Purple Stars Day Nursery

Inclusion: Needs attention

Leaders and staff get to know children from the moment they start at the nursery. They find out about children's stages of development and what interests they have. Leaders are knowledgeable about the families who attend the nursery and recognise that many children start with limited experiences. They identify when children may require further support and monitor this through observation and assessment of children's needs. Leaders work closely with local special educational needs teams to develop plans for children who require further support. However, these plans are not always implemented into practice through the day. For example, where plans detail that some children would benefit from visual cues, these are not used to support children's learning. Therefore, children do not make the progress intended. Additionally, some staff do not have the knowledge they need to support children who have been identified as having some learning needs. This means that the progress children have made so far is halted.

The nursery has a lot of children attending who speak English as an additional language. They find ways to limit language barriers so that parents and children feel comfortable at the nursery. Parents comment that they feel their children make progress and that the staff at the nursery support their children's health and learning needs.

Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention

Leaders have designed a curriculum that incorporates all areas of learning. They focus on teaching children the skills they need to prepare them for school. The curriculum, however, is not yet fully implemented effectively by staff. Children have access to limited resources at times. They show some enjoyment in playing with the resources that staff make available. However, staff are not yet competent at teaching children to ensure that they make the progress they need to. Children quickly lose interest in the activities on offer, as learning is often limited to building with blocks or connecting magnetic shapes. Staff do not enhance these opportunities so that children's attention is maintained and developed. Children have some opportunities to be creative. They stick coloured paper to printed templates of fish to connect the activity to a familiar story. Children demonstrate confidence in the environment and are keen for staff to join in their play. Staff interactions are limited at times, which contributes to children wandering around waiting for direction. This is true for children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, and sometimes results in them displaying unwanted behaviour.

Staff are starting to help children develop their communication and language skills. They talk to children about their creations and take the lead from their interests when deciding which resources are on offer. Children are exposed to mathematics in the environment. However, weaknesses in staff teaching mean that this area of learning is not always explicitly taught when opportunities arise. Children develop their physical skills. Leaders recognise that some children have limited access to the outdoors outside of nursery. They ensure that they have ample opportunities for outside activity during the time they attend. Children develop their balancing skills as staff support them to walk over stepping blocks. They use wheeled vehicles to move around and learn how to use pedals to create movement.

Achievement: Needs attention

Children are starting to make some progress in the skills they need to prepare them for their move on to the next stage of their learning. They are starting to develop their independence. They follow handwashing routines with support from staff and learn to sit for mealtimes. Children learn to develop their social skills as they play alongside others. They enjoy playing with their friends and show enjoyment as they run around together outside. Children are competent in their physical skills, are confident at navigating space and learn to develop their core muscles through balancing activities. Older children begin to use a range of tools, such as scissors, so that their fine motor skills are well developed ready for when they need to start to write.

Children make some progress in their communication development as they sit and join in singing activities and tell staff about their play. However, weaknesses in staff teaching mean that children do not yet make the progress they are capable of. Learning is sometimes interrupted, as children lose interest in the activities on offer.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Needs attention

Leaders and staff are working towards establishing consistent and well-organised routines across the nursery. This is still in the early stages. Children understand how to follow simple handwashing routines and to then sit down for meals. Children still require lots of support from staff in these moments. Times of transition can sometimes feel quite chaotic in the nursery as children run around waiting for direction from staff. Children do not demonstrate that they confidently understand what they need to do next.

Staff develop good relationships with children. Children show that they feel happy and safe. They are keen for staff to join in play with them and show affection to them, such as giving them cuddles. Staff know what children are interested in and generally understand their individual circumstances. Children do not fully understand how to manage their emotions appropriately, and leaders and staff do not respond consistently to unwanted behaviour. This means that children receive mixed messages and do not understand what is expected of them or why.

Children show some interest in learning and are keen to play with the activities on offer. However, they become disengaged quickly and often wander around waiting for something else to do. This does not promote positive attitudes to learning. That said, leaders encourage regular attendance from children and understand the importance of developing these positive attitudes in readiness for school.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Needs attention

Overall, leaders promote children's welfare and wellbeing well. Children are beginning to develop some independence ready for their move to the next stage of their education. Staff support some children's personal care needs fully. Older children receive less support to use the toilet independently. Children are served healthy, nutritious meals, which they enjoy. There are times when staff complete some tasks at mealtimes that children can do for themselves, such as serving their own food and pouring their own drinks. Children have access to fresh air and opportunities to engage in exercise daily. They learn to be active and show enjoyment at these times.

The key-person system in the nursery is not fully effective. Some parents are not sure who their child's key person is. Staff who take over from previous key persons are not informed about the vital developmental needs of some children. This can hinder the ability to build secure attachments between the key person and their key children. Leaders do not always monitor the transition between key persons to ensure that this is managed effectively by staff. Children have time to rest and are supervised closely by staff when sleeping.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Leaders are caring and committed to improving practice to ensure that children receive the care and education they aspire to deliver. They have an awareness of where some weaknesses lie within practice across the nursery. They have started to make changes to routines so that children receive stability and structure. However, not enough has been done to consistently embed the curriculum or improve teaching practices. Children still display uncertainty at times of transition about what they need to do. This results in noise levels increasing in rooms and staff having to call across the room to redirect children. As a result, children's wellbeing is not consistently promoted.

Staff comment that they feel supported and have regular meetings with leaders that support their development. Further coaching and mentoring are needed from leaders so that staff fully understand how to provide high-quality learning experiences for children. Leaders have links with some professionals to seek support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, they do not always implement support plans for children at the earliest opportunity, which limits the progress children can make.

Parents and carers generally comment that they are happy with the care children receive. They do not always know who their child's key person is but do receive daily communication about what children have been doing at nursery. Leaders get to know families and their individual make-up. They provide further support for those families who find themselves in difficult circumstances, which is appreciated.