Playdays Nursery

Inspection of Playdays Nursery 58 Queens Road, Wimbledon, London SW19 8LR

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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The provision requires improvement

Children are happy and settled at this welcoming setting. They have good relationships with staff, which helps them to feel safe and secure. Children behave well and actively follow the daily routines. They share and take turns during play and show strong friendships as they play cooperatively together. Babies freely explore their learning environment and enjoy reassuring cuddles from staff.

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The provision requires improvement

Children benefit from a balanced curriculum that reflects all areas of learning. Staff implement a key-person system and know their key children well. However, there are inconsistencies in how effectively staff use this information and plan activities that focus on children's individual learning needs and interests. Consequently, the curriculum is less well sequenced as activities are not targeted to help all children make the best progress.

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The provision requires improvement

Staff promote older children's independent learning skills and encourage them to make choices during play. Children enjoy the praise given by staff when they put their coats on independently. Their physical skills are enhanced during outside play. For example, they show good coordination while using a range of wheeled toys and balancing on the play equipment. Children enjoy using paintbrushes and water to make patterns on the outside walls. This strengthens their hand movements as they make marks.

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need to do better?

n Leaders and managers have worked hard to minimise the impact of recent staff changes. Managers have worked in the group rooms and concentrated on supporting new staff through induction. However, this has reduced their capacity to maintain an overview of how well all staff understand their roles and responsibilities and implement the curriculum. n Staff identify what children already know and can do, and what they want them to learn next. However, some staff are not clear about how to use this information effectively to inform planning. As a result, activities do not focus enough on children's individual learning needs and interests. This hinders children in making the progress they are capable of. n Staff work with parents and other agencies to ensure children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported effectively. Staff attend additional training so that they can further support children's

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need to do better?

communication and language skills. As a result, inclusion is successfully promoted and children participate in activities well. n Staffs practice is evaluated during induction and supervision sessions. However, staff supervision is not yet robust enough to pull through inconsistencies in staff's knowledge or practice to ensure any support, coaching and training is

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need to do better?

24 February 2025 targeted effectively. For example, not all staff are clear about last stage of the fire evacuation procedures or required cleaning routines. n Parents say their children are happy and settled at the nursery. They appreciate how staff help children to be ready for school, including toilet training and developing their social skills. Leaders take account of parents' views and make changes to further improve staff's practice. n Children actively develop their creative activities. For example, they carefully paint pasta shapes ready to make necklaces and recognise colour changes as they mix the paints on their hands. Children roll and shape play dough to make shapes and animals. Children and staff talk about the animals they are making. For example, they discuss the shape of a turtle shell and how many legs they need to add. These activities enable children to explore different textures and

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need to do better?

extend their language skills further. n Younger children engage in a range of activities that help develop their physical skills. They strengthen their hand movements while using a range of resources in the sand and water trays. They use building blocks with staff to make a track, then walk, crawl and push large trucks along the blocks. This supports their balance and coordination. n Children enjoy a balanced diet of freshly prepared meals during sociable mealtimes. They make choices and talk about the foods they like to eat. This promotes children's healthy eating habits. n Children freely explore the learning environment and join in group activities with their friends. For example, they take turns and concentrate while matching picture dominoes, and help tidy away toys after use. This enhances their positive attitude to learning.

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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

develop more robust systems of staff supervision, to ensure all staff have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities and promote consistent practice 24/03/2025

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Due date

24 February 2025 improve leaders overview of learning and development programmes across the setting and focus improvements on promoting children's progress and skills 24/03/2025

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Due date

ensure staff use their knowledge of children's individual learning needs and interests to plan more precisely, to help children to make the best progress. 24/03/2025

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Setting details

Unique reference number 138232 Local authority Merton Inspection number 10377206 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 44 Number of children on roll 49

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Name of registered person

Playdays Day Nursery & Nursery School Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 0208 946 8139 Date of previous inspection 1 February 2022

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Information about this early years setting

Playdays Nursery registered in 2000 and is one of five nurseries owned by Playdays Day Nursery & Nursery School Limited. It is based in Wimbledon in the London Borough of Merton. The nursery is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm, for 51 weeks of the year. The setting employs fourteen members of staff, eight of whom hold a relevant childcare qualifications between level 6 and level 2, and six staff are working towards gaining qualifications. The nursery offers the government funded places for childcare.

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Inspection activities

n The manager and inspector completed a learning walk together to discuss the curriculum they offer and how the setting is organised. n The inspector held discussions with staff, parents and children and took account of their views. n The manager and inspector completed a joint observation of staff during an activity and assessed the impact of teaching on children's learning. n The inspector sampled a range of required documentation, including children's records and staff's suitability checks and qualifications.

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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 February 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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