Blossom Trees Nursery Ltd

Blossom Trees Nursey Ltd Bobbins Day Nursery, Back Lane, Staveley, KENDAL, Cumbria, LA8 9LR

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 31/10/2013 23/03/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 4 Previous inspection: 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 4 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 4

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This provision is inadequate

 The outside gate is not sufficiently secure to protect children from the risk of unauthorised persons entering the outdoor play area.  Managers and staff do not adequately implement their health and safety policies to effectively identify and deal with faulty equipment and hazards. Accidents to children are not always recorded in the accident book and parents are not always informed of accidents that have occurred. This results in children's safety and welfare being compromised.  Staff fail to follow the nursery's hygiene policies and procedures when handling children's food and children do not always have access to soap when washing their hands, which results in the risk of cross-contamination.  Arrangements for supervising and monitoring staff performance and practice are not effective, which means children receive an inconsistent standard of care and education.  Insufficient information is gathered from parents about their children's starting points.

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This provision is inadequate

Also, staff do not effectively use information from observations and assessments of children's interests, learning styles and stages of development to effectively plan sufficiently challenging and enjoyable learning experiences for each child in all of the areas of learning and development.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff are kind, warm and caring, which helps children to settle in the nursery.

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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 children playing in the playrooms and the outdoor play area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the manager, the staff and the 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

Bobbins Day Nursery is privately owned. It was registered in 1997 and re-registered under the current ownership in 2009. It is registered on the Early Years Register. It operates from a self-contained building situated in Staveley, near Kendal, Cumbria. The nursery consists of four playrooms. Children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday for 50 weeks of the year. Opening hours are from 8.30 am until 5.30pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 45 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two- three- and four-year-old children. It supports children who speak English as an additional language.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 10 members of childcare staff including the two managers. Of these, seven hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. One manager has Early Years Professional Status and two members of staff are qualified teachers. The nursery is a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance and receives support from the local authority early years consultants.

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must:

 ensure that the outside gate is sufficiently secure to protect children from the risk of unauthorised persons accessing the outdoor play area

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must:

 implement the health and safety procedures to identify, report and promptly deal with all hazards and faulty equipment in the nursery and the outdoor play area

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must:

 keep a written record of all accidents and injuries to children and inform parents on the day

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must:

 ensure all staff responsible for handling food follow appropriate hygiene procedures and that children are provided with soap when washing their hands before mealtimes

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must:

 put effective arrangements in place for the supervision and monitoring of staff by providing a programme of coaching, support and training to foster their continuous professional development and effectiveness. Ensure children receive a consistent standard of care and education at all times

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must:

 use information obtained from parents as well as observations and assessments of children to understand their individual needs, interests and learning styles. Use this information more effectively to provide challenging and enjoyable experiences for each child in all of the areas of learning and development.

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who attend

The arrangements for meeting all of the learning and development requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage are inadequate. Some initial information is gathered from parents about the children when they first attend. However, this information focuses mainly on care needs and not on the children's learning and developmental stages to gain a clear assessment of their starting points. Staff plan some activities, however, they do not effectively use information from observations and assessments of children's interests, learning styles and stages of development to effectively plan sufficiently challenging and enjoyable learning experiences for each child in all of the areas of learning and development. For example, when there are small numbers of children attending the nursery, children of all age groups are cared for in one room. Although, it is beneficial for the children to socialise with children of different ages,

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who attend

insufficient planning is undertaken to ensure that activities meet the needs of all of the children, given their ages and stages of development. During a planned painting activity, children use toy cars and trucks to make marks with paint on a large piece of paper. The size of the group and the different ages and abilities resulted in some of the older children quickly losing interest because the activity did not offer sufficient challenge or interest. Some staff comment in their appraisal documents that they find planning activities difficult and that the activities are repetitive. Staff have not received sufficient support from the management team to address this difficulty.

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who attend

Observations and assessments of children's progress are not consistent in quality and are not frequent or accurate enough. This results in a lack of focus and clear tracking of all children's progress. Planning for children's next steps in their learning is not sharply focused to ensure they make the best possible progress. The quality of teaching and interactions with the children are variable. Most staff interact and engage with the children warmly and positively. However, some staff members lack confidence and do not motivate children sufficiently to extend their learning. For example, as children play outside, some staff merely supervise the children rather than engaging with them to fully extend their play and learning. During story time staff read the stories too quickly and when asking the children questions, they do not provide them with sufficient time to think and respond. This does not effectively promote children's skills in communication and language.

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who attend

Consequently, children are not making as much progress in their learning and development as they should be, given their starting points. This does not fully support their readiness for school when the time comes. However, children who speak English as an additional language are welcomed into the nursery. Staff demonstrate their support by asking parents to provide words in their home language so that they can communicate with the children in both languages.

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

Policies and procedures for contributing to children's well-being and welfare are not consistently implemented. This results in variable practices, some of which are inadequate. Children are not adequately kept safe due to the lack of security in the outdoor play area. Damaged equipment in the outdoor area, such as the trampoline, is not dealt with promptly and presents a danger to young children. This environment hinders children's ability to explore their surroundings safely. Nevertheless, children do have regular opportunities to enjoy fresh air and exercise in the outdoor playground. They pedal their trikes and toy cars, which supports their physical development and coordination and they learn to keep safe as they manoeuvre around each other.

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

Inside the nursery, some equipment is damaged and has not been replaced. In the baby room the nappy changing units are located in close proximity to food preparation areas, which poses health risks to babies and young children. Staff fail to follow the nursery's hygiene policies and procedures when handling children's food and children do not always have access to soap when washing their hands, which results in the risk of cross- contamination. This hinders children's opportunities to learn about the importance of following good hygiene routines to stay healthy and safe. Staff provide nutritious snacks, such as fruit and healthy drinks. This means that children are learning to make healthy choices in what they eat and drink. Accidents to children are not always recorded in the accident book and parents are not always informed of accidents that have occurred. These breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements have a significant impact on the

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

However, the flexible settling-in procedures adopted by the staff, help children to settle at the nursery. A key person system is in place and parents and staff share information about children's routines and individual care needs. Children form positive relationships with their key persons and staff, which adequately supports their emotional well-being. The nursery is decorated with children's individual artwork and photographs, which they enjoy looking at with their parents and staff. This helps children to feel familiar and comfortable in their surroundings. Children are provided with a reasonable choice of resources, which are mainly stored at low-level. However, some resources are not easily accessible and some are not labelled, which somewhat hinders the children's opportunities to freely explore and make independent choices in their play. This is a result of inconsistent staff practice to promote children's learning.

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

Children's behaviour is, generally, managed in a positive way and most children respond appropriately to requests and are clear about what is expected of them. Children learn to put on their aprons before painting. However, when getting dressed to play outside, staff do not provide the children with sufficient opportunities to dress themselves. Therefore, children's opportunities to develop their independence and self-care skills are not fully promoted by staff teaching. The close working relationships between the staff and teachers at the local schools support children in their moves from the nursery to school when the time comes.

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provision

The inspection took place following a concern regarding the lack of security of the outdoor play area and the poor hygiene and dangerous condition of some of the play equipment. The inspection found that the gate is not secure, which means that it does not protect children from the risk of unauthorised persons accessing the outdoor play area. Also, managers and staff do not adequately implement their health and safety policies to effectively identify and deal with faulty equipment and hazards. Some of the play equipment is damaged, such as a trampoline with ripped safety netting. This remains accessible to young children, which poses a hazard to their safety. Inside the nursery there is a toilet seat missing, a light bulb missing in the baby sleep room and nappy changing units are located in close proximity to high chairs and food preparation areas. There has been no inspection undertaken by the Environmental Health Department to

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provision

ascertain if the nursery is compliant with standards. Accidents to children are not always recorded in the accident book and parents are not always informed of accidents that have occurred. Staff fail to follow the nursery's hygiene policies and procedures when preparing children's food and children do not always have access to soap when washing their hands, which results in the risk of cross-contamination. Staff are not fully aware of their responsibilities and do not take all the necessary action to meet all of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. The manager does have knowledge of the requirements, however, arrangements to ensure all staff understand and implement the policies and procedures are not effective. These breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements have a significant impact on the safety and well-being of children.

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provision

The manager and staff have undertaken safeguarding training. They have a satisfactory knowledge and understanding of the policy and procedure to follow should they have any child protection concerns about children. The manager applies appropriate recruitment and vetting procedures when appointing members of staff to work at the nursery. This includes checks, such as Disclosure and Barring Service checks to ensure staff are safe to work with children. He also ensures that they are appropriately trained in early years childcare and education. Team meetings take place and the manager carries out staff appraisals to identify their training needs. However, there is no system in place to provide staff with individual supervision or monitoring of their practice through observations and feedback. This does not inform their professional development or address underperformance and identify solutions to improve individual personal performance.

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provision

Consequently, some of the staff's professional knowledge and understanding is not fully effective in ensuring all aspects of the Early Years Foundation Stage are understood and consistently applied. This results in care and education practices being variable and, on occasions, inadequate.

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provision

The manager does not have a secure system in place to ensure that all of the learning and development requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage are being delivered to adequately meet all children's learning needs. The educational programmes are in place, however, there are weaknesses and inconsistencies in the way the programme is planned and delivered. Staff do not effectively use information from observations and assessments to effectively plan sufficiently challenging and enjoyable learning experiences for each child. They do not adequately take account of children's interests, learning styles and stages of development to accurately meet their individual learning needs. The lack of monitoring by the management team demonstrates that these weaknesses have not been realised or addressed.

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provision

Parents spoken to express their satisfaction with the care provided for their children and state that they are kept informed about their children's routines and activities by talking to staff and reading daily diaries. However, there are weaknesses in the flow of information between staff and parents with regard to children's starting points and information sharing about welfare issues. Partnership working with external agencies and professionals are effective in ensuring that children receive support when required. Children that attend more than one setting are supported as the staff liaise with the staff at other nurseries in order to provide consistency in the care provided to the children.

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provision

The written self-evaluation identifies the nursery's strengths and areas for improvement. Recommendations from previous inspections and local authority early years advisor reports have been addressed. However, the lack of monitoring and support from the manager results in a failure to bring about sustained improvements over time. 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 care and education provided for the children.

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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 EY399891 Local authority Cumbria Inspection number 936835

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 41 Number of children on roll 45 Name of provider Blossom Trees Nursery Date of previous inspection 23/03/2010 Telephone number 01539 822400

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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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