Dalton Pre-School Nursery

Inclusion: Needs attention

Support for children, including those with identified barriers to learning and those who need additional help or adaptations, is not targeted or addressed effectively by staff.

Overall, staff are able to identify children with emerging or known needs. However, not all of these children receive the timely, targeted support necessary to sustain their learning and development. For example, at times, some children with recognised barriers to their learning do not receive quality interactions and support for their learning and progress. Similarly, some of the children, including those who struggle with their behaviour, do not consistently receive the guidance and intervention required to help them regulate, participate and learn successfully. Without targeted strategies and consistent adult support, these children are at some risk of falling behind socially, emotionally and developmentally.

Some children benefit from effective one-to-one support that meets their individual needs well. However, at times, some children with recognised barriers to their learning do not receive quality interactions and support for their learning and progress. Leaders responsible for the work of special educational needs and/or disabilities understand their roles in early and accurate assessments of children's needs. Additionally, they work in partnership with other professionals to support children's development.

Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention

Some staff are less skilled and confident than others to teach the curriculum well. This means that, in these situations, children do not learn and achieve as well as they should. Although a range of indoor and outdoor activities are available for children, some staff do not always use activities purposefully to build on what children already know.

Staff communicate with children, but there is not a strong or sustained focus on developing all children's communication and language skills. For example, at times, staff supervise rather than interact, which reduces opportunities for meaningful conversations and vocabulary development.

Leaders are ambitious for the curriculum and want teaching to support children's learning well. When teaching is of a better quality, staff plan purposeful opportunities for language, such as singing and sharing stories. Staff also introduce mathematical ideas appropriately, encouraging children to explore shape and colour. Due to these variations in practice, communication and language are not implemented as leaders intend. Although staff make efforts to create inviting spaces, ongoing building work restricts some areas, and children are not consistently supported to make the progress they are capable of.

Children enjoy physical play, such as climbing and kicking balls, and for babies, using walkers to develop early mobility. While these experiences are positive, they are not consistently linked to clear learning intentions, which limits the progress children make.

Achievement: Needs attention

Children who need additional help, including those with barriers to their learning, do not always receive timely or sustained adaptations. As a result, some children do not make the expected progress, which somewhat limits their development for future learning. Some children are developing independence and can make choices in their play. However, some younger children struggle to manage their emotions and interactions, and inconsistent staff responses mean that they do not always learn how to play safely or cooperatively with others.

Children are beginning to develop curiosity, independence and early social skills, but inconsistent practice means that these emerging strengths are not always built on as effectively as they could be.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Urgent improvement

Children's behaviour is not managed effectively across the setting, and inconsistent practice is having an impact on their wellbeing and learning. This is particularly evident in the toddler room, where most staff do not apply behaviour expectations consistently. Explanations are often unclear or not given at all, leaving children unsure about what is expected of them. As a result, some children are not developing the social skills they need to build positive relationships or positive attitudes to learning. In addition, some staff overlook incidents of inappropriate behaviour, and poor behaviour is not always addressed. This leads to some children repeatedly showing low levels of respect for others. In some cases, children appear fearful or unsettled by the behaviour of their peers, which affects their confidence and their ability to engage in play. These weaknesses show that behaviour management is not consistent or effective.

Children are not supported in all rooms to understand boundaries, control their emotions or interact positively with others. However, when behaviour is managed well, particularly by some staff and specifically in the baby room, praise and encouragement are used effectively to help children understand expectations and feel proud of their achievements. Overall, most children demonstrate that they are happy to attend the setting and have developed some warm and trusting relationships with staff. They seek adults for comfort, and older children share their ideas confidently. Children's attendance is monitored well. Leaders track patterns carefully and follow up promptly when children are absent. They work closely with families to encourage regular attendance, which helps children benefit from consistent routines.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Urgent improvement

Leaders do not ensure that risk assessments are effective or that these inform staff practice. This results in several areas that are not safe or suitable for the children. For example, individuals who are not known to staff or children can gain access to the building. Leaders do not ensure that staff consistently follow risk assessment procedures for securing the premises, and doors are occasionally left unlocked after parents and carers leave. This presents a safeguarding risk and compromises children's safety. In addition, fire evacuation routes are not always kept clear, despite risk assessments being completed. Items such as boxes and cots are left in walkways or near exits, which could slow down evacuation in an emergency. This lack of attention to maintaining safe escape routes places children and staff at risk.

Leaders do not ensure that staff adequately supervise children at all times when they are eating. Staff frequently leave children unattended while they are eating. This lack of action increases the risk of a choking child not being noticed or first aid not being applied quickly. Although staff are aware of the importance of supervising children and the procedures for doing so, in practice they do not always implement this consistently across all rooms. This is because leaders have not sufficiently checked that staff follow policies and procedures designed to keep children safe.

Leaders and staff follow hygiene practices effectively. Staff promote children's independence well by encouraging confidence, exploration and social interaction from an early age. Each child is allocated a key person who knows them well, and parents are aware of who is caring for and supporting their child.

Leadership and governance: Urgent improvement

Actions taken by leaders to address weaknesses in practice have been insufficient and have not ensured that children's health, wellbeing and safety are protected. Breaches in statutory requirements, including weaknesses in risk assessments and safer eating, are not consistently maintained. Leaders have not ensured that all requirements are met, and ongoing failures have a significant impact on children's safety and overall welfare. Following a recent notification of a safeguarding incident, the provider has revisited the procedures to be followed to ensure that all staff working with children are suitable.

Leaders and staff do not have a clear understanding of the quality of provision. Arrangements for monitoring, supervision and observation of staff practice are not effective. As a result, poor practice, especially in the toddler room, is not challenged effectively, allowing inconsistencies in staff teaching to persist. Leaders' systems for coaching, monitoring and supervising staff do not provide staff with the clear guidance and support they need to grow and improve their work with children. Although staff have opportunities to discuss their work with leaders, they are not provided with the precise, tailored support needed to improve performance and provide high-quality care and education for children. As a result, weaknesses in teaching, safeguarding and support for behaviour are not addressed effectively.

Leaders make certain that safe recruitment procedures are in place and all staff have the required checks to ensure that they are suitable to work with children. Leaders have not ensured that staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities, for example regarding local risks to children.

Parents and carers speak positively about their relationships with staff and the management team. They clearly value the ethos of the nursery and feel their children are happy and making progress.