Tiny Tinkers Nursery

Inspection of Tiny Tinkers Nursery Fencehouses & District Community Centre, Woodstone Village, Houghton Le Spring DH4 6DS

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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 Not applicable

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The provision is inadequate

Leaders do not monitor staff's performance to ensure that they understand and fulfil the requirements of their role. They are not aware of some weaknesses within their safeguarding arrangements. For example, staff do not consistently record children's injuries from home, which is expected as part of their child protection procedures. Leaders do not consider all risks to children's safety and well-being. They do not ensure that staff understand and consistently follow guidance intended to keep children safe. There are some areas and activities, including mealtimes and sleeping arrangements, where risks are not assessed or managed effectively. This means that children are exposed to hazards, resulting in their welfare not being maintained.

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The provision is inadequate

The child-led curriculum is not effective because the quality of staff's interactions is variable. Leaders do not ensure that staff receive support and coaching to enable them to consistently promote children's learning. Staff are not aware of every child's individual learning needs, including children with possible special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They do not have a good understanding of children's current abilities, or have clear aims about what they want them to learn next. Children spend most of their day playing independently. Some staff support this generally well, for example, by encouraging children to count while they build with bricks. However, some children wander or become restless and disruptive. Staff do not notice, and do not encourage children to join in. Children's learning and development are not supported consistently to help them to make the progress they are capable of.

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The provision is inadequate

Children show trust in the friendly staff team and, overall, are happy in nursery. However, inconsistencies in the key-person arrangements mean that staff do not know some children well enough to be able to meet their care and learning needs. New children attend for a number of weeks without a key person allocated. This does not help them to feel secure and become confident in nursery.

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need to do better?

n Leaders lack oversight of the provision. They do not monitor staff's performance and, as such, fail to identify and address weaknesses in the quality of care and education. The arrangements for supervision are not effective and do not successfully promote the interests of children. n Risk assessments are not effective. This means that children's well-being is not assured. Staff do not identify all potential dangers, or take effective steps to minimise them. Equipment is not always checked to ensure it is suitable for the age of children. Leaders are not aware of some practises carried out by staff in nursery that are not safe.

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need to do better?

24 January 2025 n Children's safety is compromised at mealtimes. The way some food is prepared increases the risk of choking for toddlers. Staff also do not check that children have finished eating before allowing them to leave the table to walk upstairs, further increasing choking risks. Children are at risk from scalds when staff serve them boiling hot gravy. Babies are at risk from falling when they sit unsteadily, without support, in chairs that are suitable for older children. n Sleeping arrangements are not in line with current safety advice. Although staff ensure that babies are supervised at all times when asleep, they do not always ensure that they are placed to sleep in a suitable environment. Leaders expect that all babies are settled in the cots provided, with appropriate and clean bedding. However, staff allow babies to sleep on a beanbag in the play room, which is unsuitable for children of this age.

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need to do better?

n Although there are procedures in the setting to safeguard children, staff do not follow these consistently. Required written records, such as information about accidents and incidents, are sometimes not completed by staff, while others are incomplete or missing important details. This means that leaders and staff do not have reliable information to promote children's safety or keep them safe from harm. n Not all children have an assigned key person. The key-person responsibility for some children is shared by staff. This contributes to the uncertainty that staff have about children's care and learning needs, including those with possible SEND. Children who need extra help with some aspects of their learning are not supported well enough, because staff are confused about which children have particular needs. There are partnerships in place with other professionals to further support some children. However, leaders do not make sure that staff

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need to do better?

understand and follow the specific plans in place to help these children to make progress. n Leaders have introduced a new system to assess children's development and help staff to identify what children need to learn next. However, this is not yet embedded and is not used consistently by staff. Although staff involve themselves in children's play, their teaching lacks focus. They do not have clear intentions for children's learning. Much of children's learning is incidental. Staff do not plan effectively to help children to build on what they know and can do. n Activities and experiences, at times, lack appeal. For example, staff provide children with shared paper while painting, and the tools, water and paint available are unclean and disorganised. This does not motivate children or encourage an interest in learning. Staff are not always vigilant to children who are not engaged and, at times, become disruptive. For example, they do not

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need to do better?

notice children who run, climb and remove shelves from units in the book area. n Despite the weaknesses in the key-person arrangements, children seek out staff for reassurance and support when needed. Staff are kind and affectionate and respond to children's emotional needs. For example, when children are upset, they take them to sit on a colleague's lap for comfort.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

24 January 2025 There is not an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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Due date

monitor staff's performance and provide them with effective supervision to identify and address weaknesses in practice that have a significant impact on children's well-being and learning 05/02/2025

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Due date

ensure that risk assessments identify and address potential hazards to minimise the risk of harm to children 05/02/2025

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Due date

ensure that food is prepared and served appropriately to assure children's safety at mealtimes 05/02/2025

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Due date

ensure that babies are placed down to sleep safely, in line with relevant safety guidance 05/02/2025

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Due date

train staff to understand and fulfil their role and responsibilities, with particular regard to risk assessments and safeguarding procedures 05/02/2025

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Due date

assign a key person for each child in order to tailor their care and learning to their individual needs. 05/02/2025

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Due date

24 January 2025 develop a clear, ambitious, and sequenced curriculum that supports all children to make the best possible progress and is understood by all staff 03/03/2025

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Due date

ensure that all children benefit from challenging and enjoyable experiences that reflect their needs and interests and encourage positive attitudes and motivation for learning. 03/03/2025

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2713030 Local authority Durham Inspection number 10376624 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 36 Number of children on roll 39 Name of registered person Tiny Tinkers LTD

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reference number

Telephone number 07964948817 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Tiny Tinkers Nursery registered in 2022. It is situated in Fencehouses, County Durham. Opening hours are Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, all year round except for bank holidays and for a week at Christmas. There are nine members of staff. Of these, six hold a relevant level 3 childcare qualification and the provider, who is also the manager, holds qualified teacher status. The nursery provides government funded early education sessions and receives additional funding for disadvantaged children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector viewed the provision and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. n The provider, who manages the nursery, joined the inspector on a learning walk. She talked about how the provision is organised and about the curriculum. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The provider and inspector observed and evaluated an activity together. n The inspector met with the provider and deputy manager to discuss leadership matters. The provider shared relevant documents to support the discussion, including risk assessments, accident records and evidence of the suitability checks carried out on staff. n The inspector spoke to staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection. n Two parents spoke to the inspector during the visit and the provider shared written feedback from others.

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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

24 January 2025 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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