Ab Day Nursery

Inspection of Ab Day Nursery 21 Station Road, Swanley BR8 8ES

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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 Requires improvement

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The provision is inadequate

There are breaches to requirements that compromise children's safety and well- being. Staff fail to supervise meals closely, and some children wait too long or reach for plates. Additionally, leaders and staff do not have a secure understanding of the procedures to follow to manage safeguarding concerns. As a result, leaders and staff do not keep children consistently safe.

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The provision is inadequate

Leaders have implemented a curriculum that does not match children's ages and stages of development. As such, staff overlook what children need to learn next, and learning lacks focus. This does not enable children to engage well in their learning and make good progress in their development.

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The provision is inadequate

Despite this, children usually build warm relationships with familiar staff and settle quickly on arrival. Staff are mostly alert to children's needs and generally comfort and reassure them, helping children feel secure. Staff get to know children well by working closely with parents to ensure that appropriate information is shared. Leaders and staff use this information to consider how they can support children. For instance, staff offer hugs and sing familiar songs to new children. They also organise role-play activities to help prepare children for new experiences, such as seeing the doctor. This goes some way to meeting children's emotional needs.

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need to do better?

n Since the last inspection, leaders have taken some steps to address the weaknesses identified. For instance, they ensure they meet the qualification ratio requirements, and staff complete mandatory training. Leaders also encourage and support staff to undertake further training. However, there are weaknesses in leadership and governance, which impact negatively on the quality of experiences that children receive at the nursery. For instance, leaders and staff fail to follow safeguarding procedures and do not know how to respond when concerns arise. This failure places children at risk of harm. n Leaders have designed a curriculum that is not matched to children's ages or stages of development. Expectations are too ambitious, and staff are unclear about what children need to learn next. Leaders and staff identify children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and work with parents and external

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need to do better?

agencies to support their needs. However, they do not evaluate how effectively this support helps children to make progress. As a result, staff do not plan effectively to close gaps in learning, and some children do not make the progress they should. n Staff report that they enjoy working at the nursery and that they have a good working relationship with leaders. However, the coaching and mentoring that leaders provide for staff is ineffective, which does not enable them to develop

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need to do better?

17 September 2025 the skills to keep children safe or to support their learning. For example, as babies play with the soft-play equipment, staff do not give them the appropriate support to use it safely. This results in babies bumping and falling over each other. Leaders observe this weak practice and fail to step in or give clear guidance. n Staff fail to organise mealtimes effectively. They do not communicate well with each other, which results in children waiting too long for food to be served and not being supervised appropriately. For instance, staff put their backs to children while they eat, and they fail to notice them reaching out for plates of leftover food. This does not help to keep children safe. n Although leaders and staff consider ways to support children's learning, teaching is inconsistent. Some staff support children's play well, such as encouraging younger children to explore textured books to build on their developing language

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need to do better?

skills. However, other staff fail to extend learning or build on what children already know. Staff do not always recognise when to step in or how to challenge children's thinking. As a result, children's progress is uneven, and they do not gain the knowledge and skills they need.

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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 all staff, including safeguarding leads, follow the procedure for concerns and allegations against staff to keep children safe 21/10/2025

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Due date

plan and deliver an age- and stage- appropriate curriculum and set clear next steps for each child to close gaps in learning 21/10/2025

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Due date

ensure leaders coach, mentor and check staff practice effectively, giving precise feedback that improves teaching 21/10/2025

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Due date

17 September 2025 organise mealtimes effectively so staff supervise children well and keep them safe. 21/10/2025

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2787607 Local authority Kent Inspection number 10380133 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 28 Number of children on roll 25 Name of registered person AB childcare3 Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 07393301691 Date of previous inspection 27 November 2024

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Information about this early years setting

Ab Day Nursery registered in April 2024 and is in Swanley, Kent. The nursery is open all year round, Monday to Friday, from 7am to 6.30pm. The nursery provides funded early education for children. The nursery employs six members of childcare staff. Four staff members hold relevant qualifications at level 3.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector completed a learning walk with the owner to review the curriculum and what leaders intend children to learn. n Staff spoke to the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector spoke with the owner about the leadership and management of the setting. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this had on children's learning. n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.

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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

17 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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