Bubbles Nursery

Bubbles Nursery Old Laundry, Clenchers Mill Lane, Eastnor, LEDBURY, HR8 1RR

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18/03/2014 20/11/2012

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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

 Children are not safeguarded effectively because the nursery does not identify all risks within their environment. In addition, training is not sufficiently focused on safeguarding and child protection.  The required 'progress check at age two' is not completed, consequently, planning for children's further progress is not clearly identified.  Management and accountability requirements are not understood by the provider. In addition, staff are not encouraged to extend their knowledge and skills because they do not have access to an adequate programme of professional development.  Children do not have the opportunity to freely access resources, such as, sand, water and paint, as a result their understanding of shape, space, measure and colour and design is not fully promoted.

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It has the following strengths

 Caring staff get to know children and their families well. This helps children form secure emotional attachments and promotes their well-being effectively.  Children have regular access to a suitably resourced outdoor area, this supports their all-round development.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children in all areas of the nursery, inside and outdoors.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at the children's learning records, planning, assessments and other required documents, including safeguarding policies and procedures, risk assessments and staff files.  The inspector held ongoing discussions with the manager, staff and children.  The inspector sought the views of parents.

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Information about the setting

Bubbles Nursery was re-registered as a privately owned day nursery in 2009. It is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in the old laundry building in the village of Eastnor, Hertfordshire. It operates from four rooms and is accessible to all children. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery serves the local and surrounding areas. The nursery employs 21 members of childcare staff, of whom 19 hold appropriate early years qualifications at levels 2 and 3, including one with Qualified Teacher Status and two with a foundation degree in Early Years and Education. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round except for a week at Christmas and at Easter. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 99 children on roll, who are within the early years age group. The nursery provides funded

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Information about the setting

early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The nursery provides before and after school care for children who attend the local school and runs a holiday club provision.

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must:

 ensure risks are identified with specific regard to doors and fire exits and steps are taken to remove or immediately minimise these, so that children's safety is promoted at all times. For example, keep fire exits clear so children and staff may exit swiftly and secure doors to prevent them from slamming shut

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must:

 ensure staff receive training so that they have an up to date knowledge of safeguarding issues

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must:

 ensure that the required 'progress check at age two' is carried out and parents are provided with a short written summary of their child's development in the prime areas, identifying the child's strengths and any areas where the child's progress is less than expected

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must:

 develop an effective supervision and self-evaluation procedure to foster a culture of mutual support, teamwork and continuous improvement, so as to improve the outcomes for children

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must:

 improve the educational programme available to children, so that their understanding of shape, space, measure, colour and design is fully promoted.

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who attend

Children are generally happy and settled in the nursery and are making some progress in their learning. However, a legal requirement has not been met. The nursery are not carrying out the 'progress check at age two' and providing parents with a short written summary of their child's development in the prime areas of learning. This means that the monitoring of children's developmental progress is not fully effective and their strengths and any areas where the child's progress is less than expected are not fully identified. Most staff are experienced and have a sound knowledge of how children learn and develop. They plan play and activities around children's interests. These are varied, cover most areas of learning and include an appropriate balance of child-initiated and adult- directed play. As a result, children benefit from a combination of experiences that include those led by adults and learning from their own play. However, some play activities, for

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who attend

example, sand, water and paints are only available when staff plan for children to use them. As a result, children do not have regular opportunities to spontaneously explore textures and their understanding of shape, space, measure, colour and design is not well- promoted. Staff gather information from parents on induction about their child's interests, care needs and routines, as well as what they do at home. Therefore, staff are aware of what children can already do and are able to monitor how they progress. Staff observe where children are in their learning, assessing this in order to identify the next steps in their learning. These identified next steps inform the planning of future activities, which help to ensure they are meaningful to children and reflect their stage of development. Consequently, children are making some progress in their learning and development. When children start at the nursery staff make them a learning journey book. The book

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who attend

contains observations of children's learning, along with pieces of their work and some photographs. Parents are invited to look at these whenever they wish and they are sent home at the end of term, so that parents can add to them. Staff take time at the beginning and end of the day to talk to parents about their child's day. This includes sharing information about activities, as well as care needs. Very young children have daily diaries with written information about feeds and nappy changes, as well as what they have played with. In addition, parents receive monthly newsletters, which give information on the topics or themes the nursery will be covering during the month. Therefore, parents have the opportunity to continue their child's learning at home and are adequately informed of what staff know about their child's progress.

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who attend

Children enjoy their time at the nursery, quickly becoming involved in their play. They are developing some effective learning skills as they choose toys and resources that reflect their current interest. For example, children express their creativity, sticking pieces of coloured paper and glitter to their pictures. They use their imaginations as they have a tea party on the carpet area. They carefully pour water from the tea pot into their cups, before pretending to 'dunk biscuits' into their tea. A child confidently announces, 'Mine's a jelly biscuit'. Children's communication is promoted because staff engage with them, asking if there are any chocolate biscuits. In addition, during circle time children are asked what they would like to do next. Children are confident to voice their opinions and to advise when they do not want to take part in an activity. For example, some children choose to use small construction bricks to build a spaceship, rather than going outdoors to

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who attend

play. These positive interactions promote children's self-confidence, self-esteem and their communication and language skills. Skills which help prepare them in readiness for school. Children enjoy listening to stories. They select books to read to themselves. Children join in with songs and rhymes, which are sung throughout the day. Babies and young children are cared for in their own rooms, both are warm and welcoming. Baby room staff and visitors are reminded to leave their shoes at the door; this enables the babies to crawl in a clean environment. They also have their own sleep rooms; both are suitably resourced. Therefore, the youngest children are able to play safely and sleep peacefully. Staff are caring and kind, giving lots of cuddles and reassurance. This helps to raise the babies' confidence and contribute to their overall emotional well-being. Young children enjoy exploring treasure boxes, which are filled with sensory items. They operate mechanical

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who attend

toys, turning knobs, lifting flaps and pushing buttons to achieve effects, such as making sounds or movements. In addition, they explore a selection of coloured balls, giggling with delight as they roll the ball to members of staff.

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who attend

All children are welcomed and valued. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are fully included and staff recognise children's individual learning needs and support them to join in activities at their own pace. The nursery has lots of outdoor space for children to play, take exercise and enjoy fresh air. Children are developing a good understanding of the world around them because the nursery has access to grounds within the local castle. Children enjoy nature walks where they can observe the deer and other animals. In addition, they regularly visit the local care home where they perform the Nativity at Christmas. They are in the process of planning an Easter bonnet parade, where they will show off their creations. These experiences help children to begin to understand about their community, as well as learning to be sociable with others.

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

The nursery has an established key person system. Key persons are attentive, kind and give cuddles and reassurance when needed. Consequently, children are happy, are forming secure attachments with staff and their emotional well-being is promoted. The nursery has suitable settling-in procedures. Children attend taster sessions before they properly start at the nursery. Parents are invited to stay and play until they feel confident to leave their child. These taster sessions allow children to become familiar with their new surroundings, as well as staff. When moving rooms within the nursery, key persons accompany children for their taster session in their new room. Learning and development documents move with the child and a transition form is completed to help staff in the new room become familiar with their stage of development, specific likes and routines. Consequently, children soon settle and enjoy their time at the nursery. The nursery has

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

sound partnerships with the local schools. During the summer term, reception teachers are invited into the nursery so they can see children in their own environment and to discuss their individual needs with the child's key person. As a result, the transition between nursery and school is a positive experience for children.

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

Children are not kept safe because staff do not ensure all risks are identified and steps taken are not taken to remove or minimise those risks, so that children's safety is promoted at all times. Therefore, children's health and welfare is not sufficiently well- promoted. Staff supervise children appropriately and create a warm and welcoming indoor environment for children and their parents. Staff ratios are maintained. The nursery has a secure entry system and visitors are asked to sign in and their identity is checked. Toys and resources are generally clean and fit for purpose, they are age-appropriate and most resources are easily accessible to children. Children's health is appropriately promoted because the nursery follows suitable hygiene procedures and practices, which meet children's physical, nutritional and healthcare needs. There are suitable nappy changing facilities along with suitably resourced sleep rooms. Children are reminded to wash their

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

hands after using the toilet and before meals. They are beginning to learn about healthy lifestyles because the nursery has recently introduced 'healthy Mondays'. This new addition to practice includes learning how to brush their teeth properly, as well as discussing healthy foods. The nursery has an onsite cook, who prepares wholesome and nutritious meals each day. These include roast dinners with fresh vegetables, pasta dishes and fresh fruit and milky puddings. Children learn about the importance of exercise as they have regular opportunities to play outdoors and to visit places of interest within their community. Children behave well. Staff are positive role models and give clear guidance as to what is expected. For example, to take turns, to share and to be kind to one another. Children are beginning to learn about their own safety because staff talk to them about dangers. For example, they are reminded to go down the slide correctly and not to climb

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provision

The inspection was prioritised following concerns being raised about the provider's ability to safeguard children in the nursery. The inspection found that the provider had failed to notify the appropriate authorities in a timely fashion about a safeguarding issue, to ensure interventions were made to safeguard children. This failure to comply with requirements is an offence. In addition, the inspection found that although the provider has risk assessments in place, they do not identify all risks which pose significant harm to children. This is a breach in the safeguarding requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and also of the requirements of the Childcare Register. Although, staff and management have some knowledge of child protection procedures, this is not updated regularly enough and training is required to ensure they always follow current and best practice. Some staff have current paediatric first aid certificates, so they have up

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provision

to date knowledge of the action to take should children have an accident or become ill. If a child has an accident, staff complete an accident form, which parents are asked to sign when they collect their child. Copies of these forms are kept in the office. All required policies are in place. The registered person has completed safer recruitment training and has an appropriate knowledge of her duties for recruiting new staff. All staff are thoroughly checked before being employed and new staff who are awaiting completion of their checks are not left unsupervised. The manager carries out regular supervisions on staff, as well as more formal appraisals. However, these are not used to identify training needs and to promote staff's ongoing professional development, which means that there are gaps in their knowledge and understanding.

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provision

The manager and staff have a generally suitable understanding of the learning and development requirements. Play is planned around children's interests, it covers most areas of learning and as a result, children are making some progress. The manager understands the importance of monitoring the educational programme and the quality of teaching. She observes her staffs' practice and reviews the planning and assessments. However, the monitoring is not sufficiently effective, resulting in staff not having access to adequate training programmes and children not having access to all resources.

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provision

The nursery has appropriate partnerships with parents. Their views are sought through daily informal discussions, as well as by completing questionnaires about the provision. In addition, key persons spend time with parents at the beginning and end of the day advising them about their child's time at nursery. Very young children have daily diaries, which are sent home each day. This two-way flow of communication makes sure that parents are kept informed about their child's daily activities, as well as care needs. Partnerships with other professionals are sound and staff work with them, in order to help children who need additional support. Parents speak highly of the nursery and say their children are settled and happy.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

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actions)

The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are

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

 undertake a risk assessment of the premises and equipment, at least once in each calendar year and immediately where the need for an assessment arises (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  undertake a risk assessment of the premises and equipment, at least once in each calendar year and immediately where the need for an assessment arises (voluntary part of the Childcare Register).

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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 EY391346 Local authority Herefordshire Inspection number 954394

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 50 Number of children on roll 99 Name of provider Sheila Bee Date of previous inspection 20/11/2012 Telephone number 01531 632425

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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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