Little Rascals Nursery

Little Rascals Day Nursery 45 Chesswood Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN11 2AA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 31/07/2013 12/02/2009

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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

 Staff do not use risk assessment in an effective way to make sure that the environment is safe, clean and suitable for the children, both inside and outdoors at all times.  The arrangements for leadership, management and accountability are not clear and do not effectively support the care, learning and development needs of all children.  Staff have a weak understanding of the nursery's safeguarding policy and procedures, particularly regarding procedures to follow in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff.  The deployment of staff is ineffective and does not sufficiently support the needs of all children; particularly the children aged under two years.  Staff do not make good use of the outside environment to support children's healthy lifestyles and development across all areas of learning.

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It has the following strengths

 Children play cooperatively together, sharing ideas to stimulate their play and behave well.  Children establish positive relationships with staff, which helps each child feel secure and content.

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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 and spoke with the staff and children in all areas of the nursery and checked ratios both indoors and outside in the garden.  The inspector discussed aspects of practice with the staff and management.  The inspector spoke to parents to ascertain their views about the nursery.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of documentation including staffing records, registers of attendance, policies and procedures, risk assessments and children's learning records.  The inspector carried out a joint observation of an activity with the manager.

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Information about the setting

Little Rascals Day Nursery registered in 2003 and is privately run. It operates from a converted house in Worthing, West Sussex. Children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm for 51 weeks of the year.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 99 children aged from birth to under five years on roll. The nursery gets funding for the provision of free early education to children aged two, three and four years. The nursery cares for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs 15 members of staff. Of these, 12 hold appropriate early years qualifications. Three members of staff are in training.

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must:

 ensure that the deployment of staff is effective in meeting the needs of children, particularly the children aged under two years

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must:

 ensure that the risk assessment identifies all potential hazards and actions is taken to make sure the environment is safe and suitable for children

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must:

 ensure all staff understand the nursery's safeguarding policy and procedures, including regarding the action to take in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff

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must:

 improve the effectiveness of leadership and management arrangements to support the needs of children, keep them safe and promote their welfare

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must:

 ensure that the premises and equipment are kept clean.

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

 make more effective use of the garden to support children's learning and development and good health.

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who attend

Children enjoy an adequate range of activities and are making progress in their learning and development towards the early learning goals of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Staff use appropriate systems to observe and assess children's learning and development, identifying their next steps and planning activities to support each child's needs. Children's learning is enhanced by going on a wide range of outings around the local area, which helps them understand more about the world around them. For example, they visit the local airport, a hairdressers and the police station. Within the nursery children learn about the natural world as they grow vegetables, such as carrots and potatoes. In addition, older children speak confidently about how to care for living things such as the nursery's turtles. Toddlers enjoy singing and are learning how to move their bodies to action songs, such as 'wind the bobbin up', which helps them develop coordination skills and supports their

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who attend

developing communication and language. Children learn key skills for the future, to help them prepare for school. For instance, they learn how to use the touch screen computer as well as the mouse to control actions and play mathematical games such as shape matching. The older children show strong skills writing for a purpose, as they write letters to their teachers at their future school.

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who attend

The quality of teaching overall is satisfactory, although some staff are more skilled at questioning children and encouraging their sustained thinking and learning. For example, staff use a planned activity well to encourage the older children to think about, plan and prepare for a make-believe trip to a favourite place. They also learn about concepts such as time, following a map and creating lists of items they need to take, such as binoculars. At other times some staff interrupt younger children as they explore and express their creativity using paint by deciding it is time to clear away. This has an impact on the children's creative development.

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who attend

All of the children enjoy playing outside in the garden. There are sufficient resources to support the children's needs across all areas of learning and to offer them physical challenge. However, the poor risk assessment means that some of these resources are not clean or safe for children to use. Water play is a firm favourite, whether pouring water down plastic pipes, splashing in it in their wellington boots or pouring and filling containers. Older children participate with enthusiasm in obstacle course games and races, which helps them get exercise and fresh air. However, staff tend to use the garden at set times, rather than making full and effective use of the outdoor environment to enhance children's learning and development.

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who attend

Parents are involved in their children's learning and are able to discuss their child's progress with their key person. The children's learning journals include photographs and evidence of how the staff monitor a child's development. Staff have satisfactory partnerships in place with other early years settings some children also attend. They also work collaboratively with external agencies to support children's additional needs and to promote inclusion for every child.

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

The management and staff do not follow robust risk assessment procedures to keep children safe in all areas of the nursery, including outside. A lack of clear communication between staff about risk assessment also results in the staff working with babies and toddlers assuming the garden has been risk assessed, and taking them outside to play. Consequently, children's healthy and safety is compromised when they climb in to the large boat in the garden before staff have realised there is water lying in it. Indoors staff leave large boxes of resources stacked up in the creative room next to the door, which causes a hazard to children's safety as they play. The nursery has a no shoe policy on the first floor of the nursery as part of its ongoing hygiene practices regarding the care of the youngest children. However, at times, adults take off their shoes as they go upstairs leaving them on a stair next to a large shoe basket. Both create trip hazards in an area

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

that is also a fire exit and this compromises the safety of children and adults in the nursery. The staff teach children about safety as they play, helping them to use equipment safely. Older children show they know how to use tools such as scissors with care, putting them away after using them. The nursery also has visitors come into the nursery to teach children about road safety and keeping themselves safe. Parents have reported back to staff how their children have remembered messages they have learnt about how to cross a road in a safe way.

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

Staff follow appropriate hygiene procedures regarding babies' and toddlers' intimate care to reduce risks of cross infection. However, there are not clear procedures in place to label and monitor the use of dummies in the baby and toddler rooms. Although staff feel confident that they know which dummy belongs to each child, these systems do not adequately safeguard children's health. Older children develop appropriate independent personal skills. They learn how to wash their hands and how to put their shoes on and off, which helps them prepare for their transition to school. Although there are routines in place to clean toys and the nursery, these are not effective. Staff clean areas of the nursery towards the end of the day when children are still present and so they group children together in rooms to enable them to do this. The outdoor role-play area in a large playhouse is dirty, a baby seat is soiled with dried food and dirt around the sides and not

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

all toddlers' drinking beakers are kept sufficiently clean. Management has introduced systems to monitor how well staff clean the nursery but some staff fail to recognise issues regarding hygiene, for example when a child's water beaker is unclean. These issues all have an impact on the children's health.

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

Children are happy in the nursery and build close bonds with their key person and other staff and children. This results in a harmonious environment where the children behave well and show care and compassion towards each other. As children arrive the staff warmly greet them, and some children affectionately greet their friends who come in later in the day. This supports children's feelings of belonging and their emotional well-being. Babies form attachments to their key person, who follows their specific care needs and routines appropriately. Consequently, babies are able to feel secure and comfortable. In the toddler room staff have created a comfortable and inviting cosy area, where children can rest and relax. Children enjoy the food prepared within the nursery, and enjoy the social aspects of sitting down to eat together. Older children gain independence as they serve themselves, while younger ones show they are learning about food safety as they blow food in case it is a

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

little hot. The babies tend to eat in their own room, missing some opportunities for social interaction. They also tend to spend a lot of the day inside the nursery, although are taken on walks in buggies around the area and have some time in the garden.

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

Children enjoy playing with toys that reflect diversity in society well and children are able to access many of the toys themselves, which helps them gain independence. However some of the toys and resources are not sufficiently clean and risk assessments have failed to identify and address hazards.

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provision

The management and accountability of the nursery is weak and not fully effective in keeping children safe or promoting their welfare. This has resulted in several breaches of legal requirements of the Early Years Register and a breach of the Childcare Register. There are satisfactory systems in place regarding the educational programmes provided within the nursery. The inspection was brought forward as a result of concerns raised with Ofsted regarding deployment of staff, poor hygiene and lack of resources for children.

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provision

The inspection found that deployment of staff within the nursery is, at times, poor and does not reflect good safeguarding practices. For example, the key person working with the babies spends a lot of the day on her own with the youngest children in their base room. Other staff take a group of older children outside into the garden on their own, which makes it difficult for them to meet every child's needs well. For example, when children become distressed when they do not want to join in a race, the member of staff deals with them well, but has to leave the remaining children to occupy themselves. This compromises their safety and learning and development. During the busy times at the start and end of the day the ratio of staff to children is stretched to its limit. This results in staff encouraging and persuading some children to move into another room. Consequently, the nursery does not fully meet the needs of each child because of these

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provision

management arrangements. Although there are sufficient resources for the children to play with, risk assessment has failed to identify potential hazards or the poor staff deployment.

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provision

The nursery is currently going through a period of change in leadership regarding the roles of manager and deputies. However, the nursery provider has not implemented robust and clear systems to make sure this happens in a smooth and efficient manner, to limit the impact on children. Some parents are also unsure about the role the nursery provider currently has. Staff have been moved to work in different rooms within the nursery, particularly on the first floor. This shows how the deputies/acting managers are keen to begin to drive improvement in practice and support the staff with their own professional development. However, the systems for monitoring performance and driving improvement in the quality of the provision are having limited success and the nursery shows a weak capacity to drive improvement. There are systems in place for self- evaluation but these do not accurately reflect the quality of the nursery provision at this

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provision

time. The nursery does seek the parents' views and provides opportunities for them to find out more information about the nursery through the displays put up on the notice boards and newsletters.

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provision

Although there is a lead practitioner with responsibility for safeguarding in the nursery, staff have a basic and, in most instances, weak knowledge and understanding of the nursery's safeguarding procedures. They are able to describe the possible signs and symptoms that may indicate concerns about a child's welfare and know to report these to their line manager. However, they do not know the nursery's safeguarding procedures to follow in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff. This compromises children's welfare. The nursery maintains relevant documentation appropriately, including the registers of attendance, accident and medication records. Most documentation is stored securely to maintain confidentiality. There are clear recruitment and vetting procedures in place to make sure staff are suitable to work with children and that anyone unvetted is not left alone with a child, to safeguard their welfare.

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provision

There are satisfactory partnerships with parents and other agencies in place to support each child. Parents are encouraged to share information about their children's learning and achievements at home. They can attend meetings with their child's key person to discuss their progress and next steps for learning so that everyone works together to support the child. The nursery supports the inclusion of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, working with support services to meet the children's specific requirements. Parents' comments about the nursery are a little variable. Some parents are delighted with the care and education their children receive and know their children are very happy at the nursery. Other parents raise concerns about the communication with management and how some information about their children's learning has not been shared when they have moved rooms. The nursery takes account of some of the views of

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provision

parents to improve aspects of the nursery, for example by creating a page on a social networking site and installing a buggy shelter outside the nursery.

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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 EY270903 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 927505 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 45 Number of children on roll 99 Name of provider Sharon Anne Ashworth-Leach Date of previous inspection 12/02/2009 Telephone number 01903 600577

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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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