Abacus Day Nursery

Abacus Day Nursery Weddington Road, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CV10 0EQ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 25/07/2013 25/06/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 4 Previous inspection: 1 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

 Self-evaluation is not robust enough to effectively monitor practice, target areas for improvement and ensure all legal requirements are met. Staff do not benefit from regular opportunities to observe and learn from each other and reflect on their practice.  Children are insufficiently safeguarded. This is because the management team do not fully understand their roles and responsibilities in relation to child protection. They do not respond to safeguarding concerns in a timely or appropriate way and this fails to protect the children in their care.  Staff do not always plan and provide experiences that successfully engage all children and reflect their individual needs and abilities. As a result, children's learning potential is reduced.  Children's welfare is not fully supported because outdoor areas are not always used effectively.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff are warm, friendly and approachable. As a result, children settle easily and parents are reassured that their children will receive sensitive and affectionate care.  Partnerships with parents are good. Lots of information is shared between the nursery and parents and this contributes to consistency of care and supports children's progress and welfare.

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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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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities throughout the nursery in both indoor and outdoor spaces.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the nursery owner, the manager and staff at appropriate times throughout the day.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at documentation, including children's records, learning and development information, staff records and a selection of policies and procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took into account the views of parents through discussion and from written questionnaires sent out by the nursery.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the deputy manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the nursery owner and staff at appropriate times throughout the day.  The inspector conducted a tour of the premises during the inspection.

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Information about the setting

Abacus Day Nursery is privately owned and was registered in 1998 on the Early Years Register. It operates from four rooms in a detached brick building situated on the outskirts of Nuneaton, Warwickshire. Toddlers are cared for on the first floor of the building and there is no lift access. There is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 94 children on roll, who are within the early years age range. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports children, who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, with the exception of bank holidays. In addition, the nursery is closed from Christmas Day until the day after New Year's Day. Sessions are from 7.30am until 5.30pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 17 members of childcare staff. Of these, two have an early years qualification at level 5, 12 at level 3, one at level 2 and two apprentices are working towards their level 2. The deputy manager holds a relevant qualification at level 5. The nursery also employs a housekeeper, receptionist and cleaner.

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must:

 ensure that all staff, including the manager, fully understand and implement the safeguarding policies and procedures and respond in a timely and appropriate way to concerns of possible abuse

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must:

 ensure statutory agencies are notified, without delay, of safeguarding allegations made against a member of staff

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must:

 improve staff skills and knowledge by; providing regular opportunities for staff to observe and learn from each other, access a wider range of training and to reflect on their practice

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must:

 provide challenging and enjoyable experiences for children in all areas of learning and development; this specifically refers to improving planning and the implementation of experiences for older boys to ensure they are engaged and motivated to learn.

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

 improve self-evaluation to gain a clearer picture of the nursery's strengths and areas for improvement. In particular, ensure that activities planned and provided for children consistently reflect their age and stage of development and monitor and review the use of outdoor areas.

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who attend

On the whole, children make good progress. However, the quality of teaching is variable across the staff team. Some staff do not ensure that experiences provided for children consistently reflect their age and stage of development and successfully support their welfare and progress. For example, a creative activity provided within the pre-school room requires greater skill and dexterity than some of the younger children possess. Furthermore, staff do not always successfully plan and provide a range of experiences that motivate some of the older boys to engage in purposeful play and fulfil their learning potential. However, children are happy to attend the nursery and make lots of independent choices about their play and learning.

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who attend

A variety of experiences are provided for children and these include a suitable balance of adult-led and child-initiated play. Resources are of a good quality and children's freedom of choice is fostered because a wide selection is easily accessible to them. For example, children enjoy easy access to a selection of cause and effect toys and learn to problem solve and explore. They demonstrate curiosity as they push, pull, lift or press parts of these toys to discover what might happen. Nursery outdoor areas are used by all children on a daily basis, although, the experiences of children do occasionally differ when playing outdoors. However, children gain physical skills, confidence and a knowledge and understanding of nature. They use a range of resources that test their skills in balancing, climbing and using different muscle skills to develop their coordination.

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who attend

Children smile and laugh as they play. Babies respond positively to staff interactions, they babble, try to imitate sounds and happily listen to songs and stories. Pre-school children demonstrate many of the characteristics of effective learners. For example, they initiate activities, show curiosity and work with others to solve problems. Four-year-old children competently use the nursery computer, they know how to move between software programmes and show excellent control of the mouse. Other children show developing literacy skills as they confidently pick out letters that occur in their names on a computer keyboard. Staff plan and provide a range of experiences that help prepare children for their future learning and move to other settings. For example, pre-school children participate in lots of group activities and these teach them to share and take turns in play and conversation. They learn about letter sounds and counting is regularly encouraged

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who attend

through a mix of planned and everyday activities. Children develop their understanding of spoken and written language well. Staff model language and children frequently repeat words and phrases as they listen to familiar stories and rhymes. Toy boxes are clearly labelled with words and pictures and children enjoy helping themselves to a wide range of books. Staff are alert to the needs of children learning to speak English as an additional language and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. For example, staff use signs and symbols, expression and gestures to aid communication and this helps all children to feel included and valued.

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who attend

Staff effectively maintain learning and development records for each of their key children. Every child has a learning journey and this contains photographs of them engaged in play, their observation records and examples of their work. In addition, parents receive regular progress reports and are invited to view and discuss their child's learning and development records. As a result, parents are fully aware of their child's development and alerted to any areas where their child's progress is less or more than expected. Regular communication and displays around the nursery provide parents with additional information about future events and the range of experiences enjoyed by their children. Furthermore, parental involvement in children's learning is actively encouraged. For example, staff suggest activities for parents and children to try at home and send home library books to share with the children.

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

On the whole, children show by their words and actions that they feel safe and secure. They happily go to staff members for comfort, reassurance and support and show a good sense of belonging. However, their well-being is hindered because management and staff lack sufficient knowledge and understanding of their legal responsibilities in relation to safeguarding. Furthermore, not enough attention is given to ensuring that experiences and the environment consistently support children's all-round well-being.

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

Children are at ease in the nursery and friendships are evident between some of the children. Some pre-school children eagerly invite others to join in their play and are starting to share and take turns. Most children display confidence and happily engage with staff and their peers. Through sensitive discussion, staff encourage children to recognise their emotions and express their feelings. Staff model manners and children's good behaviour is encouraged through praise, discussion and positive body language. Older children are asked to assist with simple tasks, for example, helping to lay the table for lunch. As a result, their self-esteem is increased and they develop a sense of responsibility.

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

Children benefit from a welcoming and attractive nursery environment where there is plenty of space for them to play and rest. Staff are warm and approachable and the nursery key person system provides appropriate support for children as they progress through the nursery and on to other settings. For example, each child is assigned a key person, who obtains comprehensive information from parents to support the child's welfare and progress. The key person asks parents about their children's health, home routines, comfort items and any areas of development requiring support. This helps staff provide dependable and nurturing support for each child that reflects their needs and parental wishes. Furthermore, it shows parents that staff value information about the way in which their children behave and learn at home.

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

Suitable arrangements are in place to support children's movement between the different areas of the nursery. Staff assess when individual children are ready to move on and discuss this with their parents. Subsequently, arrangements are made for the child to visit the new room for short periods before the planned move date. These visits enable children and staff to get to know each other better and familiarise children with routines and the environment. In addition, staff provide support for children moving on to local schools. For example, they invite school staff to visit the nursery and this allows staff and children to meet and information to be shared. Furthermore, nursery staff talk to children about what to expect at school and encourage children's developing independence skills.

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

All areas of the nursery are clean and maintained well and this effectively promotes children's good health. All staff have attended food safety training and they provide good role models for children to follow in respect of hand washing. Suitable procedures are followed in relation to nappy changing. Meals provided by the nursery are healthy and nutritious and snacks often include fresh fruit and vegetables. Children learn about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle in various ways. For example, they learn through discussion at mealtimes, food tasting activities and through growing vegetables in the nursery garden. All children receive plenty of opportunities for fresh air and physical exercise. The nursery has separate outdoor areas for the younger and older children and these contain a variety of resources used to promote all areas of learning. At certain times of the day, pre- school children and younger children are able to flow freely between their respective

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

indoor and outdoor areas. However, the use of outdoor areas is not always effectively planned, monitored or reviewed. During the inspection, some older boys enthusiastically ran around the outdoor area. They repeatedly circled the 'reading den' in the centre, kicking a hoop abandoned on the ground and often rushed past and bumped into the other children. Some of these children, in particular toddlers and younger children settling- in to the pre-school, found this behaviour unsettling and threatening. Staff did intervene, although, not immediately; they encouraged the boys to participate in alternative activities and moved the hoop. However, this incident shows that some children do not always act in a safe manner and lack a clear understanding of the need to show care and consideration for others. Nevertheless, some steps are taken by staff to teach children about possible dangers and how to protect themselves from harm. For example, staff talk

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

to children about road safety and 'Stranger Danger' and safety rules are reinforced and practised during outings.

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provision

The provider is not meeting a number of the legal requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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provision

The nursery has a safeguarding policy that includes required information and safeguarding is a regular agenda item at staff meetings. Management explain that all childcare staff, plus the housekeeper and receptionist, have completed safeguarding training and their knowledge is regularly tested. Despite this, management and staff demonstrate insufficient knowledge and understanding of their roles and responsibilities with regards to child protection. The correct procedures were not followed in relation to a recent incident that highlighted concerns over a member of staff's rough handling of a child. For example, the provider carried out her own investigation into the incident and did not notify children's social care services. These actions fail to protect the children in the nursery's care. Furthermore, the provider has committed an offence because she has failed to notify Ofsted of the incident, within the required timescales. This is a breach of legal

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provision

requirements within the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and Ofsted have issued the provider with a warning letter.

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provision

In many other respects, children's safety is protected well. For example, comprehensive risk assessment records are maintained and these are supported by daily visual checks of resources and the environment. A range of safety measures add to children's safety. For example, safety gates prevent children's unsupervised access to the main foyer and first floor and emergency evacuation procedures are regularly practised. Any accidents involving children are promptly recorded and parents are suitably informed of the accident and the care their child received. The nursery premises are secure and children are only released into the care of authorised individuals. Required adult to child ratios are exceeded and all adults working in the setting are appropriately vetted.

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provision

The provider is enthusiastic and constantly looking at ways to improve practice and the service offered to children and their families. For example, she maintains a high profile in the community and regularly meets with other childcare professionals to share ideas and keep up-to-date with any changes in legislation. The provider has plans in place to improve nappy changing facilities and prompt action has been taken in response to a recommendation raised at the nursery's last inspection; comprehensive information is now recorded in relation to babies' routines. Staff meetings are used to convey important information, discuss issues and review action plans for improvement. Parental views are gathered through questionnaires and verbal communication and their thoughts are used to make improvements. For example, menus were recently reviewed following comments from a parent. Nevertheless, self-evaluation is not sufficiently robust to accurately identify

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provision

strengths and priorities for improvement and improve staff knowledge and practice. Furthermore, strategies used to monitor and review the environment and way that the educational programme is planned and delivered, are not effective.

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provision

The continuous professional development of staff is encouraged and a wide range of training has been completed across the staff team. Staff performance is reviewed and monitored through regular supervision meetings with management and their annual appraisal. However, regular opportunities for staff to watch and learn from each other and for management to effectively observe staff practice, are not facilitated. This means that the ability of staff and management to effectively identify areas for improvement and to reflect on practice is reduced.

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provision

Friendly relationships exist between staff and parents. Parents interviewed during the inspection compliment the nursery and comment on how happy their children are to attend. They praise the friendliness of the staff team and the support provided for their children's developing speech and language skills. General information about the nursery and children's well-being is exchanged between parents and staff in a variety of ways. For example, parents receive newsletters and staff complete daily diary sheets for the younger children. Additional information is shared via notice boards, the nursery website and verbally when children are dropped off or collected. The nursery has established good links with agencies in the local authority to support the inclusion of children with any special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff are aware of local support mechanisms and recognise the value of working closely in partnership with parents and others.

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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 200471 Local authority Warwickshire Inspection number 915160

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 51 Number of children on roll 94 Name of provider Dr Shailesh Patel and Mrs Linda Patel Partnership Date of previous inspection 25/06/2010 Telephone number 02476 345677

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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

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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