Chipmunks Day Nursery

Inspection of Chipmunks Day Nursery 6 HERRINGSTON ROAD, DORCHESTER, DORSET DT1 2BS

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

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

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The provision is inadequate

Weaknesses in leadership and management compromise children's welfare. The provider does not ensure that those with lead responsibility for safeguarding manage all child protection concerns in a timely manner to help keep children safe. In addition, supervision arrangements are not implemented effectively, and as a result, staff do not receive the support they need to carry out all aspects of their role.

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The provision is inadequate

Children settle easily on arrival and respond positively to the friendly staff. Children behave well and recognise the established daily routines. They learn to take turns and be kind to others. Staff provide a broad curriculum that supports children to achieve and learn through their play. Children explore the play activities with interest. For example, pre-school children build strength in their small hand muscles that support their early writing skills as they squash, squeeze and roll out play dough. They concentrate well using the fruit and vegetable shape cutters and tell staff they have made a pear or carrot out of the dough. Toddlers show curiosity in their play and begin to learn early mathematical concepts, such as when they pour, empty and fill containers with dried pasta. Babies explore how things work as they push toy vehicles around the road mat or down the ramp of the toy garage.

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need to do better?

n The provider does not ensure that robust safeguarding procedures are followed to protect children from harm. They do not support those with a safeguarding lead to ensure that any concerns are monitored closely and acted on when necessary. Staff complete safeguarding training and are aware of potential signs of abuse. However, arrangements for supervision of staff are not effective in ensuring that they know to follow up on all the potential concerns that they report, in accordance with local safeguarding procedures. n The provider does not ensure that systems to oversee and monitor any potential safeguarding issues support staff with the prompt identification of possible patterns of concerns over time. n Children begin to develop good self-care skills and enjoy exercise. Staff provide activities that help children learn how to keep fit and healthy. For example, children learn about the importance of keeping their teeth clean. They

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need to do better?

enthusiastically brush the teeth of a toy crocodile to get them clean and laugh with staff when it suddenly snaps its jaws shut. Pre-school children enjoy using up their energy rolling hoops outdoors. They learn to walk carefully across the balancing beams. Toddlers start to gain control when using the ride-on toys. Babies crawl across different surfaces, and staff help them pull themselves up to a standing position at a low-level table. Babies begin to develop their early hand- eye coordination skills as they stack cups one on top of the other to build

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need to do better?

31 January 2025 towers. n Staff have recently introduced a new planning system and are currently embedding and reviewing this to give more focus to children's next steps of learning. For example, they know the pre-school children are beginning to draw and form recognisable shapes and letters. They plan activities to encourage this further, such as in their role play greengrocer shop. Children concentrate well and attempt to draw the vegetables they play with or copy letters from their names to put on their pictures. Staff also provide different tools, such as paint brushes and water, to enable all children to experiment with how they can make marks on the playground or wall outdoors. n Staff support children's communication and language through their play. For example, they reinforce the sounds babies make and name the toy animals, such as the zebra and giraffe. This builds on babies' vocabulary and helps to develop

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need to do better?

their understanding further. Staff ask pre-school children questions to help them think and extend their vocabulary. They plan activities to support children's listening and attention skills, and they play a game showing different objects, such as a spinning top hidden in a bag. Toddlers start to use words in context as they see this toy start to move round and round. They join in counting with staff and eagerly say, 'One more time,' as they ask to see this spin again. n Children develop their imaginations and creativity well through their play. Toddlers act out experiences and cuddle their dolls. Pre-school children like pretending to be shopkeepers and selling fruit and vegetables to their friends. Babies enjoy exploring the sounds they can make with musical instruments. Staff spontaneously sing nursery rhymes to engage and support the babies play, and they respond with smiles and laughter. n Parents say staff are friendly and keep them informed about their children's

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need to do better?

progress. Most parents report that staff communicate well with them overall and provide feedback about their child's day. They say that since starting at the nursery, their children have grown in confidence and are more independent. n Staff work well together to support children's good behaviour. They teach children to learn about their emotions and how they can manage these to help them feel secure. Children learn to use 'kind hands' and 'listening ears' and play cooperatively with their friends.

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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

provide the necessary support to those with a safeguarding lead, and improve supervision arrangements for staff, to ensure that local safeguarding procedures are followed when there are concerns about children 07/02/2025

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Due date

ensure that systems and processes to monitor and oversee safeguarding concerns are robust and can easily identify when there are patterns or concerns over a period of time, so prompt action can be taken to keep children safe from harm. 07/02/2025

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY454946 Local authority Dorset Inspection number 10382428 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 153 Number of children on roll 140 Name of registered person Chipmunks Day Nursery Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01305 260002 Date of previous inspection 6 September 2022

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Information about this early years setting

Chipmunks Day Nursery registered in 2012. It operates from a former preparatory school site in Dorchester, Dorset. It is one of two nurseries registered by the same provider. The nursery operates each weekday, from 7.45am until 6pm, for 51 weeks of the year. The nursery employs 25 members of staff, including the nursery cook. Of these, 17 staff members hold an early years qualification at level 3 and two hold an early years level 2 qualification. The setting receives government funding.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors Mary Daniel Michelle Heimsoth

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Inspection activities

n One inspector and the manager undertook a learning walk and discussed their curriculum and what they want children to learn. n Both inspectors observed children's interactions during play indoors and outdoors, and they had discussions with staff about children's learning and next steps of development. n Both inspectors viewed a sample of documentation, such as safeguarding records and those showing suitability of staff. n One inspector and the manager completed a joint observation of a planned activity and discussed the quality of education provided. n The inspectors took into account the spoken views of parents.

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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

31 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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