Mulberry Roots Limited

Inclusion: Needs attention

Recent staffing changes have resulted in the quality of provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) being reduced. Leaders do not have a clear oversight of what support is needed or is being provided to individual children. Those who coordinate the support for children with SEND are undertaking training to fully implement their role. This is ongoing and is not yet fully embedded in practice. This means that staff do not always make the required adaptations to activities to enable children with SEND to actively engage in learning opportunities. For instance, during literacy activities, children with SEND are unable to join in because the task is too far beyond their level of understanding. Where staff know children's needs well, some adaptations are effective. For example, staff use 'Now and Next' and communication boards to help children understand the routine.

Support for children who speak English as an additional language is limited. For example, staff do not know the languages children speak at home. This means they are not able to support their transition to the setting effectively. As a result, some children find it hard to settle into nursery life.

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of how to support children who are disadvantaged. They use additional funding appropriately to enable children to experience cultural activities that promote learning. For example, leaders involve the child, parent and the key person in deciding how additional funding is used.

Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention

Since the last inspection, the curriculum has been improved. Leaders have now put in place a broad and ambitious curriculum for children. It is suitably challenging and covers all the areas of learning. However, the delivery of the curriculum is too variable. Some teaching supports children to gain the essential knowledge they need, but, often, teaching is ineffective. For instance, sessions are not always well planned. When reading stories, children's attention is not always captured. Some children lose concentration quickly and do not benefit from the shared reading. Leaders have not ensured that staff have the skills they need to deliver the curriculum effectively.

Children engage well in self-chosen activities. There is a good balance of adult- and child-led activities throughout the day. The environment is well planned and resourced to support independent play and exploration. For instance, children develop their understanding of the world as they play with train sets. Toddlers develop their physical skills climbing on apparatus, and babies' sensory development is supported listening to the noise of musical instruments.

Staff sometimes fail to recognise how they can adapt activities and routines to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). For instance, children with SEND are expected to join in with activities such as learning about letters and the sounds they make. This is beyond their stage of development. This limits the progress they make and impacts on their engagement and enjoyment of learning.

Achievement: Needs attention

Children's achievement is not steady and assured because the curriculum is not taught well enough. Children do not make the progress expected for their age and stage. The interactions between staff and children do not consistently promote communication and language development. For instance, at times, staff close down children's attempts to communicate. Staff do not consistently extend the back-and-forth conversations with children. This means children do not gain the skills they need for onward learning.

Children's progress is limited. Although activities are planned to support children's development, some staff do not play alongside children to model the intended learning. For instance, staff plan for children to develop awareness of positional language. However, staff do not support this play. Consequently, children do not learn how to describe where an object is effectively.

Independence skills are supported. Through the daily routines, children develop skills such as pouring their own water and scraping their plates after eating. They wipe their own noses at the nose wiping stations and wash their hands before eating. At home time, children collect their own belongings from their pegs. This helps them prepare for the next stages in their education.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Needs attention

Generally, there are high expectations for children's behaviour. Leaders and staff want children to learn how to behave in a socially acceptable way. Despite this, staff do not always know how best to support children to behave positively and to develop their self-regulation skills. This impacts on children's behaviour. Staff use basic strategies, such as saying 'no, thank you' to unwanted behaviour and reminding children about using 'kind hands'. However, staff lack the strategies to help children concentrate, persevere and focus. Sometimes, staff expect children to behave in ways that are beyond their typical stage of development. As a result, children become bored, restless and, at times, frustrated.

Children typically play well with their friends, taking turns and sharing. They enjoy playing imaginative games about going to school and taking care of babies. With support from staff, children learn to take turns displaying their name on the register.

Care routines are well established. Staff ensure that the day is structured so that children feel safe and secure. Safer sleep is well understood. For example, staff know how to place babies down to sleep, in line with government safety guidelines.

Leaders and staff recognise the importance of regular attendance for children. They monitor children's attendance and punctuality, following up any concerns promptly.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Needs attention

Children's safety and welfare is not consistently prioritised by leaders and staff. The daily checks that staff undertake do not always identify hazards effectively. For example, fans are left within children's reach, and bags are left on the floor, posing a trip hazard. This does not consistently promote children's safety and wellbeing.

Staffing arrangements impact negatively on some children's wellbeing. At times, children's needs are not well met. For example, babies have to wait to have their nappies changed because staff work alone and require the support of leaders to carry out care routines.

Leaders have identified oral health and tackling obesity as priorities for children. They have implemented a very healthy and nutritious menu. Staff support children to try new foods, and, subsequently, children enjoy the reduced-sugar meals, snacks and drinks served. Children benefit from additional opportunities that support their wellbeing. For instance, they take part in weekly football coaching, sign and rhyme sessions, yoga and dance.

Children learn to use the potty and toilet with increasing independence. Children have daily opportunities to play outside in the fresh air. Staff ensure that children wear sun protection and shelter from the sun when UV levels get too high.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Leaders have failed to notify Ofsted of a significant event. They have not informed Ofsted of an event that may affect the suitability of staff to work with children. While leaders have addressed safeguarding concerns appropriately, they have not taken sufficient action to minimise risks to children when considering information raised by statutory safeguarding agencies. This compromises children's safety.

Leaders do not ensure that staff implement robust risk assessments to ensure children's safety. For example, the risks of trailing wires, fans and climbing equipment piled up on children's furniture are not minimised or removed by staff when completing their daily checks. When pointed out, leaders took action to remove or minimise them during the inspection. However, this is a breach of the requirements of the 'statutory framework for the early years foundation stage' and does not support children's safety and wellbeing effectively.

There have been recent changes to the leadership of the nursery. These have caused some disruption to the staffing arrangements for children. Leaders are required to work directly with children. This means that they are, at times, overstretched. They cannot undertake the monitoring of staff performance effectively. Although staff are provided with support, supervision and training, this does not consistently improve the quality of teaching. Consequently, the curriculum, which is otherwise well planned, is not always taught effectively. Children's learning and progress is hindered.

Leaders do not consistently ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported to ensure that their individual needs are met. For example, staff do not always adapt activities to ensure that all children can be included.