Pumpkin Patch Nursery

Pumpkin Patch Nursery 37 Preston Drove, Brighton, BN1 6LA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10/06/2013 30/10/2012

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early years provision

This inspection: 4 Previous inspection: 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 4 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 4

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This provision is inadequate

 The nursery does not have sufficiently robust safeguarding arrangements in place.  Overall, hygiene arrangements in the nursery are not effective. As a result, children's health is not promoted well enough.  The key person system is in place but is not fully developed as staff do not routinely take responsibility for meeting the care needs of their key children.  Staff do not always support children fully in their self-care as they do not act promptly to deal with children's runny noses.  Resources for babies are not always set out for them to reach independently. This limits their opportunities to explore and investigate freely.  Inconsistencies in the arrangements for assessment limit the effectiveness of the monitoring of children's progress.  Staff are aware of some good strategies to promote children's communication and language but do not use these at all times.

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It has the following strengths

 Children make good use of the outdoor play area to develop their physical skills, have fun with friends and explore the natural world.  Staff successfully promote children's interest in books by reading stories which children thoroughly enjoy.  Nutritious and tasty snacks and meals help children to understand the importance in making healthy choices in relation to food.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed all areas of the nursery used by children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector scrutinised a range of written documents including children's developmental records and the complaints log.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed staff interaction with children in all areas, including the garden.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the owner, staff team, parents and children at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector carried out a joint observation of an activity with the manager.

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Information about the setting

Pumpkin Patch Nursery is privately owned and registered at its current location in 2006. The nursery is situated in the Preston Park area of Brighton and Hove. Childcare takes place on the ground and first floors. Children have access to a large secure garden. The nursery is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm. There are currently 112 children on roll in the early years age group. The nursery is also registered on both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. It supports children learning English as an additional language. A total of 18 staff work with the children, 17 of who hold relevant early years qualifications including one member of staff with Early Years Professional Status.

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enforcement action:

We will issue a Welfare Requirements Notice requiring the provider to:

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enforcement action:

- ensure the nursery implements sufficiently robust safeguarding policies and procedures, including notifying Ofsted and the local statutory children's services agencies of any allegations of serious harm or abuse by any person working with children.

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enforcement action:

- ensure that premises and equipment are clean and health and safety legislation is met, including hygiene requirements; for instance, appropriate hygiene practices are followed when changing nappies and that areas and resources used by children are sufficiently clean.

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must:

 improve the programme for communication and language by monitoring staff's consistency in using effective strategies

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must:

 improve arrangements for assessing children's abilities to more accurately monitor their rate of progress and identify any achievement gaps

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must:

 develop the key person role to ensure that children become familiar with the setting, offer a settled relationship for the child and build a relationship with parents.

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 offer greater support for children to understand the importance of good health by encouraging them to blow their nose or doing this for them

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 review the organisation of toys for babies to make a broader range available for them to reach and explore independently.

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who attend

Inconsistencies exist in the quality of learning experiences throughout the nursery. Overall children make satisfactory progress in their all-round development. However, there are some significant strengths in the quality of learning experiences for the oldest children. Throughout the nursery children generally chat happily as they play. Most staff know how to promote children's language through the use of open-ended questioning but they do not all remember to do this at all times. This sometimes limits opportunities for children to express their own thoughts and ideas as some questions only require one word answers. Staff working with babies speak clearly and introduce new words to help the youngest children develop their vocabularies. Staff competently read books to children and successfully engage their interest. They use interesting voices and pause appropriately to encourage children to predict what is going to happen. As a result, children become

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who attend

absorbed in the different stories and the plight of the different characters.

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who attend

Children make good use of the outdoor play area to develop their physical skills. They climb, balance and steer with growing confidence. They also enjoy running around with their friends or relaxing in the shade. Children based in the ground floor room are able to move freely into the garden for much of the day. Staff take children under two years down from their first floor group room to play outside very regularly throughout the day. There is also a range of physical play equipment set out for younger children to explore independently on the first floor.

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who attend

Children enjoy dressing up and engaging in imaginary role play. For example, children display caring behaviour as they change the nappies of baby dolls, talking to them gently and feeding them bottles. Children also express their imagination through arts and crafts. They have constant access to paints, pencil, chalks and create a lot of individual artwork.

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who attend

Arrangements for planning and assessment are not fully effective in all areas. The nursery uses a computerised system to record their observations on each child. However, some staff lack skill in identifying precisely the level of each child's ability. As a result, the system does not support staff or managers to easily identify any gaps in the achievement of individual children or groups of children. Parents are able to access the records of their own children from their home computers. There is a facility for them to add information, encouraging them to take an active role in their child's learning. Appropriate arrangements are in place to complete the required progress checks for children aged two years.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

There is a key person system in place in the nursery and each key person takes responsibility for coordinating the learning for their key children. However, they do not routinely change their nappies or support their children during meal times. This is because the routines of the day are generally geared around staff rotas rather than being tailored around the needs of children. This is not fully supportive in helping children to develop their sense of security.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children generally behave well and are developing appropriate social skills. They are friendly and play cooperatively together. Most children are confident to express their views to ask questions. When playing outdoors they confidently explore the adventurous play space and develop their independence. They are beginning to take risks, such as balancing on logs, in managed situations.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

The nursery provides nutritious snacks and cooked meals, which children greatly enjoy. This helps children to learn about the importance of healthy eating. There is also water set out for them to reach at all times. Arrangements to promote other aspects of children's health are inadequate. Toilets and nappy changing arrangements are not sufficiently hygienic. Staff do not clean toilet areas frequently enough. Nappy changing units are not clean and staff do not always wipe mats down between each nappy change. This does not support children's good health. In addition, a mat in the area used for the youngest babies has dried food debris on and is generally grubby. Children with runny noses do not always receive prompt attention from staff and do not know to blow their noses themselves. This means that children are not learning important self-care skills and increases the risk of infections spreading.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

The organisation of the different play areas is generally successful in supporting children's learning. The garden is a particularly well-thought-out, inviting area. Children confidently select from the good range of resources in the ground floor play room and transport these into the garden to extend their games. There is an adequate range of toys for babies but many of these are stored on a window ledge and on shelves. This does not encourage babies to learn through independent exploration as they cannot reach the toys themselves.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

The nursery has recently made a very successful improvement to the provision for the oldest children. As they approach school age children move into a Kindergarten group for half of each day. During their time in this group they engage in activities which focus on ensuring that they are as ready as they can be for their move to school. Staff supervising these children very skilfully work with children in small groups. They help them to develop their confidence and independence as well as promoting their language. Children are beginning to recognise written letters, particularly those in their own name. They also show their growing general knowledge as they speak confidently on a range of interesting subjects.

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provision

This inspection was brought forward as a result of a complaint received by Ofsted expressing concern about the quality of care, safety and suitability of the premises. The nursery was found to be meeting the learning and development requirements overall although there are some areas where improvement is needed. However, the welfare requirements are not being met in full. The nursery has failed to notify Ofsted of an allegation against a member of staff, and has not notified the appropriate children's services agency. It is a requirement to do so. On this occasion Ofsted intends to take further action because the nursery had already had an action set relating to the same issue and has again failed to follow correct procedures to safeguard children. This puts children's welfare at risk. The nursery was also found to be in breach of a legal requirement relating to hygiene arrangements and an action has been set.

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provision

The management team recognise their responsibility to promote children's learning and development. However, the systems in place to monitor the success of educational programmes are not fully effective. This is due to weaknesses in the arrangements for assessment. There is a process of self-evaluation in place and parents' views are sought to contribute to this. The management team are working with advisors from the local authority and have an action plan in place to promote further improvement. This is beginning to result in some improvements in the service children receive, for example the introduction of the Kindergarten group. They are also implementing more regular supervisions for staff to more closely monitor their performance. Recruitment procedures are appropriate and staff undergo rigorous checks to assess their suitability.

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provision

Appropriate arrangements are in place to work in partnership with other professionals. The nursery has experience of successfully working with other agencies to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Parents met during the inspection express their satisfaction at their service they receive. They are confident to raise issues with staff if they have any concerns about their child or any aspect of the provision.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

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actions)

The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are

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To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

 ensure that the premises and equipment used for the purposes of the childcare are safe and suitable for that childcare (compulsory part of the Childcare Register).  ensure that the premises and equipment used for the purposes of the childcare are safe and suitable for that childcare (voluntary part of the Childcare Register).

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Satisfactory Satisfactory provision is performing less well than expectations in one or more of the key areas. It requires improvement in order to be good. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement action. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be inspected again within 12 months of the date of this inspection.

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Grade Judgement Description

Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY334466 Local authority Brighton & Hove Inspection number 922636 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 60 Number of children on roll 112 Name of provider Anita Dawn O'Hara Date of previous inspection 30/10/2012 Telephone number 01273 554484

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Setting details

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. 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,

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Type of provision

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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