Mulberry Bush Nursery

The Mulberry Bush Day Nursery Ditherington Road, SHREWSBURY, SY1 4DQ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 08/07/2013 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 4 Previous inspection: Not Applicable 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

 Children are not always supported to make the best progress possible as staff do not conduct a base line assessment on their entry.  Staff do not accurately record the names of all the children and the hours of their attendance in the daily register to fully protect children's safety.  The progress check at age two is not implemented to provide parents with a short written summary of their child's development.  Monitoring reflective practice and self-challenge is not used effectively to promote consistency of practice throughout the nursery. Consequently, staff do not set challenging targets for improvement that will raise the levels of children's achievements over time.  The organisation of the nursery is poor. Care routines do not involve the children so they are not able to develop independence or confidence in preparation for school readiness.

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It has the following strengths

 Children with English as an additional language are supported appropriately. Staff work with parents to ensure that individual needs are met.

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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 observed children's activities in all areas of the premises and outside.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's records, planning, assessment and other required documents.  The inspector held ongoing discussions with staff and children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held in-depth discussions with the deputy manager and carried out a joint observation with her.

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Information about the setting

The Mulberry Bush Day Nursery was registered in 2012 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is one of seven nurseries owned and managed by Hazels Farm Childcare Limited. It is situated in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs five members of childcare staff. Of these, one holds appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and two at level 3, including one with Early Years Professional Status.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 38 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language.

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must:

 ensure that initial assessment is accurate and precise, for example, by; obtaining information from parents about their children's starting points on entry

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must:

 maintain a daily record of the names of the children being cared for on the premises and their hours of attendance

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must:

 develop assessment processes to ensure that the progress check at age two years is completed when necessary and information is shared with parents

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must:

 develop effective methods of monitoring the planning and assessments to ensure staff make accurate assessments of children's development to plan the next steps in their learning, to support them effectively in making good progress towards the early learning goals

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must:

 put into place effective supervision of staff, which provides support, coaching and training for the practitioner in order to promote the interests of the children and the continuous improvement in the quality of the nursery.

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

 enhance older children's opportunities and experiences of self-care and independence by; pouring their own drinks at mealtimes and serving their food.

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who attend

Children generally have an enjoyable time in this setting. However, the quality of teaching is weak as children's learning experiences differ as the quality of practice is variable between rooms. Some staff have a poor understanding of the prime and specific areas of learning, resulting in weak practice that is not matched to the children's needs. For example, no observations or learning stories have been carried out on some children in the toddler room for over four months. Planning is in place, but in some rooms it does not always effectively link to observations to move children forward to reach the next steps in their learning and development. This means that some children do not receive enough support or challenge in their play and, as a result, they soon lose interest and show little enthusiasm, which is required for effective learning. Most staff are unsure of children's ages and capabilities, and this results in some activities not being appropriate.

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who attend

Parents are beginning to be involved in their child's learning. Staff have recently introduced a profile book for parents to complete at home to share their child's interests and achievements. Parents are asked about their child's likes and dislikes when they first start at the nursery. This helps to identify children's care needs, but not their starting points to give staff a baseline knowledge of where children are in their learning and development. This restricts staff's ability to plan effectively for children's next steps. In addition, the progress check at age two years is currently not completed to ensure early intervention is put into place, if children are making less than the expected level of progress.

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who attend

Staff in the baby room get to know the children well. They are aware that young children need reassurance and support and always close at hand for cuddles and hugs. Staff are beginning to recognise children's interest and provide some activities to develop these. For example, the babies enjoy the shakers as they show excitement as they are able to make a noise. Staff support children in their physical development as they position objects out of reach to encourage their movement and early stages of crawling.

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who attend

Children in the toddler room enjoy taking part in activities, such as dressing-up. Staff support them to put on a character from children's animated series about a pig and her friends or 'policeman' outfits as they talk about their favourite characters. Children are able to start to develop their independence as they choose from activities and resources, which are stored in easily accessible low-level furniture. They enjoy the train track, putting the carriages together to move around and up and down on the wooden track. However, older children are not given opportunities to extend and develop their self-care skills. For example, they do not help to prepare snack or pour their own drinks and serve themselves at mealtimes. This does not ensure that children are well prepared for school or their next stage of learning, for example, starting school.

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

Care practices do not encourage children to learn as staff do not use open-ended questions throughout the routines of the day. For example, staff do not explain why the children need to wash their hands prior to snack times and meals. Staff do not talk about ways to stay healthy and safe and do not teach children the importance of a healthy diet. For example, staff prepare fruit for snack and bring this out already on plates. Toddlers and older children sit at the table for lunch for long periods of time, waiting for food to be plated by staff and then waiting for it to cool. As a result, children become bored and restless and start to play with the cutlery on the table as their interest is not maintained.

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

A key person system is in place and parents are made aware of who their child's key person is. There are flexible settling-in sessions, depending on needs, and staff collect information from parents, which help them initially form appropriate bonds with children. Children with English as an additional language are appropriately supported. Staff use pictorial timelines and find out familiar words to help the children settle easily and smoothly. A behaviour management policy is in place and children follow simple rules, which promote positive behaviour. They behave appropriately as they learn to share and take turns with equipment and know to tidy toys and resources away. This enables children to remain safe and learn acceptable behaviour, keeping themselves and others safe.

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

Parents of younger children receive daily written feedback, which keeps them appropriately informed of general care practices and activities they have taken part in. Children show an understanding of the importance of regular exercise as they enjoy opportunities to engage in physical activities and exercise in the fresh air. Ongoing risk assessments ensure that any potential hazards are identified and minimised. For example, gates are closed and locked when the children are outside to ensure their safety.

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

Opportunities for managing the safety of staff and children in the event of a fire are in place. Fire evacuation drills are carried out by the nursery to enable staff and children to further develop their understanding of how to deal with emergencies. Consequently, children begin to learn how to keep themselves safe in an emergency situation. There are appropriate transitions in place as children move throughout the nursery and to school. Staff allow children to visit their new room before moving. This ensures that they are able to become familiar with their new surroundings and staff. The nursery is developing links with schools that the children will be moving to. This will support them in their transition between nursery and school to ensure it will be a positive experience.

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provision

There is too little understanding of the learning and development requirements by staff, resulting in poor monitoring of children's progress. As a result, the provider is not fulfilling their responsibility in meeting the learning and development requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation in overseeing the educational programme. The ineffective monitoring of practitioners has resulted in inconsistent practice. As a result, children do not make sufficient progress because the staff do not always assess children's development accurately to plan the next steps in their learning or use appropriate teaching methods to support learning.

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provision

The provider and staff have a secure understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements. Safeguarding procedures are in place and all staff are clear about their duties and of the procedures to follow should they have any concerns about a child in their care. The safeguarding policy is displayed for parents and this ensures that they are informed about the provision and assured about their children's welfare. However, staff do not keep an accurate record of all the children's hours of attendance to ensure that their welfare is protected. This means that a requirement is not met on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. Adequate recruitment procedures are in place. Disclosure and Barring Service checks are obtained for all staff, along with all relevant identity checks to ensure their suitability to work with children. Staff attend a variety of training courses to continue their professional development and

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provision

Partnerships with parents are acceptable. The staff maintain daily communication with parents to share information about children's experiences. Parents receive information about policies, activities and other relevant information through regular updates and newsletters. The nursery does not currently care for any children who attend other early years settings. However, the manager is fully aware of the importance of liaising with other professionals if necessary to ensure children's continuity of care if they attend more than one setting. The recent self-evaluation form is not an accurate reflection of the current practice within the nursery. Although the manager has been monitoring staff's practice, areas for improvement and staff training have not been identified and, consequently, some staff practice is poor.

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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:

 keep a daily record of the names of the children looked after on the premises and their hours of attendance (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  keep a daily record of the names of the children looked after on the premises and their hours of attendance (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 EY458254 Local authority Shropshire Inspection number 899196 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 58 Number of children on roll 38 Name of provider Hazles Farm Childcare Ltd Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 07538972730

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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

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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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