Monton Village School Ltd

Monton Village School Ltd The School House, Francis Street, Eccles, Manchester, Lancashire, M30 9PR

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16/09/2013 13/02/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 4 Previous inspection: 3 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

 Staff are not deployed effectively during lunch breaks and early morning to ensure there are enough staff within sight and hearing of children.  Parents are not consistently encouraged to share children's unique culture or starting points. This means that their learning and care needs are not always effectively supported.  Children with English as an additional language are not encouraged to use their home language in their play and children, who have significant gaps in their learning are not given targeted support to help them make progress.  Children's health is compromised as access to fresh air and outdoor play is not offered to all children everyday.  There are inconsistencies in the observation of children, which means that some children do not have any next steps planned for them and planning is too focussed on themes and not on children's interests or developing needs.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff in the baby room provide a calm, peaceful environment and cater to babies individual needs. Babies are happy and content as a result.

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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 staff and children engaged in activities.  The inspector looked at children's learning records and enrolment forms.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with staff, children and parents at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of responses to parents' questionnaires.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector examined a sample of organisational and health and safety documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a meeting with the director and manager and conducted a joint observation of staff practice with the manager.

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Information about the setting

Monton Village School Ltd has been operating since 1989. It was registered under its current ownership in 2004 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is operated by a limited company and the providers also run another nursery in the area. It is located in a converted school building in the Monton area of Manchester. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from five main play bases, including a newly constructed, integral baby unit and separate toddler room. Children also have access to the school hall and four enclosed areas for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 27 members of childcare staff, who work on a full- and part-time basis. Of these, 23 hold appropriate early years qualifications, 17 of which are to level 3 and above and one member of staff holds a degree in Early Years Leadership and another has Qualified Teacher Status.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round with the exception of public holidays and a period over Christmas. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 117 children attending, who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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must:

 deploy staff effectively over lunch breaks and early morning to ensure children's well-being and safety is secured

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must:

 ensure that children's health is promoted effectively by offering outdoor play to all children, including babies, everyday, except when weather conditions would make it unsafe

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must:

 develop the information gathered from parents to include what they know about their child's development, in order to identify each child's starting points and more effectively plan to help them make progress

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must:

 provide challenging experiences for children by: using robust observation and assessment of children's learning to identify their next steps; planning for individual children, taking account of their interests and the next steps in their learning; ensuring that children, who are not making steady progress are provided with targeted support in consultation with parents and health specialists

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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 unique culture

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who attend

The support of children's learning and development is inadequate due to weaknesses in the observation, assessment and planning systems. Assessment of children's learning and development is inconsistent and as a result, some children do not receive enough support to help them make good progress. Children are not always observed by their key person to ensure that next steps are quickly identified and planned for. When children are observed, there are often no evaluations made to identify correctly the stage of development a child has reached. Planning for children is routinely based on pre-planned themes, such as colours and shapes and not sufficiently on children's interests or what they can already do. Consequently, some children do not make the best possible progress in all areas of learning.

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who attend

Children, who speak English as an additional language are not well supported in their home language. Staff do not know or use any simple words or greetings to help children value their home language. In addition, staff have a limited understanding of how to promote diversity. Consequently, children are not taught to value the uniqueness of others or about the similarities and differences between people. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are not sufficiently supported to begin to address the gaps in their learning and development. Specialist advice and support is not sought promptly when assessment identifies gaps. As a result, children make limited progress in some areas of learning.

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who attend

The information gathered from parents when children enrol, includes their basic care needs. Additional information that would help staff to get to know children quickly, is not asked for, for example, parents are not always asked to share what their children can already do when they enrol. Consequently, staff are not able to plan for children's learning as promptly as possible, as they take time to get to know each child well. The nursery use a document called 'I'm Here!' to gather information about the individual child, but this is not always filled in or is only partially completed, so is not always effective.

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who attend

Children begin to learn about cause and effect in the baby room, where they have access to a range of pop-up and battery operated toys that make sounds when they are pressed. Older children have access to computers and programmable toys, so begin to learn about technology. Sand, water and paint are available to all children, helping them to use their senses by feeling the different textures. Outdoors, older children run around in the fresh air and enjoy pedalling bikes and pushing prams. Chalk and water allow them to make marks outside, which helps them develop writing skills.

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who attend

Staff use planned circle times well to support children's developing communication. They sing songs and tell stories in an animated way, which children enjoy. Staff ask children questions, such as 'what noise does the duck make?' and praise them when they shout out 'quack quack'. Action songs, such as 'five currant buns' help young children begin to understand numbers, take turns and join in. Staff count out loud how many scoops of sand they use to fill the bucket, so teach children to count. Play dough is used to good effect, when staff lead a group of children in 'play dough aerobics'. They mould and manipulate play dough to music, reaching high and low and use their fingers and thumbs to make holes in the dough. This activity helps children develop the dexterity they will need to begin to hold a pencil, so helps them acquire the skills they will need for school at the appropriate time. Specialist teachers offer weekly gym and dance classes to pre-school

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who attend

children and seasonal activities offer opportunities for planting and growing flowers and vegetables.

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

As a result of insufficient staff being available to supervise at key times of the day, the safety and well-being of children cannot be assured at all times. In addition, some groups of children such as babies do not have the opportunity to play outside in the fresh air, which is a requirement. Consequently, children's health is not always promoted effectively.

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

Staff are warm and friendly, they are responsive to children and help them to feel secure. This is particularly evident in the younger baby room, where an air of calm and contentment prevails. Babies have their bottle on demand and are cuddled while they drink. Individual care needs are followed, so some babies sleep safely in their cot, while others explore the bright and cheerful playroom. New babies having settling-in visits are happy and content, as staff sit close by and reassure them while they play. As a result, babies begin to develop attachments to their key person.

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

Staff have recently moved rooms and a new toddler room has been opened. This means that some staff are still getting to know children in the new room, so do not know all of their needs yet. However, children appear happy and engaged in play and seek staff out when they need help or support. Resources are plentiful in most rooms and are stored at low-level, so that children can access them independently. Additional resources are being purchased for the bright, new toddler room, to allow children a broader range of experiences.

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

Staff gently remind children to play safely and praise kind behaviour. They model good manners, saying 'please' and 'thank you' to children. As a result, children are well behaved. Pre-school children are learning to become independent. They wash their hands before eating and serve themselves at lunch time. They join in games where they learn to take turns and so are able to cooperate in their play. Consequently, they are beginning to develop the skills, which helps them become ready for school.

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

Meals and snacks are generally healthy, with fresh fruit being offered everyday. However, the lack of available drinking water and limited access to the outdoors for some children means that they do not always have every opportunity to take measured risks in their play or develop the habits that will ensure they learn to adopt a healthy lifestyle. However, other aspects of health are more effective. Staff have had appropriate training to deliver a tooth brushing scheme, which some parents have allowed their children to participate in, helping children to learn good oral health habits.

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provision

This inspection was brought forward as a result of previous concerns regarding the deployment of staff and the ratios of staff to children. During the inspection, the inspector found that staff are not effectively deployed early morning and at lunch breaks to ensure that there are sufficient staff within sight or hearing of children. As a result, the safety and well-being of children cannot be assured.

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provision

The environment is safe, staff check each room first thing in the morning for any potential risks to children and the garden is also checked before use. Staff have first aid certificates and record accidents appropriately. Documentation is in place to record medicines given and to identify children with food allergies or specific requirements. Staff have a sound understanding of safeguarding procedures, they are able to identify possible signs of abuse and know who to contact should they have concerns.

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provision

Methods to monitor the effectiveness of children's learning and development are weak. Inconsistencies in the observation and assessment of children means that some children have not been observed and some children have not been assessed robustly. Consequently, these children do not get appropriate support to help them make progress or to meet their needs. In particular, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children, who speak English as an additional language are not effectively supported. Plans to develop an overview of children's progress, which would highlight the weaknesses for these groups of children, have not yet been implemented to quickly identify gaps in learning.

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provision

The observation of staff, to help them develop their practice, is well under way. The management team use the observations to identify areas for staff development and room leaders support their staff in building their skills. Recruitment of staff is generally sound but not always robust. The management team keep records of interviews, identity checks and induction checklists. Staff are observed during the induction process and given feedback. Disclosure and Barring Service checks are in place for all staff.

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provision

Parents are asked to complete an annual questionnaire, so they can rate how happy they are with the service provided. The management team use this information to evaluate their practice, alongside the views of staff, gathered from informal discussion. Action plans are in place, which identify areas for improvement. Currently, information about younger children's progress is shared with parents verbally. Pre-school children have summaries of their progress termly and these are shared with parents, which helps them to support their child's learning further at home.

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provision

Partnerships with others agencies are generally sound. However, not all children receive prompt, targeted support that stronger relationships would provide. Teachers are invited into the setting prior to children starting school and effective links are in place to support children, who go on to attend the 'sister' school linked to the pre-school.

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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 EY284857 Local authority Salford Inspection number 909902

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 123 Number of children on roll 117 Name of provider Monton Village School Ltd Date of previous inspection 13/02/2013 Telephone number 0161 789 0472

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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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