Cheeky Cherubs Nursery

Cheeky Cherubs Nursery Bridge House, 162 West End Road, MORECAMBE, Lancashire, LA4 4EF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 03/10/2013 05/08/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 4 Previous inspection: 4 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

 Fire doors are not always free of obstruction and easily opened from the inside. This breach of legal requirements puts children at risk in the event of a fire, or any other emergency where evacuation of the premises is necessary.  The main play area for babies does not have enough suitable resources to support their needs. There are very limited natural resources to support babies needs for exploratory play, which means that the youngest children's learning opportunities are limited.  Sleeping arrangements for babies are inadequate, because inappropriate furniture is used. This means that when sleeping, babies are confined to one position, which does not support their well-being and comfort.  Staff do not make effective use of opportunities to discuss the benefits of healthy foods as children eat, to enhance their knowledge about making healthy choices.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff are good role models and treat children with kindness and respect. This ensures that children's behaviour is good throughout and they play happily with their peers.

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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 and the outside learning environment.  The inspector took part in a joint observation of activities with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings and observed practice with the nominated person, manager and staff of the nursery.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at all policies and procedures, children's assessment records, planning documentation, evidence of suitability of practitioners working within the setting, fire safety procedures, the self-evaluation form and a range of other documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and children, spoken to on the day of the inspection.

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Information about the setting

Cheeky Cherubs Nursery was registered in 2012 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in adapted premises in the Morecambe area of Lancashire, and is privately owned. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from a main hall, a baby room, a soft play room and associated facilities and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 11 members of childcare staff. Of these, all hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and above, including one member of staff who holds a qualification at level 6. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round, from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently a total of 101 children attending, all of whom are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children and supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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must:

 ensure that fire doors are free of obstruction and easily opened from the inside, to ensure children's safety in the event of it being necessary to evacuate the premises

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must:

 ensure that there are suitable resources both indoors and outdoors for babies to meet their needs so that they are best supported to make good progress in their learning and development

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must:

 ensure there is suitable provision for children who wish to sleep, equipped with appropriate furniture to support their comfort and well-being

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must:

 ensure the premises, including outdoor spaces, are fit for purpose and secure; this refers to the gate which is used as a fire exit leading to the designated safe meeting point

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must:

 ensure risk assessments identify aspects of the environment that need to be checked on a regular basis, when and by whom those aspects will be checked, and how the risk will be removed or minimised; this refers to the use of fire exits.

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

 create more opportunities to talk about healthy foods with children, to reinforce messages about healthy choices.

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who attend

Staff have a reasonable understanding of promoting children's development, although they do not always consider the different ways that children learn and reflect these in their practice. The impact of this is that children's learning and development needs are not always met. This is particularly evident in the baby room, where there are limited natural resources indoors, which means that babies need for exploratory play is not given high enough consideration. Furthermore, the room has very little natural light and the layout of the room means that free-flow play into the outdoor area is limited, which impacts upon babies to enjoy outdoor activities. However, the management team are currently improving the outdoor area for babies, although it is not yet completed.

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who attend

The toddler and pre-school room are more appropriately resourced, which means that children are better motivated to learn. Recent improvements show that staff are more clearly linking observations to next steps in children's learning, which means that assessment of children's progress has improved, since the previous inspection.

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who attend

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak more than one language, are monitored closely and partnership working with advisory teachers from the local authority is in place. This means that targeted learning plans are in place to ensure their steady progression. Learning is more effectively promoted during planned group times. For example, children enjoy learning about shapes and numbers and are challenged appropriately. Group sessions also provide opportunities for children to develop language skills and personal social and emotional skills. For example, children take turns speaking and listening within the group.

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who attend

Children are well supported in using information and communication technology resources, and they are confident in using these skills. This is because, the variety of resources, meet children's needs in this area of learning. Older children are supported in getting ready for school, through activities which encourage independence, such as, giving messages to staff, being helper of the day and learning to read and write their own name. Staff share children's learning files with parents, so that they are aware of their children's learning and development.

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

Children's safety is compromised because inadequate arrangements are in place to ensure the safety of children, staff and others on the premises in the case of fire or any other emergency. This is because fire exits are not free from obstruction and not always easily opened from the inside. Furthermore, the back gate outside is sometimes left open and unattended, which means that there is a risk of unauthorised persons entering the premises.

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

Children settle well into nursery because all staff are very welcoming. Children form strong, secure emotional attachments with their key person which provides a solid foundation to develop children's personal, social and emotional skills. The sensitive, caring interaction between staff and children ensures that all children form positive and trusting relationships. Staff act as good role models, helping children to learn about the importance of good hygiene routines, such as washing their hands before lunch and after toileting. Children are able to manage their own self-care appropriate to their age because staff provide good guidance and give them time to complete tasks. For example, children are able to individually serve themselves a range of foods and use cutlery independently. However, staff do not make effective use of opportunities to discuss the benefits of healthy foods as children eat, to enhance their knowledge about making healthy choices.

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

Children's behaviour is good. Staff use positive strategies to help children understand about acceptable behaviour. Children learn about keeping safe as staff give them gentle reminders so that they do not hurt themselves.

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provision

The inspection was prioritised after concerns were raised with Ofsted regarding the possible obstruction of fire exits. The inspection found a breach of legal requirements in relation to the effectiveness of fire exits, and also found another safety issue in that the back gate outside did not close properly, which means that unauthorised persons could enter the premises. This compromises children's safety and well-being and is also a breach of legal requirements for both parts of the Childcare Register. In addition to this, the baby room was inadequately resourced, which impacts upon babies learning and development needs. There are adequate arrangements in place to ensure that ratios of staff to children are met.

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provision

The management team have met all of the actions that were put in place during the last inspection and these improvements are reflected on, within the setting's self-evaluation. Furthermore, there have been improvements made in observation, assessment and planning, although staff's knowledge of how children learn is not understood by all staff, as identified through staff appraisals. However, the manager is booked onto relevant training and plans to disseminate the training throughout the setting, which will support staff's understanding of the characteristics of effective learning.

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provision

Policies and procedures for safeguarding children are in place and all staff have a reasonable understanding of what to do if they have any concerns about a child in their care. Recruitment and vetting procedures are in place and comply with statutory requirements. Partnerships between parents and external agencies are sound, with effective communication systems ensuring that parents are kept fully informed of their children's needs and progress.

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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 all necessary measures are taken to minimise identified risks, this specifically relates to ensuring that fire exits are free from obstruction and easy to open from inside (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that no one can enter the premises without the knowledge of a person who is caring for children on the premises (compulsory part of the Childcare Register).  ensure that all necessary measures are taken to minimise identified risks, this specifically relates to ensuring that fire exits are free from obstruction and easy to open from inside (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that no one can enter the premises without the knowledge of a person who is caring for children on the premises (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 EY446167 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 937709

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 73 Number of children on roll 101 Name of provider Cheeky Cherub's Partnership Date of previous inspection 05/08/2013 Telephone number 01524409409

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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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