Teeny Feet Day Nursery

Inspection of Teeny Feet Day Nursery 118 Dargets Road, Chatham ME5 8BP

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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

Leaders and managers do not ensure that children are safe and secure at all times. For example, they do not ensure that all staff know the correct safeguarding procedures if they are concerned about children or a member of staff's conduct. They do not ensure that staff are adequately trained and have the appropriate knowledge and skills with regard to meeting the needs of the youngest children, including how to put babies to sleep safely. Risk assessments are not securely in place to ensure the premises are safe and suitable and that staff can identify risks and hazards to children's safety and welfare. Children's well-being is compromised.

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The provision is inadequate

Leaders and managers do not ensure support is in place for staff to plan an ambitious curriculum, which meets the needs of all children. Staff do not provide activities and experiences that encourage children to be curious and motivated learners. This impacts negatively on children's engagement and, at times, their behaviour. For instance, during some periods of the day children become bored. They display poor behaviour, such as climbing on tables. This lack of engagement in well-planned, meaningful learning means they do not make the progress they are capable of.

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The provision is inadequate

However, staff do provide children with cuddles and comfort. They sing songs and rhymes to children. Older children arrive happily. Children respond to staff's instructions and demonstrate they know the routines of the setting. For example, they join in with handwashing at lunchtime and older children help to tidy up.

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need to do better?

n Leaders and managers have not ensured all previous actions set have been met and have failed to improve practice and comply with requirements. For example, they do not ensure safeguarding policies are up to date and that staff know the correct processes to follow if they were concerned about children's welfare. n Staff with responsibility for safeguarding are not confident in their knowledge of where to go if they had concerns about a child or if an allegation was made against them. This means all staff are not fully equipped to understand their roles and responsibilities. n Supervision arrangements are not in place for all staff. They do not all have opportunities to reflect on their practice and identify areas for development or further training. This impacts significantly on the quality of practice and provision. n Leaders and staff do not organise the premises to support children to be safe and secure. At times, children are able to access areas of the setting

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need to do better?

independently, posing a safety risk. Staff do not routinely follow correct and up- to-date health and safety and fire legislation. This poses a significant risk to

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need to do better?

22 September 2025 children's safety and welfare. n Staff are not competent in their understanding of how to keep babies and children safe in the setting. Staff deployed with babies have not had appropriate training to care for them, particularly related to safe sleep routines. For instance, at times, staff encourage babies to sleep when drinking from bottles, posing a choking hazard. Staff fail to teach younger children important skills, such as how to keep themselves safe. n Leaders do not routinely ensure that staff identify risks and hazards, especially outside. Resources are not clean and hygienic. Babies crawl on dirty carpets and staff do not check cot bedding is clean before putting babies to sleep to prevent any risk of cross contamination of germs. Practice does not support children's good health or help to teach children about good hygiene practices. n Staff's teaching is variable and of inconsistent quality. For instance, children do

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need to do better?

not have opportunities to extend their imagination and skills, such as during creative experiences. Babies are often left to explore toys independently without staff supporting their engagement, understanding and development further. At times, children are disengaged and unfocused and their behaviour becomes disruptive. n The curriculum is not well designed. Staff do not plan activities well enough to support children's enjoyment and their individual next steps in learning. They do not appropriately structure their interactions to ensure children are able to develop key skills and build on what they already know and can do. This impacts on the progress all children can make. n Children have some suitable opportunities to develop their language skills. For instance, older children explore books independently. Some staff introduce words such as pine cone and leopard to support children's vocabulary. n Staff share information with parents about what their children have been doing.

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need to do better?

They provide individual support where needed and give advice to parents to help them. Parents report that they appreciate the more nutritious and balanced menus that their children experience following the improvements leaders have made to the meals they provide.

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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 all safeguarding policies and procedures are up to date and accurately reflect local safeguarding partnership reporting procedures 15/10/2025

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Due date

improve staff's knowledge and understanding of the setting's safeguarding policy and procedures, so that all staff are confident to know what to do if they are concerned about a child or if they were to make an allegation about an adult 15/10/2025

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Due date

improve staff's knowledge, skills and understanding, particularly for those staff with responsibility for babies, to ensure staff are competent and confident to fulfil their roles and responsibilities 15/10/2025

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Due date

ensure the premises remain safe and suitable for babies and children and that fire exits are free from obstruction and can be opened at all times in the event of a fire 15/10/2025

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Due date

ensure all staff working with the youngest children know how to keep babies safe when they are sleeping, including how to put babies to sleep safely in line with latest government guidelines 15/10/2025

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Due date

improve staff's understanding of how to identify risks and hazards within the setting, ensuring daily risk assessments and checks are carried out to ensure babies and children remain safe. 15/10/2025

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Due date

22 September 2025 support staff to implement a curriculum which is ambitious and provides children with challenging learning experiences to help them make good progress from their starting points. 15/10/2025

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY482828 Local authority Medway Inspection number 10420214 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 30 Number of children on roll 22 Name of registered person Longe, Marian Adebimpe Ifoma

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reference number

Telephone number 01634 864076 Date of previous inspection 1 April 2022

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Information about this early years setting

Teeny Feet Day Nursery registered in 2014. It is situated in Lordswood, near Chatham, Kent. The nursery is open from 7.30am to 6pm every weekday for 50 weeks of the year. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are seven members of staff who work at the nursery, including the manager. Of these, five hold relevant early years qualifications from level 3 to level 5.

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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 manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want their children to learn. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The manager and inspector carried out a joint observation during a lunchtime activity. n The inspector observed the interactions between staff and children. n The manager showed the inspector various documentation upon request. n Parents shared their views of the provision with the inspector.

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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

22 September 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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