# Once Upon a Time Montessori, Ballinfull — inspection reports and findings > Once Upon a Time Montessori (Ballinfull, Co. Sligo): what Tusla inspections found — 1 published inspection(s), non-compliances and the provider's corrective actions. ## Once Upon a Time Montessori Sessional · 1 - 6 Years · Ballinfull, Sligo · Tusla ID **TU2015SO046** · Registered since 1 January 2026 An inspection records what inspectors saw **on one day**; services respond with corrective actions — [how to read this](/methodology.md). #### Inspection of 17 July 2025 — Inspection Report Full report (PDF, Tusla) ##### Regulation 9 — Management and recruitment - 9 (1) (b) On the day of inspection, neither the person in charge (PIC) nor the designated person in charge (DPIC) were present on the premises when the inspector arrived at 09:07 a.m. It is acknowledged that the deputy person in charge arrived at the service at 09:20 a.m - This occurred due to unforeseen circumstances involving a family emergency. A staff member arrived as quickly as possible, and to prevent this from happening again, we will ensure that someone remains on the premises until the correct staff member is in place ##### Regulation 11 — Staffing levels - (1) On the day of inspection, there were not an adequate number of adults present for the number of children in attendance. At 09:11 am to 9.20 am one adult was observed working directly with 15 children, ranging in age from 18 months to 4 years and 8 months. (2) The minimum ratio of adults to children was not always maintained throughout the inspection. This staffing level did not meet the regulatory requirements for adult-to-child ratios between 09.11-09.20 hrs - This issue arose due to a family emergency and was resolved as quickly as possible. To help prevent similar situations in the future, another person has been added to our vetting process to provide support if needed ##### Regulation 16 — Record in relation to pre-school service - (16) 1 h) Details of each pre-school child's attendance were not maintained daily with actual arrival times. On the day of inspection, children were not signed in upon arrival at the service. i) A staff roster was in place; however, on the day of inspection, it did not accurately reflect the staff members present. As a result, the roster did not provide a reliable record of staffing arrangements for that day - 1. A meeting has been held with all staff to reinforce the importance of maintaining daily attendance records. The staff roster on the day in question was incorrect due to an emergency, and this has been addressed during the meeting. To improve accuracy, one staff member has now been assigned the responsibility of welcoming children each day and ensuring they are signed in correctly. 2. A daily staff roster is now in place, and any changes will be updated on the same day to reflect the correct staffing ##### Regulation 19 — Health, welfare and development of child - 1. On the day of inspection, food was provided from home and reheated by the service. However, it was noted that some children were not supplied with a hot meal from home and instead consumed cold food for their main meal, including items such as cold pasta, cheese, and crackers. This practice does not align with the service’s Healthy Eating Policy, which states that children attending full-day care for more than five hours, one of the two meals must be a hot meal. 2. On the day of inspection, children were observed consuming a variety of foods including doughnuts, brownies, sweets, cookies, chocolate biscuits, and potato crisps. These items were provided from home and do not reflect the healthy food choices promoted in the service’s Healthy Eating Policy. 3. During the inspection, some younger children were observed sitting at child-sized tables and chairs that were not suitable for their age or size. Their feet did not touch the ground while seated during mealtimes. Although the registered provider stated that highchairs were available, these were not in use at the time of inspection - 1. The children’s parents have been verbally informed of the service’s hot food policy and the importance of providing a nutritious hot meal during the day. As a result, parents are now consistently sending in hot meals for their children. 2. The healthy eating policy has also been reinforced with all parents, highlighting the importance of nutritious food in the crèche. 3. Smaller chairs have been provided for the children, and a highchair is always available for use when needed. Ongoing checks will be carried out to ensure adherence to both the healthy eating and hot meal policies ##### Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child - General Safety: 1. Garda vetting was available for one staff member. However, this vetting disclosure was not dated within the previous three years in adherence to with the Early Years Inspectorate Regulatory Notice ‘EYI-RN12.3 Renewal of Garda Vetting’. 2. The windows in the service did not have restrictors in place. In the ground floor preschool, furniture was placed directly under the window, which was a potential hazard as a child may use this furniture to climb up and out the window. 3. Visibility strips were required on the glass patio doors in the baby room in the event children did not recognise the glass and therefore a potential injury risk. This was brought to the attention of management at the closing meeting on the day of inspection. 4. Two of the spring ride-on bikes in the outdoor play area were found to have visible rust on them, posing a potential safety risk to the children Infection Control: 5. The hand hygiene and nappy changing procedures for preschool children were not consistently conducted in a manner that mitigated the potential risk of cross-contamination, as observed during the inspection Children’s hands were disinfected before and after meals using alcohol-based rubs and wipes. This practice contradicts the service’s infection control policy, which states that “hand sanitisers or alcohol- based rubs are not a substitute for hand washing if soap and water is available. Children’s hands were not washed after each nappy change, increasing the risk of spreading infection. 6. Children were put directly on the plastic changing table with no mat underneath them. 7. Although foot-operated bins were available in the nappy changing area, staff did not use them. Instead, nappies were disposed of in a bin that was not leak-proof, sealable, or easy to clean. Furthermore, toilet trained children had access to the contents of this bin, posing a significant infection control issue. 8. Children’s snack foods brought from home, which included meat and dairy ingredients, were stored in their bags at room temperature. While some lunches were packed in cooler bags, the day was exceptionally hot, raising concerns about the adequacy of temperature control for perishable items. Safe Sleep: 9. On the day of inspection, children under the age of 2 years were observed to be sleeping on a stackable bed. These beds are not suitable for children under two years. In accordance with best practice guidance a sleep plan is required for children under 2 years of age that do not sleep in cots. On discussion with staff no sleep plan was available for these children. 10. During the inspection, room temperature readings were taken at various intervals to assess compliance with safe sleep guidelines, which recommend maintaining a temperature between 16°C and 20°C to reduce the risk of overheating. Staff were proactive in their response, opening windows to improve ventilation, removing covers from sleeping children, and conducting constant monitoring to ensure the safety and comfort of the children. However, the temperature did not reduce below the recommend guidance. The recorded temperatures were 22.6°C at 01:01 PM and 22.1°C at 01:28 PM. Action submitted by the Registered Provider - General Safety: 1. New Garda vetting has been updated. 2. The furniture has been removed, and a staff meeting was held to reinforce the importance of keeping windows clear of obstruction. 3. All artwork will now be displayed on the patio window and door; it had previously been removed to send home with the children. 4. The springers have been de-rusted and repainted Infection Control: 5. During a staff meeting, the infection control policy was discussed and reinforced with all staff to ensure it is always adhered to. 6. All nappies will be disposed of in enclosed pedal bins, placed away from others and emptied regularly. 7. A mat has been placed on the changing unit for use during nappy changes, and the use of pedal bins will be maintained daily. 8. Children’s snacks for those attending sessional days are kept in cooler bags, while snacks for full-day attendees are stored in the fridge. In periods of high temperatures, all snacks will be placed in the fridge to ensure food safety Safe Sleep: 9. On the day of the inspection, a trial day was held for younger children to assess how they would manage a full day. During the discussion with the inspector, I mistakenly stated that there was no sleep plan for children under two; however, a sleep plan is in place. Cots are provided, and the safe sleep plan is followed for all children under two. 10. Additionally, during warm weather, a temporary sleep room will be arranged downstairs in a cooler classroom to ensure comfort and safety ##### Regulation 25 — First aid - (b) The first aid boxes were found to be adequately stocked; however, a portion of the materials had expired and were therefore unsuitable for use - The expired materials have been replaced with new ones, and a checklist has been created to ensure regular monitoring and timely updates of all materials going forward ##### Regulation 26 — Fire safety measures - 1. (b) At the time of inspection, no documentation was available to confirm that the fire alarm system had undergone its required annual service. The last recorded maintenance date for the firefighting equipment was August 2022, and for the smoke alarms, September 2022 - All fire detection systems have been checked and are fully operational. Regular maintenance and monitoring will be carried out to ensure continued safety and compliance ##### Regulation not named in the report text - On the day of inspection, the service was found to be operating outside of registration status. 1. The service is registered to operate from 08.00-18.00. The service was operating from 7:30-18.00 the register provider was informed of the requirement to notify the early years inspection of any proposed change before the proposed change would take effect - This temporary arrangement was put in place solely to support a parent starting a new job. It was provided for a short period and is no longer required. The service hours have now reverted to 8am to 6pm, and this extended service will not be offered again Found compliant: Regulation 29. ### Other services in Sligo - [Rainbow Road](/creche/rainbow-road-monasteraden.md) Monasteraden - [Réalta Beaga Pre-School](/creche/realta-beaga-pre-school-coolaney.md) Coolaney - [Sandcastles Quigabar](/creche/sandcastles-quigabar-sligo.md) Sligo - [Spraoi Community Childcare Keash Preschool](/creche/spraoi-community-childcare-keash-preschool-ballymote.md) Ballymote - [Tubbercurry Family and Childcare Resource Centre](/creche/tubbercurry-family-and-childcare-resource-centre-tubercurry.md) Tubercurry - [Inspiring Minds Preschool](/creche/inspiring-minds-preschool-sligo.md) Sligo - [Acorn Montessori School](/creche/acorn-montessori-school-cliffoney.md) Cliffoney - [Kevinsfort Kids Academy](/creche/kevinsfort-kids-academy-kevinsfort.md) Kevinsfort [Alert me when a new report is published](/help.md) · [Dated report on this service — €19](/report.md) --- Página: https://creche-inspection-reports.pages.dev/creche/once-upon-a-time-montessori-ballinfull/ Fonte: Tusla Early Years Inspectorate Recolha: 2026-09-11