Tiny Stars Day Nursery, Edgeley

Inclusion: Needs attention

Leaders recognise when children are at risk of falling behind and work with outside agencies. They make referrals in a timely manner and contribute to support plans. However, although there are support plans in place for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), these are not implemented. Children with SEND spend a lot of time wandering around, not engaged in play or learning of any purpose. Strategies suggested by leaders, such as visual timetables and objects of reference, are not used consistently. This means children are not supported to access the curriculum in ways suited to their learning style.

Staff do not receive high-quality training on the graduated approach, and consequently, teaching is very variable. Not all staff have a good understanding of how to adapt their teaching and the curriculum for children who have barriers to their learning, such as those who speak English as an additional language and those with SEND. Leaders use additional funding, such as early years pupil premium, to enhance the environment for children. However, this is not targeted at the individual needs of those it is allocated to, and therefore, the impact cannot be monitored.

Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention

Leaders recognise that the curriculum design and implementation are not good enough. They have recently started to take some action, such as sourcing training for themselves and staff, but it is too soon to determine the impact. Leaders do not have a clear understanding of what they want children to learn. They do not adapt and sequence the curriculum to consider the differing needs of the children that attend, such as those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff make attempts to promote children's communication and language development through singing and reading stories. However, they do not all recognise the impact that unnecessary dummy use has on children's emerging speaking skills.

At times, staff engage children in lovely interactions. They speak kindly and sensitively to children, supporting their emotional wellbeing. They encourage children to play cooperatively together in small groups, promoting their social skills. Although staff use assessment to identify children's specific next steps in learning, these are not then considered during their play and interactions. This means the majority of learning is incidental, rather than by design.

Achievement: Needs attention

Children make some progress from their individual starting points. They learn to sing familiar songs and recall stories with their friends. Children have good physical skills. They use balance bicycles with ease and demonstrate good coordination when kicking a ball. However, overall progress is slow and inconsistent. This is because the curriculum and teaching are not targeted and focused on what children already know and what they need to learn next. Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is particularly inconsistent. These children spend a lot of time in solitary play, flitting around the areas. They are not supported to develop the skills identified in their learning plans. This does not help to prepare children for the next stage of their learning, such as their move to school.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Needs attention

Leaders have identified that staff need support to implement consistent routines and transitions within the nursery. They have introduced visual timetables and flash cards to support children. However, these are not being used consistently by staff, and therefore, the impact cannot be determined. Children behave positively and get along well with one another. They have formed lovely relationships with their peers and the staff team. Staff generally have appropriate expectations for behaviour. They engage children in group activities to help them learn about sharing and turn-taking. However, they do not consider how to include children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to help them learn the routines and expectations of the nursery.

Leaders have clear procedures in place for recording and monitoring children's attendance. They work with parents to promote punctuality and contact those who do not attend. This helps parents to understand the importance of attendance and the impact this has on attainment.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Needs attention

Leaders do not ensure that staff follow good hygiene procedures. Children are allowed to share foods, despite being poorly. Staff wipe their own and children's noses without washing their hands. This increases the spread of infection and does not help children to learn how to keep themselves healthy.

Leaders have devised some risk assessments for the nursery. However, some do not consider all the hazards in the environment, such as hanging wires and cleaning products in children's reach. Furthermore, although leaders have taken some steps to improve the risk assessments for mealtimes, they are not fully understood by staff. For instance, not all staff know the correct procedures to follow when serving foods to children with allergies. Consequently, children have been given a food they cannot have.

The key-person system is well embedded, and staff get to know children very well. They have formed trusting relationships, which helps children to feel emotionally secure. Staff in the baby room get to know babies' routines well. They are kind and nurturing, offering lots of cuddles and reassurance to babies. Staff working with older children encourage them to take part in activities to express their emotions. Children tell staff if they are feeling happy or sad and why they feel this way. They are confident and very well settled at the nursery.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Leaders have identified some of the weaknesses of the nursery and are beginning to take steps to make improvements. However, there are aspects that have not been identified, resulting in numerous breaches to requirements. Leaders identified that a child had been served their allergen but failed to notify Ofsted. They have started to implement some procedures to prevent a recurrence, but these are not yet effective. There have been some changes to the leadership team since the last inspection, and this has created a period of challenge. However, the registered person has taken steps to play a more active role in the day-to-day running of the nursery to help support the leaders. This acts in the best interests of children.

Leaders have started to implement a programme of professional development for staff. They have provided training on the curriculum along with special educational needs but are not yet monitoring the impact on children. Staff receive some supervision from leaders; however, feedback on their practice is not targeted on their individual areas for development. Consequently, there are significant inconsistencies in the quality of teaching.