Spring Park Nursery

Spring Park Nursery Muirhead Avenue East, Liverpool, Merseyside, L11 1ER

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 23/09/2013 24/07/2012

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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

 Children with English as an additional language are not encouraged to use their home language in their play. This means that their uniqueness is not recognised.  Children in the toddler room sleep in close proximity on a large mat, which is used for play throughout the rest of the day. This does not enable them to sleep comfortably or to be treated as an individual.  Fresh drinking water is not sufficiently accessible at all times during the day for children in the toddler room. Consequently, their needs are not always met.  Assessments of children's progress is inconsistent and sometimes inaccurate and incomplete. Consequently, planning is weak as does not effectively support future learning.  The monitoring of the educational programme, planning and assessment and staff practice is poor. This means that some children are not making sufficient progress.  Staff in the toddler room are not sufficiently organised during mealtimes. Consequently,

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This provision is inadequate

children's behaviour is not managed consistently and some children misbehave due to lack of appropriate supervision.

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It has the following strengths

 Children and parents are welcomed into the nursery by friendly, caring staff. Parents are encouraged to share routine information to help children to settle and in order that staff can meet some of their individual care needs.

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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 activities in all rooms within the nursery and spoke to staff and children throughout the day.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager and registered person.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day of the inspection.  The inspector had a tour of the setting.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled documentation, including children's assessment records, planning documentation, evidence of staff suitability and qualifications and children's learning journals.

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Information about the setting

Spring Park Nursery is one of two nurseries run by Spring Enterprises NW Ltd and was registered on the Early Years Register in 2003. It operates from three playrooms across two floors in purpose-built premises situated in the Croxteth Park area of Liverpool. Access is via a ramp to the main entrance. There is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round with the exception of bank holidays. Sessions are from 7.45am until 6pm. Children are able to attend for a variety of sessions.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 84 children attending. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-olds. It supports children, who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs 14 members of childcare staff. Of these, all hold appropriate early years qualifications. Two staff also have an Early Years Foundation Stage degree and another is working toward Early Years Professional Status. Additional staff are employed for food preparation. The nursery receives support from a quality improvement advisor. It is a member of the National Day Nursery Association.

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must:

 ensure that children in the toddler room have access to fresh drinking water at all times throughout the day

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must:

 provide opportunities for children whose home language is not English to develop and use their home language in play and learning to further support their language development

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must:

 improve staff's knowledge and understanding of the learning and development requirements and how to use assessments, including the required progress check at age two, more effectively to plan for children's individual learning needs

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must:

 ensure the behaviour management procedures are consistently applied and at times that are relevant, so children understand

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must:

 develop a system for monitoring the educational programme to ensure children make progress in their learning and to ensure staff, including the special educational needs coordinator, have the necessary skills to shape the learning experiences for children's based on their observations

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must:

 fully implement the key person system to help ensure that every child's learning and care is tailored to meet their individual needs

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must:

 establish partnerships with other professionals, particularly for children, who may have special educational needs and/or disabilities, to provide future effective support for children.

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

 personalise the current sleeping arrangements for toddlers by providing individual furnishings and blankets to allow each child enough space to sleep comfortably

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

 extend partnerships with parents, by encouraging them to share more detailed information about what their child already knows, so that they are fully involved in helping to assess their child's developmental starting points

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

 develop the self-evaluation process, so that there is a thorough system for precisely monitoring and analysing the quality of the service and ensure that plans have a clear aim and identify how improvements are to be implemented and monitored.

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who attend

The recent high staff turnover and their ineffective deployment has made a significant impact on the educational programme provided for the children. Planning is not effective in meeting children's needs because staff have regularly moved between rooms, resulting in inconsistent practice. Staff do not always get the opportunity to build strong and effective relationships with the children, therefore, do not know their individual learning needs. This means that planning does not target individual children's learning. Consequently, some children are not making sufficient progress. Staff do not consistently monitor children's development and initial information is not gathered from parents around children's learning and development. This means that staff do not have a clear picture of the progress that children make in relation to their starting points. Children, who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are not always given adequate support

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who attend

to enable them to make progress in their learning. For example, staff do not carry out individual activities with children following guidance from other professionals. This is partly due to a lack of understanding of the role and responsibilities of the special educational needs coordinator.

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who attend

Staff know that they must observe what their key children can do. However, observation and assessment for some children over two years is not frequent or accurate enough to build on their progress. Staff working in the toddler room demonstrate very little understanding of how to complete the progress check at age two. They have not received appropriate training to develop their understanding of the importance of such checks in relation to promoting early intervention. Therefore, some children are not progressing as well as they could be and are not well prepared for their next stage of learning.

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who attend

Staff read stories and sing songs with children supporting some communication and language development. However, staff are less effective in supporting children, who speak English as an additional language. They do not use simple words to support children's home language, or provide opportunities for them to use their home language in play. This means that each child's unique culture is not celebrated. Children love being messy and enjoy activities, such as junk modelling, using cardboard and other materials. This promotes their creativity and small muscle skills as they glue and stick items. Children use their imaginations as they enjoy using the role play areas. They pretend to cook for each other and wash dishes. Staff also provide opportunities for them to use their senses. For example, babies sit in highchairs and enjoy finger painting.

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

Children in the toddler room sit at tables for long periods of time waiting for their lunch to be cut up for them by a member of staff. Poor organisation of the room means that most of the staff's time is taken up with preparing the children's food. Consequently, the children have nothing to stimulate them and become bored during this period. This results in the children misbehaving and shouting at each other. Opportunities are also missed for children to develop their independence and self-care skills. For example, staff cut up their food before giving it to them and pour their drinks. When children finish eating, staff follow them around the room and clean their hands and faces with baby wipes. Consequently, children are not learning about how to care for themselves or what is expected of them. Too many members of staff busy themselves with wiping tables and brushing the floor, which impacts on their ability to supervise children effectively. The

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

lack of supervision leads to children running around the room and hurting each other. For example, they run into each other and pull each other's hair. This does not promote their awareness of keeping themselves safe. It also demonstrates that children do not understand what is expected of them in terms of their behaviour.

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

The setting has recently lost a number of staff over a short period of time. Most staff have recently moved rooms and are in the process of becoming familiar with the routines and children in their new room. This has resulted in the key person system becoming largely ineffective. There are too many new staff members in each room and the poor deployment of staff negatively impacts upon the attachments children make. This is particularly evident in the baby room when babies become distressed as the one member of staff based in this room goes out to talk to a parent. Babies, who have been at the setting for some time are still finding it hard to settle as they are not familiar with the different staff. Some parents complete 'All about me' sheets to give the setting information about children's care needs, so that staff can follow their child's routine. Staff in the baby room provide parents with a daily diary, which includes information about the child's food

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

intake and nappy changes. This means that parents are aware of how their child's care needs have been met that day.

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

The environment offers children spaces to relax and many younger children have a sleep after lunch. However, in the toddler room, children do not have their own bed, cushion or mat to sleep on; sleeping instead in close proximity on one large mat, some sharing a blanket. Consequently, staff do not give children much room to sleep comfortably and children are not treated as individuals. Children are adequately nourished and they receive regular snacks and meals throughout the day according to their hours of attendance. However, staff do not ensure that children in the toddler room have access to fresh drinking water during the day. This means that children's physical care needs are not always met. Children enjoy outdoor play, gaining fresh air and exercise. They dig in the soil area and have plenty of space to run around and ride bikes. As a result, children's physical skills are being developed. Weaknesses in the key person system and the

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

provision for children's learning and development means that some children are not well prepared for their transition into school.

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provision

The inspection took place following concerns raised about how well the setting caters for children with specific dietary requirements. Information is obtained from parents before children start at the setting about any specific dietary needs. Systems are in place to ensure that all staff are aware of any food allergies or specific requests made by parents about their child's diet. The setting take all reasonable steps to ensure that children with food allergies are catered for and their needs are met. For example, the cook is given a list at the beginning of each day, which has details of any children present, who require a variation to the main menu and what room that child is in. The procedures for the reporting of child protection and safeguarding concerns are fully reflective of the Local Safeguarding Children Board expectations. Staff undertake regular training programmes and the named person responsible for coordinating child protection concerns

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provision

demonstrates fully her ability to follow the procedures as required, to protect children. The safeguarding procedures are displayed throughout all areas of the nursery and staff demonstrate they have a sound understanding of the steps to take and who to report any concerns they may have regarding the safety and well-being of a child.

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provision

Children's learning and development is compromised because the management fail to fulfil their responsibilities in meeting the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage, including overseeing the educational programme. Planning and assessment is not sufficiently monitored. Consequently, the manager is not aware that observations are not completed for some children and some planning for children's next steps has not been completed. As a result, staff do not have a sufficient knowledge of some children's skills, abilities and progress. This means that some children are not encouraged to reach their full potential.

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provision

Self-evaluation is poor and as a result, the manager has an unrealistic view of the provision and has failed to identify significant weaknesses. Consequently, a number of legal requirements in the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage are not being met. Partnerships with parents at the setting are inconsistent. Feedback from parents spoken with during inspection is variable; most parents indicate that they are generally happy with the care for their children. However, some parents express concern about the lack of challenge and stimulation for the children in the educational programme. Partnerships with other professionals are not yet established. This is because the setting does not attempt to make contact with other professionals involved with a child. Staff are not able to explain if any targeted plans are in place for some children. For example, they are not aware of how well children, who receive support from speech and language

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provision

therapists are progressing, or what they can do at the setting to provide further support. Consequently, there is a lack of consistency in care for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are Met

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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 EY262887 Local authority Liverpool Inspection number 932542

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 88 Number of children on roll 84 Name of provider Spring Enterprises NW Ltd Date of previous inspection 24/07/2012 Telephone number 0151 226 8600

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Type of provision

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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