Acorn Day Nursery

Acorn Day Nursery 25 Wessex Place, Somerton Business Park, Bancombe Road, Somerton, Somerset, TA11 6SB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 25/03/2014 08/06/2010

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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

 Effective and robust recruitment procedures are not in place and records of suitability for members of staff are not complete.  The provider does not keep an accurate record of children's attendance, so children's safety is compromised.  Systems for monitoring staff practice are not effective. Consequently, the quality of teaching is variable and there are gaps in the educational programme for communication and language and physical development.  Observation and assessment of children's progress is not used effectively to plan activities to help children make good progress, particularly those learning English.  The risk assessment does not identify all hazards, and therefore children's safety cannot be guaranteed.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff have close relationships with parents which have a positive impact on the well- being of the children.  Staff care for the children and know their likes and dislikes and manage behaviour well.

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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 compulsory part of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The Inspector observed children engaged in activities both indoors and out.  The Inspector observed care routines.  The Inspector sampled the provider's documentation.  The Inspector spoke to staff parents and children.

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Information about the setting

Acorn Day Nursery is privately owned and registered at the current premises in 2006. It operates from a purpose-built building situated in the business park, on the outskirts of Somerton, Somerset. Children have use of an open plan room with segregated areas for the different age groups. The nursery is registered to receive funding for early years education and is registered on the Early Years Register and compulsory part of the Childcare Register. The nursery is open every weekday from 8am to 6pm for 50 weeks of the year. There are currently 82 children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age group. The group cares for children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The nursery employs 14 members of staff, all of whom hold or are working towards appropriate early years qualifications.

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must:

 ensure the risk assessment covers all areas used by children and minimise any identified hazards, with particular regard to standing rainwater in the garden

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must:

 ensure recruitment procedures are effective and robust in relation to references and suitability checks, including the Disclosure and Barring Service disclosures for all staff, ensuring the number, the date it was obtained and who obtained it is recorded

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must:

 keep an accurate daily record of children's hours of attendance, including their hours of attendance and the names of each child's key person .

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must:

 improve systems for monitoring staff practice to ensure they offer a quality learning experience for children that continually improves the quality of teaching, with particular regard to promoting children's communication and language through positive interaction

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must:

 improve systems to regularly observe children and assess their progress to enable staff to plan age appropriate and challenging learning experiences for each child to help them make good progress

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must:

 improve the programme for physical development by making sure children have appropriate challenges according to their age and stage of development.

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must:

 ensure children who are learning English as an additional language are provided with opportunities to develop and use their home language in their play and learning, to better support their acquisition of English

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must:

 develop secure system for monitoring and self-evaluation, to foster a culture of continuous improvement to promote the interests of children.

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who attend

Children enjoy activities across the areas of learning and are content to join in. However, the quality of teaching is inconsistent and some activities are not appropriate for the age and stage of development of the children. For example, babies are included in story time with a large group of older children. Staff use puppets to bring the story to life, but younger children become disinterested as they are unable to see the book or hold the puppets. Staff sit behind them and are therefore unable to interact with the babies or promote their communication and language.

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who attend

Staff know children's likes and dislikes. They make written observations of the children but these are not frequent enough to effectively inform planning and do not link clearly to the next stage in their development. This means that it is difficult for staff to assess children's development and plan activities that ensure that each child makes good progress.

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who attend

Parents are welcomed into the nursery and contribute to the information about the children when they start. They attend parents' evenings where they are informed about their children's progress. Parents talk about an on-going dialogue between themselves and staff. A 'Memory Book' shows photographs of the children at play and the photographs are also uploaded onto a memory stick for parents. A 'Pathway Book' documents some of the progress of the children and staff make observations in a separate book This information is not linked together, which mean that information for parents about their children's progress is confusing and parents have little opportunity to promote learning at home.

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who attend

Staff have some knowledge of how to promote learning and development. However, some staff do not effectively help the youngest children to develop their communication and language. For example, at snack time and when babies are being fed, they are not encouraged to chatter and babble. Staff do not model words and sentences and extend language. In the pre-school area staff encourage children to think about letter sounds in preparation for school. However, they have not had sufficient training, to help them to effectively promote children's development in this area. The development of literacy is not embedded through regular phonic activities. As children mix ingredients together to make bath bombs for a Mothers' Day gift, they are happy to follow instructions but have limited opportunity to develop language and counting skills. The activity is very adult-directed and children are not given time to explore and talk about the process.

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who attend

Staff recognise the need for children to be active and develop physical skills in the outdoor area. They encourage older children to use stilts and dig in the garden. However, there is a lack of opportunity and resources indoors for physical development. There is a lack of equipment to enable the youngest children to pull themselves up and practise walking and crawling. In the pre-school room children begin to climb on tables during the afternoon session in their need to develop their physical skills.

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who attend

Staff work hard to manage the environment for the children at different times of the day. Children enjoy being outdoors but their eagerness and motivation is sometimes discouraged because staff do not follow their lead in play. For example, children are discouraged as they try to walk up and down a slope intended for cars and their ideas are not accepted and developed by staff.

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

Staff do not promote children's well-being effectively, with particular regard to the youngest children. For example, when babies are being bottle fed they are laid on a cushion and do not have the benefit of close human contact to effectively develop their personal and social skills, and to encourage a feeling of emotional security. Staff have good relationships with parents and speak to them about the children as they come into the nursery. The daily routines for the younger children are documented in a daily diary. The staff form attachments with children, and show caring attitudes towards them, giving them a sense of well being. However, there are some instances when this sense of well being is not enhanced. Staff interact with children who have English as an additional language to develop their sense of well being and language skills. However, they do not attempt to engage with parents to find out about their culture or learn some words in their

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

home language. Consequently, they are not fully supported in their learning and development. This was a recommendation in the previous Ofsted report but has not been prioritised by the manager in the settings self-evaluation.

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

Behaviour is suitably managed and children are encouraged in developing control over their actions and to consider others while they play. Staff support children in developing skills of independence, for example helping them to put on coats when they go outside. However, some of the younger children are dressed for the outdoors without comment or explanation from the staff, so they are not part of the process and language is not developed by talking things through.

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

Staff encourage parents to settle children in their own time when they start nursery and have good relationships with the local schools, taking time to make visits so that children are emotionally prepared for going to school. Children enjoy healthy snacks and meals cooked and prepared on the premises from local suppliers. However, at snack times and lunch time staff do not encourage independence by encouraging children to help themselves and pour their own drinks.

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

Daily risk assessments are made and recorded. Children are supervised as they play indoors and out. However, on the day of inspection there was an iron bath in the garden area which had filled with rainwater which posed a potential drowning hazard. This was brought to the attention of the manager, but no action was taken. Parents sign children in and out of the nursery, but this system is not reliable for recording the numbers of children attending at any one time. On the day of the inspection only seven children had been signed in, when in actual fact there were many more than this present. A whiteboard records the children expected for the day but not the times they arrive and depart. In the event of a fire this puts children at risk, as staff are unsure of how many children are present.

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provision

The manager and staff fail to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements. They have failed to identify risk in the outdoor play area and do not record children's arrival and departure. This means that the provider also fails to meet the requirements of the Childcare Register. The manager monitors staff through annual appraisals and there is a monthly staff meeting. However, she has not identified weaknesses in the educational programmes and the consistency of staff practice. She has not identified the inconsistencies in systems to observe and assess children's progress. Recommendations from the last inspection have not been addressed. This demonstrates that systems to evaluate practice and drive continuous improvement are not successful.

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provision

Staff have attended the relevant training for child protection and safeguarding. They know what to do if they have a concern about a child in their care. Arrangements for recruitment are inadequate as the provider does not seek written references for staff. Disclosure and Barring Service checks are carried out but details are not recorded, so the provider cannot demonstrate the suitability of all staff. New staff are provided with an information book about the nursery as part of their induction programme. Staff support each other and work together well. They access training as they or the manager feels necessary. However, the manager does not monitor the staff effectively which results in inconsistent practice and lack of identification for their professional development. Members of staff plan for the different age groups of children attending, but the manager does not have systems in place to monitor the planning of activities for the children's learning and

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provision

development so that she is able to evaluate their effectiveness.

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provision

Links with parents are in place and the manager has identified this as an area she would like to improve. The nursery has an informative website with a section which give information for parents, although some of the information about the Early Years Foundation Stage is out of date.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

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To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

 ensure that all necessary measures are taken to minimise any identified risks  ensure there are effective systems to demonstrate that that any person caring for, or in regular contact with, children is suitable to work with children which must include obtaining an enhanced check from the Disclosure and Barring Service.

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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 EY345531 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 835118 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 41 Number of children on roll 82 Name of provider Katryn Bennett Date of previous inspection 08/06/2010 Telephone number 01458 273705

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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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