Pepperberry Day Nursery

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders and staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. They identify where children need extra support and act upon this. They work closely with other professionals and implement strategies that have a positive impact on children's language and emotional development, particularly children with SEND. This helps to prevent children from falling behind their peers. Children who may just need a little extra support are identified swiftly by staff. Plans are put into place, and progress is regularly monitored to assess the children's development. As a result, children with SEND are making positive progress, particularly in relation to managing their own emotions.

Staff form effective working relationships with parents, particularly in relation to children who speak English as an additional language. Staff learn key words in the children's home language and implement these in practice alongside the English word. This helps to develop children's understanding and their sense of belonging. Although teaching does not support all children's needs effectively, children with SEND and other barriers to learning are making steady progress.

Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention

Since the last inspection, leaders have been working on embedding a sequenced curriculum. Some improvements have been made, but these have not been in place long enough to determine their impact on children's learning and development. Therefore, they are not yet fully improving outcomes for children. Consequently, implementation of the curriculum is inconsistent throughout the setting. This impacts on the quality of teaching some children receive. For example, activities are not always pitched at the right level and lack the challenge children require to progress further in all areas of their development.

Communication and language development is not fully supported for all children. In some cases, staff ask children thought-provoking questions, which encourage them to develop their thinking and language. However, other children do not receive the same level of interaction, which may impact on their communication skills.

Older children are developing an understanding of making marks. During a free-play activity, children talk about the marks they are making and following patterns. This develops their understanding and supports early writing skills. Younger children engage in sensory experiences moulding dough as staff encourage them to roll the dough. Staff reassuringly support children to have 'can-do' attitudes to learning.

Achievement: Needs attention

Due to the areas of the curriculum that need improving, children are not able to achieve their full potential. For example, younger children struggle to fully engage in activities and are not consistently encouraged to immerse in age-appropriate activities. This does not support them to progress in all areas of their development.

Children are making some progress. Older children are developing an understanding of numerals and quantities. They are building their skills, knowledge and understanding of mathematical concepts. Younger children enjoy singing songs and moving their bodies to sound. They are developing a rhythmic movement to music.

Children express themselves well through language. Older children can explain their understanding. For example, children inform their teacher that they need water to be able to make their sandcastles stick together. However, during some group times, teaching is not always adapted to support and challenge children, as some staff do not fully understand what they intend for children to learn. For example, some staff intend to develop children's communication and language skills through sensory experiences, but then do not promote these clearly during their teaching.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Needs attention

Inconsistency in how the daily routine is implemented does not fully support all children to know what is expected of them. At times, the routine is disorganised, leading to some children's behaviour becoming disruptive. For example, before mealtimes, due to staff not fully engaging children, they sometimes become bored and begin to wander around. This does not consistently support children's behaviour. Since the last inspection, leaders have improved the strategies put into place to support children's behaviour. Staff have had training to support the implementation of these strategies, for example the use of traffic light systems to help older children understand what is expected of them. However, this is not being implemented successfully throughout the setting.

Leaders and staff are aware of the negative impact that poor attendance may have on children's development and promoting positive attitudes to learning. Leaders work proactively with parents to help support children's regular attendance and positive attitudes. As a result, this supports children's engagement in experiences and develops their confidence to have a go at things they may have initially found difficult.

Typically children form warm and positive relationships with their key person. They regularly seek them out to talk about what they are doing. For example, pre-school children excitedly show and tell their teacher about the models they have built. Children show they are confident and secure to express their thoughts and ideas.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Needs attention

There are inconsistencies in hygiene practices throughout the setting. For example, staff do not consistently recognise and act promptly to meet children's personal care needs, such as ensuring dirty noses are cleaned. This does not promote all children's wellbeing. Children do not always have opportunities to develop their independence skills. Older children develop some skills they will need for when they go to school, such as serving their own food and pouring drinks. However, babies are not supported as well to develop their self-care skills, such as developing self-feeding skills. This does not steadily promote their self-care development. That said, staff do promote handwashing with children through the setting, which helps to minimise the spread of infection.

Some staff, at times, struggle to adapt their practice to meet the individual needs of children. For example, when children are struggling to settle, staff do not always know how to respond to comfort them. This means children's emotional development is not consistently supported. Nevertheless, staff demonstrate a caring approach and seek to comfort children, although their strategies are not always effective.

Leaders and staff create a welcoming space for children both indoors and outdoors. Activities spark children's interests. For example, younger children engage happily in stories, excitedly copying repeated phrases. Older children enjoy exploring the different sounds instruments make with staff as they sing songs. Typically, children display enjoyment in play and learning.

Leadership and governance: Urgent improvement

The provider does not have sufficient oversight of the setting. There are several breaches of the early years foundation stage statutory framework. This has a significant impact on staff wellbeing. As a result, the quality of the workforce does not meet an adequate standard. This impacts on the care and education that children receive on a daily basis.

The deployment of staff is not effective. Leaders have not ensured that the workload of children's key persons is shared effectively and is manageable for staff. As a result, the workload for some staff is too high, negatively affecting their wellbeing. This reduces their capacity to consistently deliver high-quality practice that supports the best possible outcomes for children.

Inconsistencies in support and oversight of staff impact on how well staff understand their role and responsibilities in supporting the needs of all children. For example, some staff do not understand how to fully engage children and guide them through learning experiences and parts of the daily routine. Consequently, other staff become overwhelmed. Although leaders are aware of some of these weaknesses, they have not taken action quickly enough to improve outcomes for children and staff. Since the last inspection, the setting has improved procedures for monitoring staff training and development. Some of this impact can be seen, particularly in relation to helping staff to implement strategies to support children's behaviour.

Leaders have strengthened their safeguarding procedures since the last inspection. They ensure that when concerns arise regarding children's welfare, they respond by informing the appropriate agencies and maintain clear records. Staff understand child protection procedures and how to take appropriate action to raise concerns with leaders. This helps keep children safe in the setting.