Scallywags Day Nursery

Inclusion: Needs attention

Staff's interactions with children vary in quality and frequency and they do not consider their next steps in learning. During play and interactions, staff do not support children to work on the targets set by leaders and professionals. This does not fully support children to build on what they know and can do. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make progress from their starting points, but inconsistencies in teaching and support mean that they do not make the progress of which they are capable. Leaders do not always have oversight of the impact of the curriculum for all children. Although additional funding is used by leaders to provide resources for children, staff do not have a clear understanding of how these resources should be used or the difference they are making to outcomes for children. As a result, the impact of this spending is not effectively evaluated.

Overall, leaders monitor children's development and identify their individual needs. They liaise with parents and make referrals for early help when needed. Children with SEND receive some targeted support from specialist teachers which contributes to their learning and development. Where practice is more effective, staff provide support to promote children's progress. For example, some staff plan activities that are appropriate for children's age and stage of development and build on their existing skills. However, this is not consistent across the nursery.

Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention

Leaders are in the process of developing a new curriculum. However, this is not yet implemented across the nursery. Some staff are not clear about what they want children to learn next. Activities and experiences provided for children are mainly focused on their interests or staff choice rather than their individual learning needs. As a result, interactions are not consistently purposeful or effective in extending children's learning. The quality of teaching varies across the setting, and children's experiences are not consistently of a high quality. Routine tasks often take priority over children's learning, meaning staff sometimes leave the room. Occasionally, staff position themselves with their backs to children, which further limits opportunities to support children's learning.

Leaders do not ensure that staff adapt the curriculum effectively to meet the individual needs of children who face barriers to learning, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff do not consistently demonstrate a secure understanding of children's age and stage of development or use assessment information to plan activities that build on children's identified next steps. As a result, learning experiences are not always appropriate or sufficiently purposeful to support children's progress.

In contrast, children develop their independence from a young age. Staff provide babies with time and encouragement to complete tasks for themselves. For example, babies confidently climb the step from the garden into the playroom, while staff offer praise and encouragement for their perseverance. Staff give simple, clear instructions that young children are beginning to understand and follow. For example, as children remove their shoes, staff encourage them to place them in the shoe box independently. This helps children develop confidence, independence and a sense of responsibility for their own belongings.

Achievement: Needs attention

Children do not achieve as well as they could and their progress is variable and inconsistent. While some children receive the support they need to develop appropriate skills and knowledge, others do not benefit from the same quality of teaching and learning experiences. For instance, children who require additional support do not consistently benefit from activities and teaching that are planned to meet the targets identified by external professionals. In addition, some children have limited opportunities to practise, consolidate and extend their learning through purposeful adult guidance and support. Consequently, children do not consistently engage deeply in their learning or make the progress of which they are capable across all areas of learning.

Babies receive kind and nurturing care. They develop secure relationships with staff and show increasing confidence as they explore the resources on offer. Older children gain some skills and knowledge that will prepare them for school and later life, such as listening to stories to develop their listening and attention skills, and learning to follow instructions.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Needs attention

Leaders' and staff's expectations for children's behaviour and key routines are not consistently implemented across all areas of the setting. Children show they are familiar with the routines as they put on their own bib for mealtimes and wash their hands. However, staff interactions are limited, and they do not provide age-appropriate explanations to help children understand expectations or learn how to regulate their own behaviour. Despite this, children do generally behave well.

During changes in the routine, staff do not always notice or respond to children who need help to focus or follow instructions. At times, this impacts children's ability to self-regulate their emotions. In contrast, staff provide babies with clear and consistent routines. They support babies to feel settled and secure, meeting their care needs while also establishing positive attitudes to learning. For example, staff provide a calm experience for babies as they explore the age-and-stage appropriate activities on offer.

Leaders are successful in maintaining a high rate of attendance at the nursery. They build relationships and share information with families. Leaders and staff act promptly to contact parents when children do not arrive as expected. This demonstrates their commitment to promoting children's attendance.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Needs attention

Children's needs during mealtimes are not fully supported because staff carry out routine tasks and leave children insufficiently supervised while they eat. As a result, children's safety is not consistently assured during mealtimes. Staff implement some activities to support children's health. Children are supported to wash their hands before eating. They are provided with healthy meals, and they have access to fresh drinking water. However, during these times, children receive minimal interaction from staff to help develop their understanding of healthy lifestyles. Mealtimes are not consistently used as meaningful learning opportunities. Staff focus on completing routine tasks rather than engaging children in meaningful conversations. Staff interactions are limited, and children are not supported to develop their social skills during these times.

Children build secure attachments with their key person. They develop a sense of belonging and are confident and independent in their surroundings. There is a focus on physical development and children spend lots of time outside being active and learning new skills. For example, preschool children practise skills such as throwing, catching and balancing as they practice for their sports day activity.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Leaders' expectations for the curriculum are not implemented consistently across all rooms. Staff attend training and receive regular supervision. However, leaders do not monitor practice closely enough to identify and address weaknesses in staff's ability to deliver the sequenced curriculum effectively, across all areas of learning. As a result, the quality of teaching is variable, and children do not receive consistently high-quality learning experiences. This particularly affects children who face barriers to learning, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Consequently, all children do not make the progress they are capable of. In addition, leaders fail to implement effective procedures for staff to follow to ensure the safety of children when eating. As a result, staff do not consistently receive the guidance needed to understand and fulfil their roles and responsibilities. For example, leaders do not ensure that safer eating practices are consistently followed, placing children's safety at risk.

Generally, leaders offer staff support and advice, which results in improved staff wellbeing. Staff feel valued and are happy in their roles. Leaders engage with parents and other professionals to help build positive relationships and to support continuity of care for children. Parents are invited to attend events, including sports day, where they celebrate children's achievements. These opportunities strengthen relationships between home and the setting and contribute positively to children's confidence and sense of belonging. Generally, children are supported to feel settled and secure and form positive relationships with staff. They enjoy taking part in play-based activities with their friends. For example, children have fun playing in the outdoor environments, using their imagination with construction activities.