Maple Vue Nursery

Maple Vue Nursery Maple Vue Childrens Centre, Belle Vue Road, ALDERSHOT, Hampshire, GU12 4RZ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 17/03/2014 02/12/2011

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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 educational programme does not provide depth and breadth across all areas of learning. This is because staff are not secure in their knowledge of how to plan the educational programmes for each area and resources provided are not always adequate. As a result, they fail to provide first hand experiences and challenges appropriate to the ages and development stages of the children.  The systems in place for observation and assessment of children's progress do not reflect the knowledge, skills and understanding children have gained since starting at the setting.  Effective strategies for managing children's behaviour are not always used to promote children's well-being.  Planning in place does not show the learning outcomes of activities to enable all staff to skilfully question children during activities to extend their learning as much as possible.  Children's individual needs are not met as staff do not provide appropriate support at

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This provision is inadequate

all times and they do not demonstrate the necessary skills to promote children's learning.  Meals provided are not consistently healthy, balanced and nutritious, which means children's good health is not fully promoted.

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It has the following strengths

 Children arrive happily and settle into the daily routines well.  Children feel safe and secure in the nursery and arrangements for safeguarding the children are good overall.  Babies' needs are met well and they have lots of opportunities to explore resources using their senses.

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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 lead inspector discussed the format of the inspection on arrival.

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Inspection activities

 The inspectors looked at children's assessment records and sampled other documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspectors observed activities in the indoor and the outside learning environments.  The inspectors took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Maple Vue Nursery is managed by Children's Links. It originally opened in 2011 and operates from a purpose-built centre attached to a Children's Centre which is within the grounds of Belle Vue Infant School in Aldershot, Hampshire. Children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. The nursery serves the local community. The setting is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary part of the Childcare Register. There are currently 87 children in the early years age group on roll. The nursery provides funded nursery education for two-, three- and four-year-olds. The provision welcomes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are learning English as an additional language. The nursery is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm throughout the year, except for Bank Holidays; children attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery employs 16 members of staff, of whom 13 hold relevant

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Information about the setting

early years qualifications. The acting manager has Early Years Professional Status.

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must:

 improve children's learning and development opportunities by increasing staff knowledge of implementing an effective educational programme to meet the learning needs of all children

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must:

 consider the individual needs, interests and stages of development of each child, and use this information to plan a challenging and enjoyable experience for each child in all the areas of learning and development

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must:

 assess children's progress effectively by: observing children to understand their level of achievement, interests and learning styles, and to plan relevant next steps for each child reflecting those observations and develop staff's knowledge of completing the progress check for children aged two

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must:

 develop the provision of resources for children by providing a wider range of stimulating resources which are accessible and open-ended so they can be used, moved and combined in a variety of ways, making sure they are relevant to children's interests

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must:

 ensure procedures for managing children's behaviour are fully implemented by all staff to ensure behavioural issues are managed appropriately

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must:

 ensure all food provided for the children's evening meal is healthy balanced and nutritious

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

 clarify the learning intention of activities to enable staff to better support and extend children's learning through discussion and open questions encouraging them to think

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who attend

Although the children arrive happily at the nursery and settle well, they do not make sufficient progress in their learning and development. This is because the staff's knowledge and understanding of children's learning and developmental needs is not consistent throughout the nursery. The educational programmes do not provide children with interesting and challenging experiences across the different areas of learning. Teaching is weak and staff do not focus sufficiently to ensure children's learning is matched to their individual needs. Due to the recent changes in the staff and leadership team of the nursery, systems for planning and assessment have not been monitored efficiently and developed to ensure the activities and learning experiences support children's interests and the next steps in their learning. Staff's tracking of children's progress, linked to the different areas of learning, is not fully in place to effectively identify

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who attend

the next steps for each child. Key persons are expected to carry out and record observations and assessments of children's progress. However, such records are inconsistent and not up to date. Children's learning records show some children's capabilities but the adults are not using this information to provide a suitably stimulating environment. The nursery has previously implemented the two-year-old progress check, and all documentation is in place; however, the staff's knowledge of completing the assessment does not always reflect the requirements of the check and recently these have not been completed promptly to enable them to be shared with parents, before children reach the age of three, as required. Tailored interactions with the children to build on what children and babies know and can do are limited. Therefore, children are not sufficiently gaining skills for the future and preparation for school.

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who attend

Babies have opportunities to explore resources with their senses. They touch and handle resources to discover how things make a variety of noises and have different textures. They are helped by staff and are able to climb and practise a range of movements in safety. Staff in the baby room have an understanding of the children's level of development. They plan some activities that help the children aged under two years to develop their co-ordination and to explore different materials. For example, babies spread glue onto compact discs and are helped to shake the pot of glitter over it or to stick tissue or glittery paper on it. They enjoy investigating the different textures as they stick.

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who attend

The provision for older children is weaker than that offered to babies. Although most children are occupied there is very little purposeful play observed in the group of two and three year olds. There is no planning in place and no focused activities arranged for the children. The children are seen to play all day with the same few resources provided for them. Children enjoy some positive interaction from staff who take time to sit on the floor to play with them or read stories. Unfortunately, time staff spend changing nappies and preparing food limits their quality interactions with the children.

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who attend

Opportunities to be outside developing physical skills and understanding of the world are fostered through regular use of the nursery outside play area. The children are keen to play outdoors. The wheeled toys are popular and they are insufficient in number. Children are told to wait to take turns but staff to not monitor the situation to ensure that all children that wish to get a turn. As a result, children become disengaged and frustrated. Most children are developing good communication skills and chat happily to both one another and to adults. Some children who have particular speech and language needs or who are learning English as an additional language are being supported by staff to enable them to develop their communication skills.

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

The nursery has a key person system in place to help children settle and form secure emotional attachments. However, due to staff changes this is not consistent throughout the nursery and some parents are not fully aware of who their child's key person is. Babies' routines are discussed with parents when the child starts and at regular intervals and staff ensure their wishes are met. Staff support babies and as they progress into the older age group they become confident in their daily routines. The nursery provides a variety of resources in each of the areas of the nursery. However in some areas indoors and outside, the selection does not provide challenge or fully support children's all round development, particularly in the two to three's room. Children learn to keep themselves safe, as they take part in fire drills and staff remind them not to run indoors.

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

Children are learning about good hygiene routines as they are reminded to wash their hands before eating and after using the toilet. Systems are in place to inform staff of any health or dietary issues the children may have and records are kept of accidents and medication administered. However, staff do not teach children well enough about healthy lifestyles as the food they provide for the evening meal is not always healthy and nutritious. As a result, children are not learning to make healthy choices about food. Children spend time outdoors every day, which benefits their good health. They have use of an outside play area, and have opportunities to dig, ride the bicycles or scooter, climb, run and jump. Systems for behaviour management are not effective throughout the nursery. Staff in the baby room give cuddles and support children, which helps them feel safe and to build bonds with their key person. However, in the pre-school room

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

inconsistent behaviour management of children and the varying levels of support they receive give children mixed messages about what is expected of them.

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

Staff help the children to have a smooth transition as they progress to the older age groups in the nursery and prepare to move on to school. Staff take some steps to help children prepare for school by developing their independence, helping them to recognise their name and talking about what the move will involve.

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provision

There have been some recent structural changes to the premises and although this led to some disruption for children at the time, all building work is now complete. Each age group has its own play room and parents recognise the improvement to the setting. The manager has identified an issue within the toilet facilities and they are currently awaiting work to provide children with greater privacy. Interim arrangements serve to safeguard children when using the facilities. Children demonstrate they feel safe as they move around confidently and decide what to play with. Procedures are in place for the recruitment and vetting of new staff and this helps to ensure all adults working with the children are suitable to do so. The setting is undergoing changes to the management and the acting manager quickly and accurately identified the need to improve safeguarding procedures to protect children and has ensured that all staff have undergone appropriate

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provision

safeguarding training and induction. They have also identified many other weaknesses and have drawn up an improvement plan to target them. However, the provider does not ensure the manager has sufficient time to implement effective appraisal and supervision, as a result there are inconsistencies in the way children's behaviour is managed. The staff do not plan activities to ensure all areas of learning are promoted effectively, which results in the children not having motivation and challenge in their activities. Consequently the setting is not meeting the requirements to support and teach children effectively to help them make good progress in their learning.

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provision

The partnership between the nursery and the parents ensures information is shared between them. Parents are kept informed about daily routines and the activities their children have taken part in. Most parents are fully supportive of the staff team and comment on how 'friendly and caring' they are, but some expressed concerns regarding the recent management and staff changes and the deterioration in their children's behaviour. Staff are committed to ensure every child and their family are valued and welcomed within the setting. Arrangements are in place to liaise with other providers the children may attend, to ensure information is shared about their learning.

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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 EY430816 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 952706 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 50 Number of children on roll 87 Name of provider Children's Links Date of previous inspection 02/12/2011 Telephone number 01252 343772

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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

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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