taken enforcement action due to the weaknesses and breaches of the requirements. n Staff support children's physical development. This includes children joining in with outdoor games, such as learning to develop coordination as they carefully walk along balancing beams.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

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

p.3

Due date

provide specific training for the designated safeguarding leaders in the nursery so they fully understand their role and are aware of the local safeguarding partnership procedures, including how to manage allegation against staff 01/11/2024

p.4

Due date

develop staff's knowledge and understanding of the safeguarding policies and procedures in the nursey, so they confidently know how to identify, record and report concerns about children and staff if they arise 01/11/2024

p.4

Due date

improve the provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and ensure strategies are implemented to close gaps in children's learning 01/11/2024

p.4

Due date

support leaders and managers to ensure the necessary improvements are made to raise the quality of the provision 01/11/2024

p.4

Due date

provide staff with effective supervision which promotes opportunities for them to develop their teaching skills. 01/11/2024

p.4

Due date

improve staff's understanding of assessments, including how to complete the progress check at age two, and ensure that areas of developmental delay are swiftly identified and addressed 01/11/2024

p.4

Due date

develop the key-person system, to ensure that staff have a deep understanding of children's needs and how to meet them, and to build supportive relationships with parents 01/11/2024

p.4

Due date

14 October 2024 develop the curriculum and help staff to understand how to provide experiences which help children to make good progress, with a specific focus on children's communication and language skills. 01/11/2024

p.4

Setting details

Unique reference number EY281723 Local authority Redcar and Cleveland Inspection number 10364087 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

p.6

Registers

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

p.6

inspection

Total number of places 48 Number of children on roll 67 Name of registered person The Priory Day Nursery Limited

p.6

reference number

Telephone number 01642 490014 Date of previous inspection 24 January 2019

p.6

Information about this early years setting

Little Waves Daycare registered in 2004 and operates from Green Gates Family Hub in Redcar. The nursery is open Monday to Friday from 7.30am until 6pm all year round, except for bank holidays and one week at Christmas. There are currently eight staff, of whom seven hold an appropriate early years qualification at level 3 or above. The nursery receives funding to provide free early years education for children aged one to four years old.

p.6

Inspection activities

n The manager showed the inspector around the nursery. She talked about how the provision is organised and about the early years curriculum. n The inspector observed staff's teaching in all rooms and the garden. She assessed the impact that this has on children's learning and development. n The manager and inspector worked together to observe and evaluate two group activities in the nursery. They also observed staff supporting children's independent play. n The inspector met with the manager and a senior manager on two occasions, to discuss leadership and management matters. They shared a range of documents, including information about staff supervision, assessments of learning and safeguarding. n The inspector spoke to staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection. She also spoke to a number of parents and took account of their views.

p.7

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.

p.7

Inspection activities

14 October 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.

p.7

Inspection activities

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspection activities

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk

p.8

Inspection activities

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspection activities

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8