Small World Nursery Ltd

Inclusion: Urgent improvement

The arrangements to ensure that all children are fully included are not effective. Although leaders and staff have some understanding of the support needed for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, this is not consistent. When concerns are identified, staff work with other agencies to support children to make progress. For example, additional strategies are put in place to help children with delays to their communication and language to make progress. However, staff do not recognise or identify when there are other barriers to children's learning, such as changes in their home lives. Staff do not adapt their interactions to meet children's individual needs or enable them to socialise with their peers. Consequently, gaps in learning and development widen over time. This does not help staff to put the appropriate plans in place to help children make the progress they are capable of.

Leaders are not clear on additional funding and what this is used for. This does not ensure that children benefit from the financial support they are entitled to.

Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention

The curriculum is not implemented effectively to ensure that children are receiving sufficient, or consistent, learning experiences. A lack of interactions from staff means that children do not receive the support they need to consistently gain new knowledge and skills to extend their learning and development. However, children express their needs and interact with their friends as they play. Babies enjoy regular singing and story times that help them to develop new vocabulary. They develop and extend their physical skills as they use equipment to pull themselves up and to climb. Older children enjoy outdoor play, in particular imaginative play in the pretend kitchen as they make drinks for staff. They negotiate space and obstacles while riding wheeled toys. However, staff mainly supervise rather than extending children's play during the times spent outside. This does not adequately reflect the needs of those who prefer to learn outside.

Indoors, children take part in some planned activities. For example, they enjoy cooking activities on a regular basis, helping to prepare food, such as savoury scones, for all children to eat. However, while staff provide instructions, they do not use their interactions well enough to build on children's interest to extend their learning. In addition, staff do not always have a clear understanding of the intended learning for some activities. This means that children's learning is not sufficiently sequenced and coordinated. This has a direct impact on what children are able to achieve.

Children are confident and engage well in their chosen games and activities. Older children show independence and concentration within familiar Montessori activities. While children play, staff encourage them to count, supporting their early mathematical understanding. Older children excitedly point to the globe and identify where England is, showing how a recent activity has sparked their curiosity and supported their developing knowledge of the wider world.

Achievement: Needs attention

Children do not all make the progress that they are capable of, based on their starting points. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those with other barriers to their learning. They do not consistently develop new skills or knowledge or build on what they already know and can do. Although babies enjoy singing and listening to stories, other children do not develop their vocabularies as effectively as possible to support their language skills.

Generally, children are happy and build relationships with staff and their peers. They express their needs and share their ideas. At times, children do not understand the expectations of their behaviour. This has an impact on how well they engage in activities and develop skills, such as putting on their shoes and coats, to promote their ongoing independence.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Urgent improvement

Staff do not support children to develop positive attitudes to learning. They do not identify when children are showing an interest in what is happening around them and do not make use of opportunities to extend children's knowledge and curiosity. A lack of clear instructions for children means they do not benefit from all activities or understand the expectations of the setting. During times in the day, particularly when children are transitioning to other areas, behaviour deteriorates. In addition, staff do not explain to children why they should not be behaving in a certain way. This does not ensure that children receive the support they need to understand what is expected or ensure they behave in a way that keeps themselves and others safe.

The key-person system is not fully effective and staff do not recognise barriers to children's learning. This means appropriate support is not put in place to support all children. In addition, staff do not use information about children's cultures and backgrounds to plan activities. This does not support children to build a strong sense of personal identity and understand what makes them unique.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Urgent improvement

Significant weaknesses in supervision compromise children's safety. In particular, at mealtimes, staff do not follow safe eating guidelines or requirements. As children eat, staff turn their backs or complete other tasks. This lack of supervision does not protect children from the risk of choking.

Staff gather information from parents when children first start and use this to reflect babies' home routines. For example, staff follow sleep routines, providing children with consistency and a feeling of security. However, leaders do not ensure that the staffing arrangements for babies meet the required levels with regard to qualifications and experience.

Leaders have not ensured that staff understand and manage children's behaviour in an appropriate way. This does not support children's emotional wellbeing or provide them with explanations on how to recognise and manage their emotions.

Staff provide children with opportunities to develop their physical skills. Children enjoy exploring and playing in the garden. They laugh as they chase and pop bubbles with their friends. Staff sing and dance, and children learn new ways to move as they follow actions. Staff support children to understand the importance of oral hygiene and looking after their teeth.

Leadership and governance: Urgent improvement

Leaders have not ensured that staff have the appropriate checks in place to confirm they are suitable to work with children. This does not promote children's safety. Leaders do not have effective oversight of staff practice and, as such, have not identified areas of weaknesses or when the early foundation stage requirements are not being met. Staff do not have the specialist training needed to care for children under 2 years.

Staff do not have regular supervision meetings to provide them with support for their wellbeing and identify learning needs. They do not have the opportunity to discuss their key children or to raise any concerns they may have. There is a lack of training opportunities for staff. This does not support their continuous professional development or ensure they support children effectively. This has a direct impact on the care and teaching received by children.

Leaders do not have effective oversight of staff practice. They do not identify inconsistency in teaching or weak interactions across the rooms. As a result, children do not benefit from high-quality interactions. In addition, leaders have not identified inappropriate behaviour management techniques that do not support children to understand expectations or promote positive interactions between staff and children.