Tops MuscliffOfsted inspection, 4 Dec 2013

Tops Day Nursery Charminster Claremont Christian Church, 69 Claremont Avenue, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH9 3HD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 04/12/2013 21/03/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: 3 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

 Staff promote children's language development by providing commentary as they play and learn.  Staff teach children to solve problems, use their imaginations and think for themselves through the provision of resources and equipment that can be used in different ways.  Staff and management know and implement good safeguarding procedures to help protect children.  Staff's caring approach enables children to develop close friendships with each other.

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It is not yet good because

 The quality of teaching is variable, so at times children are unclear about staff expectations of behaviour, and not all make good progress.  Adult-led activities sometimes lack challenge and are not always well organised to drive progress more quickly.  Systems to monitor children's progress are not consistent enough to identify gaps in their learning in good time.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed and spoke to staff and children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector met with management and sampled documentation, including children's records and safeguarding policies.  The inspector took into account the views of parents, spoken to on the day.  The inspector undertook a joint observation with the manager.

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Information about the setting

Tops Day Nursery Charminster registered in 2013. It is owned and managed by Tops Day Nurseries Limited and operates from two rooms in a church hall in Charminster, near Bournemouth. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is open daily from 8am until 6pm all year round. The nursery is registered to receive funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are currently 32 children in the early years age group on roll. There is a team of eight staff working with the children, including the manager. Of these, five hold relevant early years qualifications at levels 2 and 3. The manager has early years professional status.

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must:

 improve the quality of teaching by monitoring staff practice more effectively, and identifying specific training needs to enhance children's learning and behaviour

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must:

 ensure observations and assessments are completed more regularly to provide a clearer picture of children's progress and identify any gaps in their learning promptly.

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

 improve the planning of adult-led activities to ensure they well resourced and to consistently provide children with sufficient challenge.

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who attend

Staff talk to the children during activities, providing a commentary about what they are doing. This helps children to develop their communication and language skills appropriately. Children are generally confident and enjoy the activities on offer. However, some adult-led activities are not well planned. For example, children wait for a long time at the table to make Christmas cards and become aimless. Staff teach children simple mathematics by talking about shape and number while they roll out pastry to make mince pies. However, one child has to wait to use the rolling pin because there are not enough. This lack of planning means that children lose motivation and at times are not actively involved in good learning opportunities. Staff provide a range of resources that can be used in different ways. For example, in the 'loose parts' area, there are blocks, tubes, planks and rope. These enable children to solve

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who attend

problems, think for themselves and use their imaginations. Outside, for example, they lay planks across tyres and discover how to position them so they can walk across safely. Improvements to the outdoor area have provided additional learning opportunities. For example, staff help children to test their physical skills on a climbing wall. Angled guttering on the end wall enables children to experiment with balls or water, but staff do not make sure that these resources are always available. This oversight reduces opportunities for children to engage purposefully in this activity.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is variable. This is because staff do not always communicate with each other, when they leave the room or go to find more resources, children are left to play without enough adult support or guidance. As a result, some children are unable to maintain focus on their activity for a period of time. A member of staff reads a story to the children, who show great interest and clearly want more. However, when the story ends the member of staff leaves the book corner, and the children lose interest and wander off. Consequently, staff do not use these opportunities to extend children's language and maintain their interest in learning. Staff provide an appropriate level of support for children who need additional help in their learning. For example, the company's special educational needs officer comes to the nursery to provide individual learning sessions.

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who attend

Staff show skill in following children's interests. Children at the water tray use their imaginations to 'make cakes'. They ask for milk to add to the mix, so they can make a 'chocolate milk cake'. Staff quickly provide the missing ingredient and enable the children to take the mixture to the home corner to 'bake'. They then provide bowls, spoons, flour, salt and lentils to extend children's imaginative skills. Staff introduce vocabulary, such as 'soft' and 'squidgy', and encourage children to use their senses while they stir their mixture and roll the dough they have made.

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who attend

Staff observe and assess children's progress. They work with parents to complete a unique child profile when the child first attends. Children's development records are shared with parents who are encouraged to contribute by including children's achievements at home. However, systems for observation and assessment are inconsistent, and some aspects of children's learning are missed. Therefore, staff are unable to identify gaps in children's development promptly or to consistently plan challenging experiences to help children make better progress.

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who attend

Staff provide children with appropriate opportunities to use writing materials and to use numbers and recognise numerals. Some staff promote the use of mathematical language well but others do not, demonstrating inconsistent teaching. Children are becoming increasingly independent. They choose their own play. They butter crackers at snack time, using a knife with increasing dexterity. Consequently, they are developing some skills in readiness for school.

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

Staff welcome children into the nursery and, therefore, they settle quickly. Management personnel have reviewed the key person system to improve consistency of approach for the children. Although some staff now have new key children, they are caring and enable children to form close friendships. Staff remind children about the rules to keep safe. During a parachute activity, they remind children to walk to the drinks station, 'So you don't knock into somebody'. The management team have developed a wipe clean checklist, with photographs of possible hazards in the garden. This is designed to enable children to conduct their own risk assessment of the outdoor area. However, staff do not give the children the checklist so they can be fully involved in this process. Because staff do not use this innovative resource effectively, children do not learn to take responsibility for their own safety as well as they could.

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

Staff promote the importance of a healthy lifestyle. For example, they provide regular opportunities for children to enjoy fresh air and exercise in the small outdoor area and on local walks. Staff provide healthy snacks, fruit, crackers with milk and water. Children have access to drinking water throughout the day, so they do not become thirsty. Staff check toilet facilities and potties, to make sure these are clean and well maintained throughout the day.

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

Staff use praise when children have done well. Staff say 'Good listening. Well done', to encourage good behaviour. However, lapses in children's behaviour are not managed consistently. Sometimes staff use clear explanations, enabling children to 'use their words' to explain their feelings. At other times, staff do not make their expectations clear so children understand what they must do.

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

Resources are stored at children's level. They are labelled with words and pictures, enabling children of differing abilities to make choices. Children enjoy using real vegetables in the home corner and this play prompts some discussion and promotes some exploration as children peel the brown skin and layers from the onion. However, some adult-led activities are not sufficiently well resourced to keep children's interest and provide them with sufficient challenge.

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provision

The management team is clear about its responsibilities in meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage . Since taking ownership of this nursery, the team has put in place an intensive training programme for the existing staff. This includes training in safeguarding children. Consequently, staff have a secure knowledge of the procedures to follow if they have concerns about a child or the conduct of a colleague. Management follow clear safeguarding procedures, and are fully aware of the need to notify Ofsted and any other agencies about concerns. Risk assessments are carried out to identify and minimise any risks, and the premises are safe and secure, so children play in safety. Training programmes have included sessions on behaviour management, and observation and assessment. However, staff practice is inconsistent in these areas and the

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provision

management team has not provided more focussed training to strengthen the overall quality of teaching. The newly appointed manager provides a very good role model to staff, to help them improve their teaching skills. However, she does not consistently observe staff to clearly identify areas for development. Staff say they feel well supported by the new management team and welcome the opportunities for professional development. Management have worked hard to develop the nursery, for example by providing a range of resources in the 'loose parts' play area and increasing outdoor learning opportunities. These improvements are successful, but are not focused sufficiently on improving the quality of teaching to ensure children make better progress. There is a comprehensive action plan to secure continuous improvement for the nursery and to benefit the children. Management have high expectations and a determination to

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provision

improve. However, plans for improvement are in the early stages and are not embedded throughout the nursery.

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provision

Management and staff have made good links with the local authority special educational needs officer to help them support children with additional needs. They have a developing partnership with a local children's centre and this enables them to signpost parents to services to help families seek additional support and guidance. Parents say they receive sufficient information about their child's progress. They are provided with a regular newsletter explaining future plans or any changes in the nursery. Parents' meetings are planned to share information about their children's learning and development.

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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 EY459137 Local authority Bournemouth Inspection number 945225 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 8 Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 32 Name of provider Tops Day Nursery Limited Date of previous inspection 21/03/2013 Telephone number 07889244182

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Setting details

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children,

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Type of provision

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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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