Little Swanswell Nursery

Inspection of Little Swanswell Nursery Cornerstone Family Centre, Howard Street, Coventry CV1 4GE

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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 is compromised at the nursery. Staff do not have a good enough understanding of how to identify risks to children. The environment designed for babies and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) contains small items that children put in their mouths. This poses a choking risk. Leaders do not ensure the procedures for entering the premises are robust enough. Parents allow others onto the nursery premises, where they are able to gain access to children. This places children's safety at risk.

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The provision is inadequate

The nursery curriculum is not understood or implemented effectively by staff. Children often wander around and are not engaged in purposeful learning. Staff set up activities for children to take part in, but these do not capture children's interest or challenge their existing knowledge and skills. Leaders do not ensure that staff have the support they need to improve their own knowledge of how children learn. As a result, children do not make the progress they are able to.

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The provision is inadequate

Staff do not manage children's behaviour in positive ways. They often implement behaviour strategies that are not suitable for the children they care for. Children do not learn why certain behaviours are inappropriate or what staff expect of them. Despite weaknesses, children are generally happy in the nursery. They follow routines confidently and enjoy engaging in song and action sessions.

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need to do better?

n Staff do not have a good enough understanding of how to identify and remove risks to children. Rooms where babies, and children with SEND spend time, contain small items that are unsuitable for them. Staff do not take action to remove these small items, despite children putting them in their mouths as they move around the room. This means that children could easily choke. In addition, the floor is heavily cluttered with resources, making it difficult for adults and children to get in and out of the room or move safely around it. This also means that in the event of an emergency, escape from this room could be delayed. These weaknesses in safety leave children at risk of harm. n Leaders do not ensure the premises are secure. Parents let others onto the nursery site, where they can then freely access the garden area where children play. Despite there being procedures in place to prevent this, leaders and staff

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need to do better?

do not ensure that these are always followed. This increases the risk of unauthorised people gaining access to children. n Staff do not understand or implement appropriate behaviour methods to support children. They speak sternly to young children who play with bowls while waiting for their snack. These are then taken from them, and they are told that the noise they are making is 'unnecessary'. This does not help children to

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need to do better?

6 June 2025 understand what is expected of them or support their emotional development. Some staff report that babies are placed in 'time out' if they display unwanted behaviour. This demonstrates that some staff lack understanding of the nursery's behaviour policy. n Despite the nursery having a dedicated space for children with SEND, these children do not make good progress. Staff do not have the training and knowledge they need to support these children in the best possible way. That said, leaders and staff work with local SEND teams to devise and review learning targets for them. However, the staff who work with these children daily, do not have the understanding of how to implement learning opportunities effectively for them. Therefore, the progress they make is minimal. n Staff plan activities for children. Children have access to water play, dressing up and mark-making activities. However, children do not demonstrate positive

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need to do better?

attitudes to learning. Staff are not skilled at providing high-quality and challenging learning experiences. Children often lose interest or choose not to engage in the activities provided. They often wander around trying to occupy themselves. As a result, children do not make good progress in their learning and development. n Staff do not have a good enough understanding of how children learn. They often create learning targets for children that they are already competent in, or do not set targets that are specific to children's stage of development. Staff do not demonstrate an understanding of how to build on children's existing skills. As a result, children do not make good enough progress. n Children follow daily routines at nursery. They know when it is time to have lunch and respond positively when staff tell them it is time to go outside. Staff help children to recognise when the routine will change, such as singing tidy-up

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need to do better?

songs. Children respond to this with enjoyment, joining in actions and singing as they clear toys away. n Staff comment that they feel supported in their roles. They meet regularly with leaders and have opportunities to discuss their own well-being. n Parents say that their children are happy to attend the nursery, and that staff are friendly. They receive daily communication about what their children have been doing, which they appreciate.

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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.

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Due date

ensure staff identify risks to children and take action to remove or minimise them 04/07/2025

p.4

Due date

implement effective procedures to prevent unauthorised persons entering the premises 04/07/2025

p.4

Due date

ensure staff understand and implement suitable behaviour management strategies that support children's emotional development. 04/07/2025

p.4

Due date

ensure staff have the knowledge and training they need to support children with SEND, so that they make good progress 29/08/2025

p.4

Due date

provide staff with the support and mentoring they need to plan and deliver high-quality and challenging learning experiences for children 29/08/2025

p.4

Due date

provide staff with support to understand how children learn and what they need to learn next. 29/08/2025

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY414744 Local authority Coventry Inspection number 10404493 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

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

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inspection

Total number of places 102 Number of children on roll 159 Name of registered person Paradise Mobile Creche Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 02476 633 899 Date of previous inspection 10 April 2024

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Information about this early years setting

Little Swanswell Nursery registered in 2010 and is based in Coventry. The nursery employs 18 members of childcare staff. Of these, 12 hold appropriate early years qualifications from level 2 to level 5. The nursery is open from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am to 6pm. The nursery offers government funded places for childcare and receives specific funding for disadvantaged children.

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Inspection activities

n The manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want the children to learn. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n Staff spoke to the inspector about how they support children with SEND. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The inspector and the manager carried out a joint observation of a mathematical activity. n Parents and carers shared their views of the setting with the inspector. n The manager showed the inspector documentation to demonstrate the suitability of staff.

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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

6 June 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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