Bright Swans Day Nursery

Inclusion: Needs attention

Leaders do not always monitor the quality of provision on offer to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As a result, staff are not consistently supported to plan and implement an appropriate curriculum, tailored to meet the needs of individual children. This does not always promote children's engagement in purposeful learning and hinders the progress they make. Staff do not always make adaptations to activities to enable children with SEND to actively engage in learning opportunities and interact with their peers.

Leaders offer flexibility across sessions to parents to promote regular attendance and children's inclusion in all activities offered by the setting. They work with different professionals, when needed, to support children who are known to children's social care or face barriers to their learning. Leaders demonstrate a good understanding of how they would support children who are disadvantaged and how they would use additional funding to support their learning and development. Leaders and staff typically support the communication and language skills of children who speak English as an additional language. They routinely share words in English and in children's home language to support this area of their development and their ability to follow simple routines.

Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention

The implementation of the curriculum and quality of teaching is variable and inconsistent across the setting. Staff do not consistently extend children's play. For example, during role play, staff do not always engage in purposeful conversation with children to extend their vocabulary and develop their understanding. Younger children do not benefit from the same opportunities to develop their mathematical skills. This limits children's learning during some activities.

Staff are sometimes unsure how to meet the individual needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They fail to implement effective strategies, such as using simplified language and encouragement to help children with SEND take part in activities and follow routines. This limits the progress they make and impacts their engagement and enjoyment of learning.

Leaders have designed a curriculum that covers all areas of learning. Staff sometimes support children's communication and language skills. Older children learn to understand simple mathematical concepts as they sort and group objects according to their colour. Children have opportunities to play outside, where they develop their physical and social skills. Older children ride in cars, navigating their way around obstacles. Younger children develop coordination skills as they wait patiently, taking turns to climb the steps to a slide. They smile as they reach the top, before sliding down.

Achievement: Needs attention

Children's achievement is limited because the curriculum is not consistently taught well. Some children are not developing the knowledge and skills expected for their age and stage of development as a result. Some children's progress in communication and language is inconsistent because staff do not always play alongside them and support their language effectively.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not always make sufficient progress. Their engagement in learning is sometimes hindered by staff's lack of knowledge of their key children. At times, staff demonstrate uncertainty about how to interact and engage with children with SEND to support their learning. This does not secure better outcomes for children.

Children gain skills in preparation for their move to school. Many children learn new vocabulary and language as they share stories and sing songs and rhymes with staff. With staff supervision and prompts, children learn independence skills, such as putting on their own coats and hanging their belongings on pegs. Some children learn to recognise their names in print.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Needs attention

Weaknesses in teaching and the curriculum sometimes impact on children's behaviour and attitudes. Staff do not always develop a thorough knowledge of their key children. This does not always promote the individual needs of children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, or benefit their progress and wellbeing. This impacts on children's learning and the progress that children can make.

Leaders and staff typically have high expectations for children's behaviour. Staff and children develop positive relationships. Children approach staff for help and assistance when needed, demonstrating that they feel safe and secure in their care. Children typically play well with their friends, taking turns and sharing resources.

Sleep routines are well established within the setting. Staff understand how to place babies down to sleep in line with government safety guidelines. They undertake checks to ensure babies' continued safety and comfort while sleeping.

Leaders and staff recognise the importance of regular attendance for children. They monitor children's attendance and punctuality through a daily register. Leaders follow up absences with calls and home visits, if necessary, to ensure children's safety and wellbeing.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Needs attention

Children's welfare and safety are not consistently prioritised by leaders and staff. Children are not always supervised safely. For example, children play in areas outside where they remain out of sight and hearing of staff. This does not promote children's wellbeing and safety effectively and is a breach of early years requirements. The daily checks that staff undertake do not always identify hazards effectively. For example, broken gate latches compromise the security of the perimeter fencing, allowing access to areas unsuitable for children to play. This does not consistently promote children's safety and wellbeing.

When children become upset or frustrated, staff offer children care and compassion. Babies are supported to settle quickly, receiving reassuring hugs from the caring staff and building warm, positive relationships. This supports babies to feel safe and secure in the care of the staff.

Children learn to use the toilet independently, washing their hands after each visit. Older children learn the importance of good oral health. They clean their teeth after mealtimes and learn why foods high in sugar are not good for their teeth. This promotes healthy lifestyles for children. Children have daily opportunities to play outside in the fresh air, promoting their physical development.

Leaders provide healthy and nutritious meals and snacks for children. Staff supervise children well when they eat. Leaders act on children's medical needs. They create and implement care plans that are shared with staff to promote children's wellbeing.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Leaders have failed to notify Ofsted of a significant event. They have committed an offence by failing to inform Ofsted of a fire at the setting. Since the incident and our regulatory visit where actions were raised, leaders have taken appropriate action. A full fire risk assessment has been completed, and regular fire drills are now undertaken. This helps to promote children's safety.

Leaders do not always ensure that staff implement robust risk assessments to ensure children's safety and wellbeing when playing outside. For example, the risks of gathered rainwater on sandpit covers are not minimised or removed by staff when completing their daily checks. This is a breach of early years requirements and does not support children's safety and wellbeing effectively.

Leaders' plans for professional development are not sufficiently focused on improving the quality of teaching. Consequently, the curriculum is not always taught well, which impacts on children's learning and the progress they make.

Leaders do not consistently ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are taught well to ensure that their individual needs are met. For example, staff do not always demonstrate a thorough knowledge of their key children, identifying what it is they need to learn next. Some parents feel uninformed about their children's key person. Leaders, therefore, do not ensure that an effective key-person system to promote positive relationships with parents and children is in place to help meet children's individual needs and wellbeing.

Leaders ensure that staff undertake mandatory training, such as safeguarding and paediatric first aid, to promote children's safety and wellbeing. The staff team reports that it has regular supervisions and feels supported by leaders. Parents feel informed about their children's daily activities and routines.