Little Gem's Childcare

Inclusion: Urgent improvement

Staff have not been trained to fully understand the strategies that leaders have put in place to support children with special educational need and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders themselves have received training to support them to identify the needs of children with SEND, and those who have other barriers to achievement. For example, they are aware of children who speak English as an additional language and they seek to understand children's language development in their first language. Leaders work with parents to learn about children's experiences at home. This helps to fully understand what it is that children need and guide parents on any other support they can access if needed. There are some plans in place to try and support children's individual needs. For example, it has been identified that some children benefit from specific communication support through signing. However, the inconsistencies in the implementation of the plans and children do not benefit from them. Consequently, barriers that children may experience to achievement are not being consistently removed to support their overall development.

Leaders have begun to work with external professionals to access further guidance. However, this does not show any positive impact currently.

Curriculum and teaching: Urgent improvement

The curriculum is not implemented effectively to ensure that children benefit from it. Leaders have identified a curriculum of what they want all children to learn based on the needs of the children that attend the setting. However, staff do not have a clear understanding of what it is that they should be teaching children. At times, children are given activities, but these are often to keep them occupied and do not provide a purpose for building or learning their new skills. For example, older children use water and brushes to make marks in the garden. At times, children wander around and are not purposefully playing or learning. This impacts on their behaviour. Consequently, any learning taking place is more by chance.

Where possible, staff do speak to children kindly. For example, they give them praise as they try new food at lunch time. Children do ask staff for help if they need it or something they would like to play with. Mostly, children learn some social skills. For example, they talk to each other and chase each other excitedly. However, these times can become chaotic as children find ways to entertain themselves.

Achievement: Urgent improvement

Due to the weakness in the curriculum and teaching, children's progress is not consistent and cannot be attributed to their time at the nursery. Children do not receive the individualised support that would enable them to build new skills. They do not have consistent opportunities to build on their knowledge through purposeful planned play experiences. This means that children's engagement in learning is variable which impacts on their development. Children show an understanding of the routines within the nursery. For example, they know to line up to wash their hands before mealtimes. Children learn that sun cream should be applied to keep them safe outside.

Children do not consistently build the skills and knowledge to help them to be ready for their next stage of learning at school.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Urgent improvement

The support for children's behaviour is inconsistent. The strategies that are in place for children are not fully understood by all staff and as a result, are inconsistently implemented and have limited impact. However, some younger children have benefitted from staff input. For example, observations of their behaviour have led to identifying what triggers their actions and staff have given guidance which has proved successful. Overall, the nursery environment is chaotic as children begin to argue as they become bored. Staff do not consistently role model what is expected from children as they call across the room to pass messages or gain children's attention.

Staff build relationships with children. They are warm and caring and children go to them for cuddles. However, the weaknesses in the key-person approach impact on children's experiences. Children do not consistently spend time with their key person. This is because leaders have placed children in different-age grouped rooms if they do not have space in an older room. For example, staff working in the baby room do not know toddlers' individual next steps. They are not able to tailor the support they receive to meet their individual needs. Leaders promote regular attendance at the nursery. There are established systems for following up with parents if children do not attend.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Urgent improvement

Policies to support hygiene standards are not consistently implemented by staff. For example, staff do not consistently follow the nappy-changing procedures to ensure that they are hygienic. Despite this, children learn some hygiene practice such as washing their hands before eating.

Children receive meals that have been cooked on site. However, leaders and staff do not ensure that the food is safely stored and served for children in line with food safety standards. For example, meals are prepared far in advance of being served and left on the side for significant lengths of time before being given to children without being checked.

Babies and toddlers are put down to sleep in beds of a poor standard. Staff do change the sheets for each child which are washed, however the mattresses and beds are either significantly ripped or stained from previous use. Leaders have not ensured that they have suitable waterproof covers so they can be hygienically cleaned.

Babies and some toddlers do not have daily opportunities to play and learn outside. The nursery garden is not deemed safe enough and staff do not take children outside daily as required to support children's overall learning and development. Older children have the opportunity to use the nursery garden but not all children have this planned daily.

Leadership and governance: Urgent improvement

Leaders do not have a clear understanding of the quality of the nursery. They were not aware of most aspects of the concerns raised at the inspection. This means there is a lack of clear oversight and evaluation of practice.

Leaders have not identified that there is not enough staff to ensure that they are able to manage the workload they have. In addition, there are not enough qualified staff to meet requirements. Leaders have not reviewed the routines and how the setting operates to ensure that some of these challenges can be addressed appropriately.

The supervision of staff is not effective. For example, staff share that they feel under pressure and due to the current staffing levels, they have not had suitable one-to-one sessions with leaders for some time. Communication from leaders is not consistent so that staff have a clear understanding of what is expected of them. For example, how the curriculum should be delivered. Staff receive some training for their roles, such as food-hygiene training. However, this has not raised standards in relation to suitable food handling processes as children are served food that have not been safely stored. There are suitable levels of paediatric first-aid trained staff.

Leaders have not established suitable links with other settings that children attend. Staff are not aware of children's experiences or support that they receive in other settings. This means that staff are not able to provide continuity of care effectively. Parents share that leaders do respond to concerns that they have and make suitable changes where needed. Staff report when children have had accidents to parents.