The Island Day Nursery - Sandown

Inclusion: Needs attention

Leaders have not ensured that inconsistencies in staff's practice, knowledge and skills have been addressed promptly, including for those children with barriers to their learning. Approaches intended to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are not applied consistently. This results in some children moving around the room without meaningful engagement or direction. In addition, staff do not always use the known strategies in place to help children with SEND regulate and cope with changes in routines. For example, during transition, some children become distressed and withdraw from activities. Although staff offer reassurance, children's individual needs are not consistently met across the day. This reduces the impact of children's positive progress.

Leaders responsible for SEND have a clear understanding of their role and work closely with parents and external professionals. They carry out regular assessments to monitor children's development and secure additional support and funding when required. Leaders outline specific targets and strategies on children's individual plans. However, leaders lack oversight and monitoring of staff practice, meaning that inclusion and progress remain uneven across the nursery.

Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention

Leaders have created a broad curriculum aimed at building children's confidence, independence and curiosity about the world. However, they do not give staff enough guidance and support to provide consistently effective teaching. Some staff are unsure about the curriculum expectations and the specific skills children need to develop next. This leads to variation in how learning is supported. Activities are not always matched well to children's ages or interests. For example, some older children are offered activities that do not build on what they already know and can do. As a result, some children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, do not remain engaged or receive the support they need to access learning at the right level. This limits their ability to make sustained progress.

When teaching is delivered well, children benefit from purposeful interactions that extend their learning. Staff generally promote language development through conversations and activities. For example, older children enjoy familiar stories, and staff use repeated phrases to capture their attention and deepen engagement. Babies show curiosity during water play, exploring how containers fill and empty. These experiences help them investigate cause and effect and build early problem-solving skills. Staff introduce simple mathematical ideas through play, such as counting dinosaurs, helping children begin to understand number and quantities in an enjoyable way.

Achievement: Needs attention

Children's achievement varies across the nursery due to inconsistencies in the delivery of the curriculum. While some children engage in purposeful activities that help them build new skills, others do not receive the same level of support. For example, some children, including those with barriers to their learning, wander around the room without staff noticing that they need help to re-engage. This lack of timely support limits readiness for children's future learning.

Children show clear emerging skills, when they access activities suited to their age and stage of development. Children respond with enthusiasm to music, moving their bodies rhythmically and expressing joy as they dance. These moments help them to develop coordination and confidence. Older children demonstrate emerging independence during daily routines. They open food packets and manage simple tasks with pride, developing their self-help skills.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Needs attention

Leaders and staff do not implement fully effective strategies to help children learn the routines of the setting. Transitions are not always organised in a way that helps children feel calm and secure. Several children become unsettled when there is a lack of clear structure, especially for those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. At these times, staff are often occupied with other tasks, such as preparing for lunch or reading to small groups, which reduces the quality of interaction available to children who need guidance. This creates a busy environment that makes it difficult for children to self-regulate their emotions and understand how to behave appropriately towards others.

At times, some staff understand the needs of children, including those with barriers to their learning. For example, they offer some one-to-one support when needed. However, this is not consistently applied across the nursery. Generally, staff support children to share and take turns, offering praise when they show kindness to their peers. They use clear communication to signal when it is time to tidy up, helping children understand expectations and build early social skills. Leaders and staff recognise the importance of children's regular attendance and follow up on absences, so children benefit from regular experiences.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Urgent improvement

There are significant weaknesses in the arrangements to promote children's welfare and wellbeing. The arrangements for safer eating and sleeping practices are not secure. Babies are placed to sleep in temperatures significantly above the safe-sleep guidance. This poses potential risks to babies' wellbeing. In addition, staff leave the tables where babies are eating to interact with others elsewhere, leaving them unsupervised while eating. This creates significant safety risks, particularly choking hazards. Although leaders took immediate action, the incidents identify underlying gaps in staff knowledge, meaning risks may reoccur without sustained leadership oversight.

Leaders and staff do not carry out effective risk assessment or maintain sufficient oversight of the environment. They do not check outdoor areas thoroughly, leaving rubbish bags accessible and creating avoidable hazards. Indoors, staff do not anticipate risks from unstable equipment or stacked chairs, nor do they intervene when children become unsteady. In addition, staff do not remove items left on the floor, allowing trip hazards to remain, further highlighting gaps in staff vigilance and awareness. As a result, children are exposed to avoidable dangers.

Leaders do not ensure staff have the knowledge or confidence to carry out their key-person role effectively. They do not carefully deploy staff to enable them to build secure attachments with children, especially with the babies. Although some staff build warm relationships, many do not recognise babies' cues or understand why they are distressed. This limits babies' ability to feel settled, safe and emotionally supported.

Leadership and governance: Urgent improvement

Leaders have not ensured effective oversight of the nursery. There are several breaches of statutory safeguarding and welfare requirements. The lack of oversight has resulted in many inconsistencies, including arrangements for safeguarding children, safer eating, sleeping practices and risk assessment. Staff morale is low. They do not feel confident to share concerns with leaders and managers as they fear retaliation or believe no action will be taken. As a result, children's health, safety and wellbeing are compromised.

Leaders do not have effective systems in place for monitoring, coaching and supporting staff to ensure that they are sufficiently supported to understand their roles and responsibilities to remain suitable. Although they have opportunities to discuss their work with leaders, they are not given the training they need to improve their practice or provide high-quality care. For example, staff working with babies do not have the required training to understand and meet babies' developmental and emotional needs. Consequently, they are not equipped to deliver consistently secure, responsive care for the youngest children.

Leaders have built positive working relationships with children's families. They ensure the communication between staff and parents is regular. Staff share information with parents about their children's progress and the activities they provide.