Auckland House Nursery

Auckland House Day Nursery Auckland College Independent School, 65-67 Parkfield Road, Aigburth, LIVERPOOL, L17 4LE

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 19/12/2013 27/09/2010

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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 staff and manager have a suitable understanding of safeguarding procedures as they regularly update their knowledge. There are clear monitoring systems in place to ensure children are kept safe and secure.  Parents comment positively about their children's care. The nursery keeps them informed verbally and through daily care sheets, newsletters and parents meetings.  Children settle well when they are new and when they move rooms because they have frequent visits to prepare them.

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It is not yet good because

 The assessment of children's progress is not always effective because parents are not asked to share what their children can already do when they enrol and staff do not always plan appropriate next steps for them in all areas of learning. Managers do not identify the gaps in learning for specific groups of children.  Resources and planned activities are not sufficiently varied to promote learning in all seven areas of the curriculum. Understanding the world is particularly weak as staff have limited understanding of how to teach children about a variety of cultures and faiths and do not promote the additional languages children speak.  Babies are not encouraged to begin to feed themselves and toddlers sit for too long at tables with limited choice of activities, restricting their learning. Induction and appraisal processes are not robust enough to support staff to become more effective teachers.

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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 looked at relevant documentation, including planning, observations and assessment records. She also looked at a range of health and safety records, staff rotas and attendance registers, as well as information used to assess the suitability of staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took into account the views of parents and carers spoken to during the inspection and read their comments in children's learning records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities and care practices in the playrooms and within the outside play area. She conducted joint observations with the manager, looking at the practice of staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the children and staff from each room. She also held a meeting with the manager.

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Information about the setting

Auckland House Day Nursery was registered in 2008 and re-registered under a new organisation in 2010 and is on the Early Years Register. It is attached to Auckland College Independent School in the Aigburth area of Liverpool. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from six playrooms and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery employs 21 members of childcare staff. Of these, 13 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, including the manager who has Early Years Professional Status. Four staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday for 51 weeks of the year. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 95 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 a number of children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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must:

 ensure that gaps identified in children's learning are addressed by; gathering information from parents about what their children can already do on entry and planning appropriate next steps so that they are supported in making the best possible progress in all seven areas of the curriculum

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must:

 ensure that a secure foundation for learning is in place for every child, which is consistent and ensures equality of opportunity by; recognising and supporting children's home language, teaching children about events and festivals from a range of different cultures and beliefs, providing a range of diverse resources and displaying positive images that reflect the wider community children live in

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must:

 ensure that all children have independent access to a wide variety of resources, indoors and outdoors, that support learning in all seven areas of the curriculum

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must:

 ensure that children are not sitting for long periods of time unable to play with a variety of resources. For example, provide a wider range of age appropriate activities for children to play with, while waiting for other children to wake up from a sleep.

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

 develop the supervision and appraisal of staff further, by setting staff specific targets to help them develop their knowledge and improve their teaching, across all seven areas of learning

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

 monitor the key person tracking data to identify individuals or groups of children who may be making less steady progress, so that an action plan can be devised to effectively address any gaps

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

 provide more opportunities for babies to develop age appropriate independence. For example, allow babies to try to feed themselves by providing suitable furniture, such as a table and chairs or chairs with trays.

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who attend

Examples of activities displayed in photographs show children engaged in creative and messy activities that encourage exploration and critical thinking. However, during the inspection too many activities were directed by staff and children had too few opportunities to direct their own play. For example, in the room for two-year-olds, children are repeatedly asked to return to the table to play, despite being no longer interested in the writing activity. In the room for one-year-olds, children sit for an extended period of time at a table with paper and chalk, while waiting for other children to wake up from a sleep. Consequently, children are restricted from developing their curiosity and playfulness for a significant proportion of the day. Some adult-led activities are effective in teaching children and they also have fun. For example, a small group of two-year-olds make cakes. Staff teach children how to stir the mixture by demonstrating how to do it first. They

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who attend

support children's hands so they can pour the water into the mixing bowl and hold the paper cases close, so each child can fill them up independently. Staff count out how many paper cases they have, helping children to identify numbers and ask children what colour the egg is. Preschool children begin to recognise their name, as staff help them identify the initial letter, when picking out their name card. They enjoy singing Christmas songs in a group and take turns to sing individually. This helps extend their vocabulary and build their confidence, which helps them become ready for school when the time comes.

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who attend

Parents are not asked to share what they know their children can already do on enrolment. Consequently, there are no effective developmental starting points in place, from which, staff can begin to plan for children's learning. Staff observe all children regularly and some plan appropriate next steps based on what has been observed. However, staff often focus on one area of learning at a time and do not plan to help children progress in the areas of the curriculum where gaps in their learning have been identified. For example, planning and teaching is too focussed on literacy, specifically writing and letter recognition, while other areas of learning are neglected. Consequently, children are not making the best possible progress in all areas of learning. Throughout the nursery there are weaknesses in aspects of understanding the world. There are few positive images displayed and some staff have a limited understanding of how to teach

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who attend

children about a variety of faiths and cultures. In addition, the cultural background of some children is overlooked and so they miss opportunities to celebrate their uniqueness. For example, children whose family speak more than one language do not have the opportunity to see their language in print or to use their additional language in a playful way.

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who attend

Parents receive verbal feedback on a daily basis and are invited to twice yearly parent's meetings. In addition, they receive brief progress reports each term and progress checks when children are two-years-old. 'Activity bags' containing a variety of games and items can be borrowed by parents; as a result, parents are helped to continue children's learning at home.

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

Children begin to form warm, responsive relationships with their key person during the flexible settling-in sessions prior to taking up a place. Staff get to know children and find out their individual needs, likes and dislikes through discussion with parents. Staff complete an 'all about me' sheet, which tells parents what their child has been doing and how they are settling in. Each room has a teddy that children take turns to take home with a diary. Parents write interesting accounts of what teddy has been doing with their child over the weekend, so children can share their family experiences with their friends and key person. As children move rooms they are supported by having short visits, getting to know their new key person, before longer sessions develop into a full day in the new room. Consequently, children are settled and happy. When older children are getting ready to move onto the attached independent school, they have regular visits and so the

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

transition is smooth. They begin to learn to the skills they will need, such as using the bathroom independently, serving themselves at lunch time and participating in large group activities. Consequently, they are generally confident and capable of managing their own care needs.

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

The environment is generally bright and attractive with all the playrooms have low-level storage. This is most effective in the baby room as there are a range of open-ended resources available which offer babies opportunities to explore the environment. However, in other rooms, children do not freely access resources for large parts of the day, as staff direct and restrict them to playing at tables. Resources are generally adequate, but limited in range. As a result, children do not have enough opportunities to explore and investigate or to pursue their own interests. In particular there are too few resources available to promote the area of understanding the world. For example, children's use of technology and their understanding of the similarities and differences between people in the wider community are limited by lack of available resources. Children are reminded of how to play safely, for example, staff remind them to sit sensibly on their chairs and not to run around

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

inside, as a result, children behave well. Staff teach children to take turns in small group activities, for example two-year-olds wait patiently for a turn to stir the cake mix, because staff reassure them that it will be their turn very soon. Consequently, children are learning to cooperate and consider the needs of others.

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

Children have healthy meals and snacks which include fresh fruit and vegetables every day. Drinks are easily accessible so they do not get thirsty. Older children serve themselves at lunch time and independently access the bathroom so they can wash their hands before eating. Food tasting activities are planned to teach older children to make healthy food choices and they brush their teeth after meals. Consequently, children are beginning to develop habits that contribute to a healthy lifestyle. However, during meal times in the baby room, most children sit in individual chairs with no trays or tables and so have to be fed by staff. As a result, babies who are capable of beginning to feed themselves are restricted from doing so and so do not make good progress in developing appropriate independence skills. Children have daily access to the outdoor area. They enjoy running up and down, chasing staff and throw balls to knock down the skittles.

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

Resources for balancing, allow children to expend lots of energy and take appropriate risks in their play. As a result, children are learning to 'have a go' which prepares them for the challenges of future learning at school.

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provision

The manager has an appropriate knowledge of safeguarding and ensures that effective records are maintained. For example, registers, risk assessments, medicines administered and accidents. Staff have had first aid training and in house safeguarding training, so are able to identify possible signs of abuse and know the agencies to contact, if required. Staff rota's are planned so that there are enough staff on duty to ensure children are appropriately supervised. As a result, children's well-being and safety is effectively promoted. Recruitment of staff is sound; all staff have the required Disclosure and Barring service checks in place, references and complete a work trial prior to being offered a position. However, the induction scheme is too basic to support new staff in understanding all the nursery policies and procedures, as it does not check if they have understood what they have read. Consequently, some trainees cannot confidently describe

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provision

There is a system in place for key people to monitor individual children's progress across all seven areas of learning. However, no overall data has been collated. As a result, the manager does not know if specific groups of children are making steady progress in their learning and so there are no plans in place to address the gaps identified. In addition, the management team's methods for evaluating the teaching and learning for individual children are weak, as staff do not always use the observations and assessment of children to plan effective next steps that will move them on in their learning, when gaps have been identified. Staff focus too much on teaching literacy at the expense of other areas of learning. Consequently, children are not taught effectively in all areas of the curriculum. Staff have formal supervision and appraisals but these are not specific and targeted enough to identify their strengths and weaker areas of practice. As a result, teaching is

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provision

variable in quality and staff are not effectively coached to improve their knowledge and skills.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are effective; the nursery has utilised a number of methods to involve parents in nursery life. Newsletters, notice boards, daily care sheets and verbal feedback are used to good effect. Parents are invited to attend 'child file week' on a regular basis, which gives them the opportunity to look through their child's learning records and discuss their progress with the key person. As a result, parents comment positively about the setting, they say staff are friendly and they are kept informed about their children's care and development. The manager and staff are committed to partnership working with outside agencies, such as health professionals, should individual children require specific support. The nursery also works closely with the attached independent school and it's sister setting. This helps staff to exchange ideas and share effective practice. The manager is reflective; she knows the nursery's strengths and most

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provision

of the areas for development and with her team has produced an action plan for the setting.

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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 EY408483 Local authority Liverpool Inspection number 943790

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 42 Number of children on roll 95 Name of provider Auckland College Ltd Date of previous inspection 27/09/2010 Telephone number 0151 727 0083

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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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