Playroom Day Nursery

Playroom Day Nursery Playroom Day Nursery, Unit 6a, Sneckyeat Road Industrial Estate, WHITEHAVEN, Cumbria, CA28 8PF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 09/12/2013 24/04/2012

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision requires improvement

 The manager and staff have an appropriate understanding of the safeguarding procedures, which ensures children remain safe and secure in the nursery.  Children's emotional well-being is supported as staff are warm and welcoming and work with parents to help children settle in the nursery.

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It is not yet good because

 Arrangements for performance management do not sufficiently focus on assessing and improving the quality and effectiveness of teaching. Therefore, the quality of teaching is variable, which means that children do not always receive consistently good teaching, in order to make good progress in their learning.  Staff are not always deployed appropriately to ensure children's learning needs are fully met, particularly during group activities. On occasions the number of children participating in group activities, such as story time and singing is too large and the duration is too long for young children. Consequently, some children lose interest in their learning.  The monitoring of the delivery of the education programmes for all children is not thorough enough to ensure all aspects of each area of learning are fully covered.  Behaviour management strategies are not always effective or appropriate for the age of

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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 playing in the play rooms and the outdoor play area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the manager, staff and children throughout the inspection and undertook a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, the planning documentation and the systems for the monitoring of children's progress.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff, the supervision and appraisal documentation, the policies and procedures and the risk assessments.

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Information about the setting

Playroom Day Nursery was registered by the current owners in 2011 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in Whitehaven, Cumbria. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. Children have access to a baby room, sleep room, dining area and main playroom and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery employs 13 members of childcare staff. Of these, 12 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and one holds a qualification at level 2. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round apart from Christmas and bank holidays. Sessions are from 7am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 60 children attending, who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The nursery is a member of the National Day Nursery Association and receives

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Information about the setting

support from the local authority early years advisors.

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must:

 supervise and monitor staff performance by observing all staff in practice to assess the effectiveness of their teaching and to provide the necessary support, coaching and training needed to strengthen the quality of teaching and learning

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must:

 ensure that staff are deployed appropriately to provide children with sufficient support in their learning, particularly during group activities

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must:

 improve the delivery of the educational programmes to ensure all aspects of each area of learning are fully covered by; enhancing opportunities for babies to enjoy outdoor play; providing more opportunities for children to develop their independence, self-care and mathematical skills during daily routines, such as mealtimes.

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

 improve staff knowledge about managing children's behaviour effectively to ensure that strategies are used consistently and that they are age-appropriate

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

 review the number of children in group activities and the duration of the activities, to ensure all children are able to participate and remain engaged and interested in their learning.

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who attend

Staff have a satisfactory knowledge of the learning and development requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Children enjoy selecting their chosen activities, which are easily accessible. The educational programmes generally cover the seven areas of learning and development. However, some aspects of learning are not fully promoted and occasionally lack challenge. Most staff interact and engage with children warmly and positively. However, some staff members lack confidence and do not motivate children sufficiently to extend their learning. For example, as children engage in sensory play with artificial snow, some staff merely supervise children rather than engaging with them to fully extend their play and learning. Some children loose interest in the activities available and wander off. Staff know the objectives of the activities, however, they do not talk to children very much, or ask them questions, such as what the

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who attend

snow feels like. That said, other staff engage effectively with children. They support their communication and language skills as they sit and read stories, encouraging children to answer questions and anticipate what will happen next in the story. The quality of teaching is, therefore, variable. Consequently, although most children are developing the basic skills needed for school or their next stage of learning, not all children are making good progress in their overall learning and development.

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who attend

During daily routines, such as mealtimes, staff teach children good manners and the importance of eating healthily. However, they do not consistently use opportunities to fully promote children's learning. For example, as children sit waiting for their food, staff do not sit with them and encourage children's communication skills by singing or chatting to them. Also, children are not encouraged to develop their mathematical skills fully, by for example, counting chairs, cups and plates. Children do enjoy story time and singing sessions, however, occasionally the number of children in the groups are too large for all children to be able to participate fully. Also the duration of the group activities are too long for younger children, whose concentration span is not as long.

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who attend

When children join the nursery parents are asked to share relevant information about their children's welfare and interests. This ensures that staff know the individual needs of each child and a good partnership is established with families. Parents are made aware if their children require more support in the prime areas of learning, which encourages parents to support children's learning at home. Staff undertake regular observations and assessments of children's development and track their progress across the seven areas of learning. Staff use this information to work with parents to plan children's next steps in their learning in the nursery and at home, taking account of children's individual needs. Consequently, staff provide children with a broad range of activities, ensuring they make steady progress towards the early learning goals.

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

Staff welcome children warmly on arrival at the nursery. Children are settled and secure and they enjoy trusting relationships with staff. This results in children's emotional well- being being fostered. The key person system contributes towards children's feelings of security and well-being. They work closely with parents during this transition period from home into the nursery. As a result, staff get to know children's individual needs, which helps them settle quickly. Although, most staff relate well to children most of the time, there are occasional lapses when some staff have unrealistic expectations of children, relative to their ages. For example, some young children are unable to sit in groups for long periods of time and want to play independently. However, staff repeatedly ask them to sit down, which demonstrates some staff's poor understanding of what is reasonable to expect from young children and this becomes a negative experience for children. That

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

said, staff also provide lots of positive praise and recognition for children's efforts and achievements throughout the day. For example, when children sit to eat their meals together staff praise them for their good manners. This gives children a sense of belonging and achievement, raising their self-esteem. Children's transitions to school when the time comes are supported by documents that are passed onto school, sharing the child's progress and interests. Staff help children to be emotionally prepared for the move to school by talking to them and answering any questions they may have.

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

Staff generally promote children's healthy lifestyles by providing healthy snacks and meals. During mealtimes babies and children are encouraged to feed themselves and staff support this effectively. However, staff do not fully support older children to further develop their independence and self-care skills. For example, staff serve drinks and food, resulting in fewer opportunities to promote children's independence. Most children enjoy regular access to exercise and outdoor play, which promotes their physical development and well-being. Staff teach children how to keep themselves safe, for example, as they play on the large apparatus outside. However, the outdoor play area is not well-organised or equipped to provide babies and toddlers with safe and appropriate opportunities to fully enjoy outdoor play. Consequently, their physical development and coordination are not fully promoted. Children are learning good hygiene routines and know they must wash

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

their hands after using the toilet and before eating, in order to get rid of germs and stay healthy.

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provision

The manager and staff have undertaken safeguarding training and are clear regarding their roles and responsibilities to ensure children are protected and kept safe. They are familiar with the nursery policies and procedures for identifying and responding to any child protection concerns about children. Children are cared for in a safe and secure environment as staff complete suitable risk assessments and daily safety checks. Staff are vigilant to risks throughout the day. For example, they encourage children to help tidy up the toys and brush up sand to reduce tripping hazards. All members of staff and visitors to the nursery are required to sign in at reception ensuring children's safety. Accidents are monitored and there are clear procedures in place for the recording of these and the sharing of this information with parents. Appropriate recruitment procedures for vetting and assessing the suitability of staff are in place and implemented. For example, the

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provision

manager ensures that all staff complete Disclosure and Barring Service checks prior to them starting work at the nursery. The inspection took place following concerns regarding staff to child ratios within the nursery. During the inspection we found that the correct staffing ratios are being applied and that children are adequately supervised. However, staff are not always deployed appropriately to support each other and to ensure children's individual learning and development needs are met adequately. For example, during group activities, such as story time and singing, some staff tidy up or prepare food instead of being involved in the activity. Also, group sizes are too large and the duration of the activities are too long for young children to maintain concentration. Consequently, some children disengage and lose interest in their learning. A lack of monitoring by the manager means that these weaknesses have not been realised or addressed.

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provision

All new staff undertake induction procedures to help them understand their roles and responsibilities. Staff have appraisals and identify training courses to support their professional development. However, arrangements for coaching and supporting staff are not fully established to sufficiently focus on assessing and improving the quality and effectiveness of teaching. Therefore, the quality of teaching is variable, which means that children do not always receive consistently good teaching, in order to make good progress in all areas their learning. The manager and staff monitor the progress of the children through regular observations and tracking children's achievements. As a result, the children are progressing satisfactorily in their learning. The monitoring of the delivery of the education programmes for all children is not thorough enough to ensure all aspects of each area of learning are fully covered. This means that children do not experience a full

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provision

range of learning opportunities and on occasions, activities lack stimulation and challenge.

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provision

Effective partnerships with parents means there is a united approach to meeting individual children's needs, ensuring that children are supported to make suitable progress. Parents speak positively about their relationships with staff and are pleased with the care that their children receive. They appreciate the sensitive way that staff welcome children and help them to feel relaxed and to settle easily. Parents are asked to contribute their ideas for improving the nursery by completing questionnaires. To aid all children, good links have been established with outside agencies, such as health and education professionals. This also ensures that children's specific needs are assessed and that appropriate support is given over time. The manager and staff undertake self-evaluation processes and have addressed the recommendations from previous inspections. However, the manager's evaluation has not fully identified or addressed all areas that require improvement,

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provision

particularly regarding staff interaction with children and the quality of teaching and learning. The manager is, however, prepared to work with the local authority early years advisor to address the weaknesses and strive to ensure future improvements in the service provided for all children.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are Met

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Requires improvement The provision is not giving children a good standard of early years education and/or there are minor breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected within twelve months of the date of this inspection. 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

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Grade Judgement Description

the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. 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 EY437625 Local authority Cumbria Inspection number 946418

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 38 Number of children on roll 60 Name of provider Charlotte Wood and Margaret Wood Partnership Date of previous inspection 24/04/2012 Telephone number 01946591119

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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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