Park Hall Day Nursery

Inspection of Park Hall Day Nursery 110 Congleton Road South, Talke, Stoke-on-Trent ST7 1LX

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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

Children's safety and well-being are compromised in this nursery. Nursery practice does not align with government safer sleeping guidance, and, therefore, sleeping babies are put at risk. Leaders have failed to ensure that those staff required to undertake paediatric first-aid training have done so. This compromises children's health and safety within the nursery in the event of accidents and injuries. Hygiene practice in the nursery does not always promote the good health of children. Children do not always behave well, and this impacts on the learning of other children.

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The provision is inadequate

The curriculum for children is not ambitious in this nursery. Leaders and staff do not implement a curriculum that accurately reflects what children need to learn at different stages of their development. Activities are not planned or differentiated to support children's ongoing learning. For example, activities planned for older children focus heavily on spelling and writing words, such as 'angry'. Children, therefore, lose out on beneficial learning, as they become disengaged in activities that do not meet their needs and are beyond their understanding. That said, staff are aware and attentive to the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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The provision is inadequate

Despite weaknesses, children develop positive relationships with the friendly and nurturing staff. Babies reach out to staff as they play alongside them, and they receive cuddles and reassurance. Young children enjoy spending time outside in the fresh air, riding on bikes and hunting for ladybirds and bugs with their friends.

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need to do better?

n Sleeping babies are put at risk. They are placed down to sleep by staff on deep floor cushions that are not appropriate for their age range and are, therefore, unsafe. Leaders do not ensure that staff follow government safer sleep guidelines. n Leaders and some staff have undertaken appropriate paediatric first-aid training. However, leaders do not ensure that all staff who are required to obtain this training, as specified by the early years foundation stage statutory framework, have done so to enable them to be included in staff-to-child ratios. n The implementation of the curriculum is weak. Activities and learning opportunities planned for children do not always motivate them to learn or provide a consistently stimulating and enabling environment. When children play outside, staff do not plan activities effectively or provide resources for them to explore and enjoy. For example, children who choose to play in a playhouse lose

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need to do better?

interest quickly as their search for play food and other resources is unsuccessful. Staff do not, therefore, promote children's enjoyment and engagement in

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need to do better?

4 April 2025 learning by planning activities that follow their interests. n Staff do not always understand how to use their knowledge of what children already know and can do to identify effectively what they need to learn next. Staff set targets for children that are sometimes too challenging or do not reflect their individual needs. They do not always plan activities or focus teaching on what it is they want children to learn. The quality of interactions with staff and children is variable across the nursery and inconsistently supports children's communication and language skills. Not all children make progress in this area of their learning as a result. n Children are not always supported to behave well within the nursery. Staff sometimes demonstrate a lack of knowledge and understanding of how to manage and support the behaviour of older children who become disengaged in learning. This, on occasion, causes disruption to the learning of other children.

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need to do better?

n Staff do not always support children to develop good hygiene skills. For example, the only sink for handwashing available to young children upstairs is blocked and inaccessible. Staff wipe young children's hands with damp cloths before they eat meals. Therefore, children do not learn the importance of using soap and water to clean their hands. Pre-school children are not always prompted to wash their hands after visiting the toilet and before eating meals. This does not promote their good health. n Although there are weaknesses that impact children's safety within the nursery, staff demonstrate a good understanding of child protection procedures. They recognise the different signs and symptoms of possible abuse and explain the actions they would take to safeguard children they believe could be at risk of harm. Staff understand the whistleblowing policy and recognise how and when they would implement this to safeguard children.

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need to do better?

n Staff comment that they feel supported by leaders. Leaders use informal learning walks across the nursery to help identify staff's training needs. They make online training available to staff. However, staff report that other than safeguarding training, they infrequently access this additional training to support them further in their roles. n Parents speak favourably about the nursery. They report that information is shared with them about their children's daily activities. They comment that their children are happy to attend and feel safe and secure. Parents state that they appreciate the information, observations and photos shared with them via the online platform.

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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

ensure that sleeping arrangements and bedding for babies and young children are safe and align with the latest government safety guidance 18/04/2025

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Due date

ensure that qualified staff to be included in ratios have undertaken appropriate paediatric first-aid training 02/05/2025

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Due date

develop a curriculum that is ambitious, broad and balanced and that reflects the individual needs, interests and development of children across all areas of their learning 02/05/2025

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Due date

ensure that staff accurately assess children's learning and plan learning opportunities and experiences for children that build on what they already know and can do to help them make good progress in their learning 02/05/2025

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Due date

ensure that staff understand and know how to support and manage children's behaviour effectively to enable them to fully access and engage in all aspects of their learning 18/04/2025

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Due date

promote the good health of children by teaching them the skills they need to manage their own hygiene and personal needs, including good handwashing 18/04/2025

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Due date

ensure that staff undertake appropriate training and professional development opportunities to develop their ongoing practice and promote children's learning and development. 02/05/2025

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2623528 Local authority Staffordshire Inspection number 10395530 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 55 Number of children on roll 74 Name of registered person Johnson, Susan Alice

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reference number

Telephone number 01782775116 Date of previous inspection 28 May 2024

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Information about this early years setting

Park Hall Day Nursery re-registered in May 2021. The setting employs 17 members of childcare staff. Of whom, 14 hold an appropriate childcare qualification, including one who holds qualified teacher status and one who holds level 4. The setting operates from 7am until 6pm, Monday to Friday, all year round, except for bank holidays and one week at Christmas. In addition, older children attend the before- and after-school provision. The setting offers funded early education for all eligible children.

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Inspection activities

n We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. n The deputy manager and the inspector completed a learning walk of the nursery to gather information about how the provision and the curriculum are organised. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching to assess the impact of this on children's learning. n The deputy manager carried out a joint observation with the inspector to evaluate the quality of teaching. n The inspector spoke to parents and took account of their views. n The inspector spoke with the leadership team about the management of the nursery. n The inspector reviewed relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery. n The inspector spoke to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views.

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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

4 April 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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