Bright Horizons Balham Day Nursery and Preschool

Inclusion: Needs attention

Leaders have not ensured staff knowledge and effective deployment of key staff to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those facing barriers to learning. Therefore, children are often supported by adults who have limited understanding of their specific learning plans and individual needs. Staff are unable to discuss the plans in place for each child as their key person is not in. Therefore, children have nothing in their daily environment to support them and wander around, disengaged from their learning. For example, a child with identified needs wanders regularly in and out of the bathroom, and staff respond that this is typical as they 'love water'. Despite staff knowing the child's interest, they did not adapt the environment to support their interests and build upon what they already know. The poor provision on offer does not support children to develop their skills and have a sense of belonging.

Leaders are able to identify and assess the individual needs of children with SEND and work closely with parents and external professionals. Parents discuss that leaders have supported them with the specific needs of their children. However, weaknesses and inconsistencies in the implementation of the curriculum do not consistently ensure children with SEND and those facing barriers to learning benefit from the plans in place for them.

Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention

Although leaders understand the need for an ambitious curriculum that identifies children's individual needs, this has not yet been fully embedded and understood by all staff. Consequently, children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, spend a significant amount of time engaged in unstructured free play with limited appropriate interaction from adults. For example, young children move around the space without intention. When young children engage with a stacking activity, staff do not model or extend their learning or remind them of sharing and waiting their turn, which does not meet their developmental needs.

Leaders have not ensured that adults are sufficiently trained to provide high-quality teaching. Therefore, children's access to a language-rich environment with opportunities to learn new vocabulary or read books is limited. For example, some staff sit at activities and do not engage or communicate often with younger children while they play. Older children who are more able are left to lie down on bean bags with no encouragement to engage in activities. This does not support children to develop early language skills or have a positive attitude to their learning.

Older children have opportunities to explore the outdoor space. They receive support to throw balls and build their physical skills. Younger children have an environment that supports them to move freely in the space, with furniture at differing heights to support early walking skills. However, staff do not consistently support young children to build these skills and often lift them to move them around the space.

Achievement: Needs attention

Children's level of achievement is variable as the curriculum has not yet been embedded. Children are not consistently interacted with to support the development of their language skills and do not achieve as well as they could. Consequently, young children have limited speech and spend long periods of time without interactions from staff. Children who speak English as an additional language are supported by leaders, who gain key words from parents or use signs to support their language development. However, this is not typically used in practice by children's key staff which limits their ongoing progress.

Older children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, spend time in mixed-age groups, and staff discuss that children who will be transitioning to school receive focused times in the day, to support building their skills. However, children do not always receive the support they need to help them achieve. For example, children who are due to transition to school are listening to a story which is frequently interrupted as staff are trying to meet the needs of younger children. Therefore, children quickly lose interest and do not engage with the story. This weakens the development that children can make to support their next steps in learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Urgent improvement

Leaders have clear and appropriate expectations for behaviour management throughout the nursery. However, these are not consistently met due to the inconsistencies and weak deployment of staffing. Leaders' high workload means they are unable to ensure that staff implement them successfully. Staff do not consistently support children to have a positive attitude to learning and fail to correct unwanted behaviours. For example, older children run around in the classroom and staff do not address these behaviours. This does not support children to understand risks to their own or others' safety and wellbeing.

Staff provide an engaging environment for children to explore but fail to support all children to access this effectively. Younger children who do not yet have the required physical skills to transition alone are left to watch other children playing in a separate space with no intervention from the team. This shows a lack of awareness from staff of the abilities of children according to their individual needs and age and stage of development.

Leaders show awareness of the importance of children's attendance. Staff discuss why children are absent with leaders and log the reason for absence. Leaders and staff have taken steps to build a routine across the nursery which is mostly followed throughout the day. Older children receive support to transition from garden time into their main room, and have behaviour expectations explained to them. However, younger children do not receive support from staff that know them well at mealtimes when unwanted behaviours arise, such as climbing on chairs. Children manage to regulate and calm themselves down and enjoy their mealtime with their friends.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Urgent improvement

Leaders do not ensure that all staff, including temporary staff, follow the setting's policies and procedures. Inconsistencies in staffing and staff understanding leads to practice that is not appropriate. For example, when staff want children to transition to a different space, they do not always handle them appropriately to guide children and support them to move safely. This does not promote the safety and wellbeing of children, and children are at risk of harm.

Leaders and staff do not adequately identify, assess and eliminate risks to children. Additionally, children are not encouraged to understand risks and how to keep themselves safe. In the outdoor area, leaves and debris are present in an area that has been designed for young children. These risks were not rectified, despite the area being described as ready for young children to use. This shows a lack of staff awareness of how to ensure spaces are safe for all children. Similarly, the provision for nappy changing for young children posed risks of cross-contamination. Despite leaders' intervention, staff continued to follow poor practice throughout the day. This poor practice has significant impact on children's welfare and wellbeing.

The key-person arrangements are poor and do not ensure that staff understand their responsibilities to meet children's, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and barriers to learning, individual needs. Due to current staffing issues, children do not always have a key person available or anyone who can accurately identify their needs or areas of development. Consequently, children of all ages have limited opportunities to develop their skills in all areas of learning. The lack of consistency in staffing impacts upon children's sense of belonging and security in the setting.

Leadership and governance: Urgent improvement

Leaders do not ensure that staff are able to keep children safe. The provider notified Ofsted of a significant event regarding an injury to a child. Leaders responded promptly by instigating a full investigation, reviewing staff procedures and accident and injury procedures. However, leaders have not ensured that these procedures are embedded in staff practice. Children are not appropriately handled or supported by all staff, including temporary staff. Equally, children have accidents which go unnoticed by staff. This significantly impacts upon children's wellbeing and safety. Consequently, leaders have failed to meet statutory requirements.

Leaders do not ensure the ongoing suitability and skills of staff to achieve the best outcomes for children. Despite having regular training opportunities and supervision meetings, staff are not clear on their responsibilities, leading to breaches in requirements. Staff who have worked at the setting for a considerable amount of time are unable to follow the setting's policies and procedures, posing significant risks to children. Equally, agency staff who have completed an induction are unaware of the appropriate way to behave towards children that supports children's personal boundaries.

Senior leaders have not provided appropriate support for the setting. They have failed to ensure that there is a suitable deputy manager who can take charge in the absence of the manager. Equally, senior leaders and leaders have not ensured that staffing and deployment is effective, and, therefore, leaders have limited opportunities to support for weaknesses in staff practice to be rectified. The inconsistency and lack of quality in staffing have a significant impact on children's experiences and their overall safety, which leads to breaches in requirements.

Leaders and staff have secure relationships with parents who feel they support them and put plans in place for their children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and barriers to learning. Overall, parents show confidence in the setting.