Lets Play Nursery

Lets Play Nursery Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 509372 Inspection date 23/02/2011 Inspector Carol Johnson

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Setting address 25-27 Redstone Farm Road, Hall Green, BIRMINGHAM, WEST MIDLANDS, B28 9NU Telephone number 0121 777 0304 Email Type of setting Childcare on non-domestic premises to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as

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you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way.

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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of the registered early years provision. ‘Early years provision’ refers to provision regulated by Ofsted for children from birth to 31 August following their fifth birthday (the early years age group). The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and welfare, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Introduction

The provider must provide a copy of this report to all parents with children at the setting where reasonably practicable. The provider must provide a copy of the report to any other person who asks for one, but may charge a fee for this service (The Childcare (Inspection) Regulations 2008 regulations 9 and 10).

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Introduction

The setting also makes provision for children older than the early years age group which is registered on the voluntary and/or compulsory part(s) of the Childcare Register. This report does not include an evaluation of that provision, but a comment about compliance with the requirements of the Childcare Register is included in Annex B.

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Introduction

Please see our website for more information about each childcare provider. We publish inspection reports, conditions of registration and details of complaints we receive where we or the provider take action to meet the requirements of registration. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Description of the setting

Lets Play Nursery was registered in 1995 and is a privately owned business. The nursery is situated in a residential area of the Hall Green area of Birmingham and can be easily accessed from Hall Green, Olton and Solihull. The accommodation consists of two converted adjoining shops. The main nursery is situated in one building and is comprised of two play areas on the ground floor and two rooms on the first floor. There is no lift access to the first floor. The baby unit is situated on the ground floor of the second premises. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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Description of the setting

The nursery is open each weekday from 7.30am until 6pm for 51 weeks a year with the exception of bank holidays. A maximum of 37 children may attend at any one time. There are currently 46 children attending who are within the Early Years Foundation Stage. The nursery also provides holiday care, before and after school care and escort services for children attending nearby schools. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-olds. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The nursery employs 11 childcare staff, including the manager and all hold appropriate early years qualifications. The nursery also employs a housekeeper. The manager has a Foundation Degree in Early Childhood Studies. The nursery receives support from the local authority.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is inadequate.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children's welfare and safety is compromised because the provider has failed to meet several legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Systems used for planning, observation and assessment fail to ensure that children's individual needs are known and met. The nursery environment is welcoming and friendly relationships exist between staff and parents. However, insufficient information is exchanged in respect of children's learning and development. Self- evaluation systems lack rigour and the effectiveness of leadership and management in driving and securing improvement is inadequate.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall, the early years provision requires significant improvement. The registered person is given a Notice to Improve that sets out actions to be carried out.

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further?

To comply with the requirements of the EYFS the registered person must take the following action by the specified date: This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  ensure that there is at least one person on outings who has a paediatric first aid certificate (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare) 02/03/2011

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further?

 request written parental permission, at the time of the child's admission to the provision, to the seeking of any necessary emergency medical advice or treatment in the future (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare) 02/03/2011

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further?

 ensure that parents are notified of any accidents or injuries sustained by children whilst in the care of the provider and of any first aid treatment given (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare) 02/03/2011

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further?

 take all reasonable steps to ensure that hazards to children are kept to a minimum; this specifically refers to ensuring that hot radiators in the main unit do not pose a safety risk to children (Suitable premises, environment and equipment) 02/03/2011

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further?

 plan and organise systems to ensure that every child receives an enjoyable and challenging learning and development experience that is tailored to meet their individual needs (Organisation) 02/05/2011

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further?

 ensure that a daily record is kept of children's hours of attendance (Documentation). 02/03/2011

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further?

To improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 develop strategies to help use information gained through observations to identify aspects of children's learning and development and plan for their next steps  create records that are clear and accessible so that parents can contribute effectively to the observation and assessment process to support their child's learning and development  develop methods used for self-evaluation and reflective practice to help identify the setting's strengths and priorities for development that will improve the quality of provision for all children.

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the early years provision

Children are inadequately safeguarded because regulations and duties are not met. Documentation is disorganised and some paperwork is not easily accessible. The provider has committed an offence by failing to notify Ofsted of a change of person managing the early years provision. This is a specific legal requirement in the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Ofsted does not intend to prosecute on this occasion. The manager has attended specific training in relation to child protection and staff demonstrate a good knowledge of the possible signs and symptoms of abuse. Relevant policies are in line with Local Safeguarding Children Board guidance and procedures. However, children's welfare is compromised because documentation and procedures to ensure the safe and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 efficient management of the setting are inadequate. The provider has failed to

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the early years provision

ensure that there is at least one person on outings with a paediatric first aid certificate and there are inadequate systems to ensure that parents are notified of all accidents or injuries sustained by their children whilst at nursery. Also, written permission has not been obtained from all parents for the nursery to seek any necessary emergency medical advice or treatment for their children.

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the early years provision

Staff carry out regular daily safety checks in respect of the premises and equipment and some potential risks are identified within the setting's risk assessment record. However, these checks are ineffective and do not sufficiently protect children. During the inspection several radiators in the main unit were unprotected and very hot to the touch. This was an issue raised at the setting's last inspection and has not been satisfactorily addressed. The security of the premises is good and clear procedures are in place to ensure that children are only released into the care of known individuals. Robust recruitment and vetting procedures are in place and children are not left unsupervised with people who have not been appropriately checked. However, children's welfare is compromised because daily attendance records do not always contain information regarding children's departure times.

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the early years provision

Staff maintain informal and friendly relationships with parents and carers and there are regular verbal exchanges of information. Attractive displays and notice boards around the nursery provide parents with useful information. Parents' evenings are organised twice yearly and policies are made available. However, children's learning potential is impeded because their learning and development records are not clear and accessible. Also, parents are not actively encouraged to contribute to the observation and assessment process. Some strategies are in place to support children with English as an additional language and special educational needs and/or disabilities. For example, staff use a mixture of verbal communication and sign language with all the children. Visual clues around the nursery aid children's communication and understanding; for example, pictorial signs placed next to sinks remind children of the need for handwashing. Staff are aware of the value of

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the early years provision

working alongside other professionals to support individual and groups of children.

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the early years provision

Children benefit from the wide range of resources and equipment at their disposal. Space within the nursery is sufficient to meet their needs and children receive suitable levels of attention and supervision. The personal and professional development of the staff team is encouraged and staff members have attended a variety of training courses. They are encouraged to share what they have gained through training with other staff members and various subjects, for example, child protection, are reinforced in-house by management. The nursery has made some improvements since their last inspection, for example, the outdoor area and bathroom facilities have been enhanced. However, systems in place to monitor the effectiveness of policies and procedures and to evaluate the provision as a whole are inadequate. Strengths, weaknesses and priorities for improvement have not been effectively identified. Consequently, the provider's ability to drive the setting

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the early years provision

forward and target improvements where they will have the most impact on outcomes for children is impeded. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children are insufficiently supported to reach their full potential and develop skills for the future. Generally, staff demonstrate a sound knowledge and understanding of how children learn and develop but systems used for planning, observation and assessment are inconsistent and ineffective. Observations are not frequent or accurate enough to monitor children's progress, and to plan appropriate activities. Some staff are struggling to keep children's learning and development records up- to-date and insufficient information is gathered in relation to children's starting points, needs and interests. Consequently, children are insufficiently supported to make as much progress as they possibly can. Although children demonstrate through their actions that they feel secure, their trust is misplaced because arrangements for safeguarding children are inadequate. Regulations and duties are not met and this has a negative impact on outcomes for children and the overall

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and outcomes for children

Staff plan and implement a range of experiences for children and they are keen to participate in these and appear happy and settled. For example, children are learning about the wider community as they take part in a variety of activities based on a range of religious and cultural festivals. As part of recent Chinese New Year celebrations children took part in food tasting, craft activities and role play. Books are often used by staff as a stimulus for topics and activities and although these experiences may lead to children being engaged and motivated they have not been planned as a result of observations or chosen by the children.

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and outcomes for children

Road safety is practised and reinforced on outings and children are learning about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle as they eat healthy meals and snacks and engage in regular physical exercise. The outdoor area is frequently used and children enjoy easy access to a wealth of physical play equipment. During the inspection some of the older children were happily engaged in parachute play and the staff member leading the activity thoughtfully encouraged children's listening and concentration skills as she asked them to follow instructions and listen to the various noises they could hear outside.

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and outcomes for children

Children are at ease with staff and are happy to go to them for comfort, reassurance and support. Staff demonstrate a caring nature and are calm and positive in their approach to behaviour management. Children's good behaviour, efforts and achievements are promptly acknowledged and rewarded. Older children chat happily to staff and their peers about things that are of interest to them and staff encourage their communication by listening and asking questions. Younger children enjoy investigating using all of their senses. They engage in lots of messy play activities and enjoy playing with musical toys and those that react when various parts are pressed or knobs turned. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

Grade 1 is Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Grade 2 is Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Grade 3 is Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Grade 4 is Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

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Early Years Foundation Stage

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 4 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 4 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 4 The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers

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Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 4

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 4 The extent to which children feel safe 4 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 4 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 4 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 4

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Stage

procedures set out in the guidance available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The registered provider does not meet the requirements of the compulsory and or voluntary part/s of the Childcare Register.

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 ensure that at least one person caring for children has an appropriate first aid qualification (Welfare of the children being cared for) 02/03/2011

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 ensure that all necessary measures are taken to minimise any identified risks; this specifically refers to ensuring that hot radiators in the main unit do not pose a safety risk to children and carrying out a full risk assessment in relation to dropping off and collecting children from school (Suitability and safety of premises and equipment) 02/03/2011

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 make information available to parents about the registration system for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register (Providing information to parents). 02/03/2011

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 ensure that all necessary measures are taken to minimise any identified risks; this specifically refers to ensuring that hot radiators in the main unit do not pose a safety risk to children and carrying out a full risk assessment in relation to dropping off and collecting children from school (Suitability and safety of premises and equipment) 02/03/2011

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 ensure that at least one person caring for children has an appropriate first aid qualification (Welfare of the children being cared for) 02/03/2011

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 make information available to parents about the registration system for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register (Providing information to parents). 02/03/2011

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