Blossom Patch Ltd - Wembley

Inclusion: Urgent improvement

Leaders' knowledge and understanding of identifying and supporting disadvantaged children is ineffective. Leaders and staff do not demonstrate the skills to swiftly identify those with barriers to learning or special educational needs and/or disabilities. Consequently, support for children is often inaccurate or non-existent for children who face barriers to learning. Staff fail to recognise any underlying behavioural needs, which may require support, adaptation and early intervention. Leaders' and staff's lack of understanding of the age, stage and ability of children means that children do not make secure progress in their learning and development.

Leaders do not have effective oversight of support for children known or previously known to social care. Leaders explain that they are aware of needs for these children but have not had any contact with the relevant agencies. Leaders' attitudes to supporting these children are poor and do not keep them safe or reduce barriers to their learning.

Leaders' lack of knowledge of referral processes means that children, who are due to join school, are not fully prepared and do not have the right support from professionals for this transition. Equally, leaders have not actively communicated with local schools to create partnerships that will support families as children move to school. This does not support children's wellbeing or future development.

Curriculum and teaching: Urgent improvement

Leaders have not implemented an ambitious curriculum for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Children with barriers to learning and SEND are not identified by leaders and staff and, therefore, they are not given opportunities to progress. Staff are unable to identify the needs of children, who have attended the nursery for some time and, therefore, do not know how to further their learning.

Leaders do not ensure that staff have a clear understanding of what they want children to learn. Leaders plan all activities for the children, which leads to some staff being unaware of the learning intentions. For example, staff were unable to explain what the purpose of a water activity was as they were 'just covering' the activity.

Leaders do not ensure that teaching is appropriate for the age and stage of each child. Young children are encouraged to engage with phonics sessions despite being in the early stages of developing language. Equally, leaders and staff are not able to extend children's learning. Children show excitement when an apple falls from a tree and they are told not to touch it as it is 'dirty'. They then become quickly disengaged and wander around not purposefully playing or learning. Consequently, learning is by chance and not design.

Achievement: Urgent improvement

Weaknesses in the curriculum and teaching mean that children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, do not make sufficient progress in their development. Children are unable to access high-quality learning experiences as the curriculum is not ambitious enough. As a result children are not supported to reach their full potential. Not every child is prepared for their next stage in learning, including their transition to school. This is because leaders lack the oversight of curriculum planning and implementation in the setting and teaching is not adapted to meet each child's individual needs. Therefore, children's achievement is limited.

Children show interest in their environment and use one or two words to attract staff attention, however, their interest wanes when staff do not respond in ways that support and extend learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Needs attention

Leaders and staff do not promote a positive attitude to learning. Children generally behave well, however, their behaviour is not consistently managed in an appropriate way. Due to weakness in leadership, staff are unaware of how to correctly support children's needs, such as supporting them at sleep times or engaging them in group activities safely.

Although routines have been implemented these are not yet fully embedded for all children, including for those who have, or may have, barriers to learning. For example, some children demonstrate their understanding of the routine before they eat. They line up for snack and know they must go and wash their hands. However, not all children are able to follow and understand the routine and leaders and staff do not make sufficient adaptations to support the children who need the extra help to understand this.

Leaders and staff demonstrate a different understanding of the attendance policy. As a result of this, expectations for children's attendance are not consistent and staff do not demonstrate knowledge of the impact and importance of regular attendance to develop good habits for their future education or from a safeguarding point of view.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Urgent improvement

Leaders do not prioritise children's wellbeing and welfare. Leaders' lack of safeguarding understanding means that staff do not have the appropriate checks to ensure they are suitable to work with children. This places children at risk of harm.

Leaders and staff do not support children's social and emotional wellbeing or individual care needs. For example, staff are not skilled enough to support children's wellbeing during times of change in the daily routine, such as settling children to sleep. Policies and procedures do not reflect staff practice to support children's health and welfare. For example, staff do not identify risks and fail to implement effective risk assessments, such as the routines around sleep time.

The key-person system is not robust enough to meet the needs of the children, especially those who have, or may have, barriers to learning and/or special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders and staff fail to identify the emerging needs of children, including those who have attended the nursery for a significant amount of time. They are unable to plan appropriately to meet children's needs or support them effectively. As a result of this, some children are not engaged in learning and may not reach their full potential. Children's key people do not have detailed knowledge of children's individual circumstances, such as updates to health or care needs, or any changes that may require extra monitoring to promote a child's health and wellbeing. As a result of this, staff cannot effectively support children's welfare and wellbeing.

Leadership and governance: Urgent improvement

Senior leaders' lack of oversight and understanding of their statutory responsibilities has led to breaches in the early years foundation stage requirements that put children at risk. Setting leaders trust others to complete safer recruitment checks and do not follow this up when new staff commence employment at the setting. Due to these errors of judgement, unchecked staff and those whose checks are not appropriate start working at the setting and fulfil childcare duties, including intimate care.

Leaders do not set clear expectations surrounding behaviour management and do not ensure that staff act appropriately, when dealing with any challenging behaviour children display. Leaders' own lack of skill means that they cannot model and support practice appropriately.

All leaders show limited capacity to improve the quality of the provision and lack the ability to identify and address weaknesses in practice, which leads to breaches in requirements. Staff speak positively about working within the setting and their leaders. However, the induction and monitoring processes are weak and do not give staff the tools they need to ensure practice meets high standards for children. Leaders set targets for staff that are generic and do not specifically identify the areas of improvement they need as individuals. Staff lack a clear understanding of child development and how to sequence learning appropriately to meet children's needs according to their age and stage of development. Setting leaders are not supported to manage their workload and provide quality care effectively.

Overall, parents speak positively about the nursery and the information that they receive about their children's progress. They feel confident to address any concerns should they arise. Leaders arrange regular opportunities for parents to visit and spend time with their children in the setting. For example, they celebrated Father's Day and invited parents in to read to their children.