Dearne Valley Day Nursery

Dearne Valley Day Nursery Golden Smithies Lane, Manvers Park,Wath-upon-Dearne, ROTHERHAM, South Yorkshire, S63 7ER

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 02/10/2013 05/01/2011

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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

 Quality of teaching is inconsistent across the nursery. This means not all children enjoy appropriate levels of challenge and their learning is not supported through high quality interactions.  Practitioners do not use information from observations and assessments effectively to inform planning. As a result, educational programmes do not take into account children's skills and achievements, so the next steps set for them do not promote their learning.  The key person system and the deployment of staff are not planned with enough consideration given to children's needs. As a result, they do not work effectively to ensure children's needs are met at all times.  Self-evaluation is weak. This means weaknesses in practice are not accurately identified and any action taken to improve practice is not implemented quickly enough.  Adequate vetting procedures are not completed for students. As a result, the nursery is

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This provision is inadequate

not meeting the requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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It has the following strengths

 Children behave well because boundaries are consistent and are clearly explained.  Staff support children's early language through the use of sign language as well as through stories and rhymes.

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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 the main playrooms and the outdoor environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector talked to the manager, staff, key persons and children throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at various documents, including a sample of policies and procedures, children's records, planning and assessments and evidence of the suitability of staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of a parent spoken to on the day of the inspection.

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Information about the setting

Dearne Valley Day Nursery was registered in 1999 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in a purpose built premises in the Wath Upon Dearne area, and is managed by For Under Fives Limited. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from six rooms and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 33 members of childcare staff. Of these, all hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and above, including two 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 8am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 126 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 and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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must:

 improve practitioners understanding of the learning and development requirements. Work with them to raise the standard of teaching to ensure children benefit from good quality interactions

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must:

 use observations and assessments to accurately identify children's next steps. Use the information in planning to ensure educational programmes take account of children's skills and provide them with challenges that help them to make good progress across the seven areas of learning

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must:

 develop an effective key person system, and improve the deployment of staff, to ensure children's learning and care needs are sufficiently met at all times

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must:

 improve vetting procedures to ensure suitability checks are completed, and records are kept, for all students who are working in the nursery.

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

 improve the monitoring of practice to ensure weaknesses are accurately identified. Use the information obtained from evaluation and assessment to develop and implement a plan of action that is swift and effective in addressing significant areas for improvement.

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who attend

In general, practitioners in the nursery have a sufficient understanding of the learning and development requirements. When children enter the nursery practitioners obtain a record of their starting points from parents. They use information contained in early years guidance documents to ascertain children's next steps and these are included in planning. However, not all practitioners understand the information they are using to set children's targets. As a result, the next steps set for some children are not appropriate to their age or stage of development. For example, the targets set for some children do not challenge them and therefore are not promoting their good progress towards the early learning goals. Although there are systems in place for evaluating the impact of activities on children's learning, they are not used effectively. This means practitioners cannot be certain whether the activities they provide offer children sufficient challenge, or support

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who attend

their continued progress. Nevertheless, documents used to track children's progress show that the majority of children are making steady progress in their learning and are meeting the developmental targets for their age. Parents comment they receive regular updates about children's progress and they are happy with the progress they are making.

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who attend

An ethos of collaborative working has yet to be developed within the nursery. This means information that should be shared between practitioners, to support children's learning when they move rooms, is not exchanged. As a result, key persons do not have enough information about children who are new in their care. This means too much time is spent trying to establish where children are in their learning before plans can be made to support them. In discussions with some practitioners, they demonstrate they are not knowledgeable about the children they are caring for, so they are not aware of what their interests or next steps are. As a result, they are not able to effectively promote children's good progress across the seven areas of learning.

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who attend

Practitioners support children's communication and language development using group activities, songs and stories. Some children who have difficulty communicating through spoken language are supported by staff demonstrating basic words using sign language. Parents are encouraged to seek support from speech and language therapists and the nursery uses their advice when planning learning programmes for children. However, communications generally consist of instructions with regard to daily routines such as dinner time or hand washing. The opportunities to engage children in conversation during play are often overlooked. Despite this, the majority of children demonstrate communication and language skills appropriate to their age and stage of development. Some practitioners, during child-led play, help children to explore their ideas. Using open- ended questioning, children's knowledge and ideas are investigated. For example, during

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who attend

outdoor play in the rain, practitioners support older children to monitor the rainfall by filling a bucket with water. They splash in puddles and sings songs about the weather. They find a worm in the mud patch and practitioners engage them in discussion while they observe it. Children can independently choose from a variety of resources and this means they can develop narratives and share their ideas. However, resources that reflect children's interests are not always accessible. For example, there are few materials to support children's early writing skills in the youngest children's rooms.

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who attend

Information about activities is shared with parents through regular newsletters and daily discussions. Feedback about activities children have enjoyed is shared with them on a daily basis. Children's 'learning journeys', are available for them to view at all times. This means parents can promote children's continuing progress at home because they are aware of the activities children enjoy when they attend the nursery. There are sections in children's records where parents can make comments and record their children's interests or next steps, so they can keep the nursery informed of children's changing preferences. Teachers from the local schools visit the nursery to share information about children who have special educational needs. This ensures they receive appropriate levels of support when they move on to school.

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

The nursery is a friendly environment. Children who are confident independently access resources and because their time in the nursery is child-led, they can choose their favourite activities. Children who are established in the nursery are confident around visitors and are comfortable to chat about their friends and their learning experiences. The nursery works with the local schools to support children with special educational needs who are moving on to school. This ensures they enjoy some continuity in their care when the time comes for them to move on to the next stage in their learning.

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

Children visit the nursery with their parents and short settling-in visits mean their need for additional support when they enter the nursery is addressed. Children are allocated a key person and overall, relationships between adults and children are developing into secure attachments. However, although the nursery is vigilant in ensuring staff ratios across the nursery are met, the effectiveness of key persons and staff deployment, are not monitored to make certain they are effective in meeting children's needs. For example, during breaks and mealtimes there are enough staff within the nursery, but not enough staff are deployed in each room to ensure all children are well-supervised and their needs are being met. In addition to this, children who need adult help to participate in the daily routines of the nursery, such as meal times, are not suitably supported.

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

Children attending the nursery live in a diverse cultural community. They develop their understanding of equality and diversity through stories, displays and resources. For example, small world figures depict people from different cultures. Simple, age- appropriate explanations help them to understand the requirements of people with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Children are learning to tolerate each other's differences and this helps to prepare them for the larger social environment of school. Children are well-behaved because boundaries are implemented consistently and explanations are simple and age-appropriate. This means they are developing an appropriate understanding of 'right' and 'wrong'. As a result, they are developing suitable peer relationships because they share, take turns and consider each other's needs. Parents comment that children benefit from the social aspect of nursery life and have a

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

Daily hazard checks ensure equipment is safe and suitable for use. The nursery promotes children's safety by completing risk assessments across the premises. Practitioners teach children to risk assess for themselves, such as negotiating outdoor play equipment safely.

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

Practitioners support children's understanding of how a healthy diet and exercise contribute to their overall well-being. They learn personal hygiene through practical routines and this promotes their independence in self-care. As a result, they can attend to their own self-care needs when they move on to school. Children enjoy a suitable range of balanced meals prepared by the nursery cook, and can make choices from a variety of healthy snacks and drinks.

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provision

The nursery is one of a group of 15 owned by For Under Fives Limited. The management of the nursery is overseen by a senior management team and the registered provider. Recruitment procedures are not robust enough to ensure suitability checks are completed for all adults working in the nursery. As a result, Disclosure and Barring Service checks have not been obtained for students on placement in the nursery. Although the risk to children is not significant because students are supervised, the nursery is not meeting the requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage or the requirements of the Childcare Register.

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provision

Policies and procedures for protecting children are reviewed by the senior management team. They are available in the nursery for parents to view and some of them are included in parent information packs. This means parents are aware of the service on offer to them and are knowledgeable about some of the procedures in place to keep their children safe.

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provision

The majority of practitioners have completed child protection training to develop their knowledge of safeguarding issues. Entrance to the nursery is via a buzzer and the entrance is monitored by the nursery managers. The identification of visitors is checked and detailed records of visitors are kept. Children's attendance, including when they arrive and leave, is recorded. Daily checks make certain the environment is safe and suitable for children. There are 12 practitioners who hold a current paediatric first aid certificate, which means that they can give appropriate treatment if there is an accident to a child in their care.

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provision

Evaluation of the nursery's practice by the management team is weak. Therefore, it is not effective in identifying and prioritising significant weaknesses. Managers and senior practitioners have a sufficient knowledge of the learning and development requirements, but are not evaluating how they are meeting them in practice. As a result, action taken to address previously identified areas for improvement is not swift or adequate. For example, the nursery has not devised effective systems to ensure all children's needs are met. Also, insufficient action has been taken to develop practitioner's understanding of how to use open-ended questioning to extend children's learning. The nursery seeks the views of parents through daily conversations. Open days, such as summer fairs, mean that parents have the opportunity to share their suggestions and ideas. Plans are being devised to promote other ways in which parents can share their views, but these are yet to be

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provision

The management team demonstrate some commitment to driving improvement and raising the standards of the provision, by completing staff appraisals and encouraging practitioners to attend additional training to improve their skills. However, they are not assessing how the training is used. For example, there are a number of practitioners who have attended Special Educational Needs Coordinator training. However, because staff deployment is ineffective, they are not using their training to benefit the children in 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 any person caring for, or in regular contact with, children is suitable to work with children, which must include obtaining an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure any person caring for, or in regular contact with, children is suitable to work with children, which must include obtaining an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check (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 303217 Local authority Rotherham Inspection number 904884

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 120 Number of children on roll 126 Name of provider For Under Fives Limited Date of previous inspection 05/01/2011 Telephone number 01709 871100

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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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