Waddles Nursery

Waddles Day Nursery 75 Short Heath Road, Erdington, Birmingham, West Midlands, B23 6LH

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 07/05/2014 12/04/2011

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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

 Assessments regularly identify children's progress and where they need support.  The wide range of resources appropriately support children's play and exploratory skills.  Children form strong bonds with key persons who support their emotional needs competently. Therefore, children are well behaved.  Staff are clear about their safeguarding responsibilities and this means children are adequately protected.  Staff work closely with parents to promote children's learning and care and the partnerships with other professionals contribute to the support children receive in the nursery.

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It is not yet good because

 The quality of teaching across the nursery is variable. This means that some children make satisfactory, rather than good progress in their learning.  The procedures regarding the use of internal doors and the storage of equipment in the toilets are not rigorous enough to ensure children's safety is always fully promoted.  Monitoring of staff's practice is not sufficiently rigorous to make improvements to support children's learning effectively at all times.  Children do not always receive clear messages about healthy eating.

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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 checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children.  The inspector spoke with the deputy manager, staff and children.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken with on the day.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the deputy manager.  The inspector carried out observations in the care rooms and during outside play.  The inspector looked at documentation, including children's records.

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Information about the setting

Waddles Day Nursery was registered un 1990 and is on the Early Years Register and on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It operates from a detached two-storey building in a residential area of Erdington in Birmingham. It serves the immediate locality and also the surrounding areas. Children are cared for in six rooms and have access to an enclosed outdoor play area.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 13 staff working directly with the children, all of whom hold an appropriate early years qualification. Two of the staff hold qualifications at level 6. Of these, one holds Qualified Teacher Status, and 11 staff hold qualifications at at level 3.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens five days a week from 7.30am until 6pm all year round except for bank holidays. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 47 children on roll in the early years age group. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for three and four-year-old children. The nursery supports children for whom English is an additional language. The nursery receives support from the local authority.

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must:

 improve the quality of teaching and planning of activities to provide interesting and enjoyable experiences to promote children's individual learning effectively at all times

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must:

 ensure effective procedures are followed to minimise all potential hazards including the use of internal doors and the storage of equipment in the toilets to make all areas of the premises safe for children at all times.

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

 enhance the methods for reviewing staff practice, for example, by embedding peer observations to share best practice across all staff to improve the quality of teaching for all children

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

 use routine activities, such as, meal times to increase children's understanding of healthy eating.

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who attend

Staff have a reasonable understanding of promoting children's learning through suitable activities. They support children's development in the prime areas of learning appropriately. The positive interaction of the staff in the baby room suitably promotes the communication skills of these youngest children. They babble in response and look to staff for support while they play at the water tray. Children smile while enjoying the sensation of water poured gently on to their arms. Staff provide reassuring guidance for children who are sticking a variety of materials, including feathers, on to paper. They repeat the word 'sticky' when children rub their fingers together covered in glue. Therefore, children's understanding is developing while they learn to make links with what they do and what staff say. In pre-school, staff support children to develop their skills in simple mathematical activities at dinner time. They encourage repetition that focuses on taking

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who attend

away and support children's counting down to zero through a number of songs. Suitable praise and by demonstrating through the use of their fingers as visual prompts, maintains children's concentration and involvement adequately. Some staff clearly understand how to integrate areas of learning into activities. For instance, they encourage pre-school children to name colours of cups and jugs that match those of the tables at which they sit. This means that children learn colours in a way that is relevant to what they do. However, a few staff are less skilled at promoting the recognition of colours for other children. Although they use an imaginative approach to name colours, some aspects of the activity are not thought through sufficiently to progress their learning. The outside area that is used for a game of finding items, is rather large for the children to search, and the delivery is somewhat mundane. Children struggle due to the wide range of colours

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who attend

included in the activity and particularly, at this stage, children have not yet developed a secure recognition of primary colours. Therefore, the activity does not support children fully to lay a firm foundation on which to build and progress their individual learning. The quality of teaching across the nursery is variable. Consequently, some children are likely to make satisfactory rather than good progress in their learning.

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who attend

A wide range of resources, indoors and outside, provide appropriate levels of challenge for all children. The recently-installed mud kitchen is a source of delight to children who enjoy messy play. Other outside features include many examples of print and numbers that reinforce children's skills in recognising letters. In pre-school more able children write all letters of their names and recognise the first letters of the names of other children. During outside play, children join in with activities similar to those delivered in base rooms. For instance, they make marks on the flagstones and play and construct with bricks, safety is maintained by having these set out away from the paths used for riding bikes.

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who attend

Staff clearly work with parents to promote children's learning. They obtain detailed information at the start about what children know and can do. A well-established home learning arrangement ensures staff and parents communicate regularly about children's individual needs and their further learning. Staff invite parents to look at children's learning journals as often as they wish and they regularly share records of children's achievements. These include the progress check at age two to which parents fully contribute. Staff work mainly with carers of children who speak English as an additional language to promote their speaking skills. They obtain words that children use as part of their everyday routines and are currently making cards to promote children's understanding. This means that these children are beginning to develop their language skills primarily through gestures to acknowledge what is said. Staff also explore how they

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who attend

can support other children whose concentration skills are less developed than is expected for their age. They combine a range of methods, such as working in smaller groups as appropriate to support those children. Staff competently prepare children for their move to school through planned activities, such as story time. They visit local schools and obtain photographs that help children to gain an awareness of what to expect when they start.

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

Children are happy in the nursery where they form strong attachments with key persons and other staff. Babies feel secure because the soothing voices of the staff have a positive effect on their emotional well-being. Sufficient time is allowed for the move from home to the new surroundings. Consequently, children settle into the nursery easily. The changeover from one room to another is managed competently. Staff share records of children's development and discuss with parents the new arrangements. During routine activities, such as dinner time, staff make reference to school procedures. For instance, they remind children of how they will serve themselves at school and this builds fittingly on children's skills. Consequently, children are suitably prepared socially and emotionally for their move to new settings. On the whole, children are well behaved because staff use lots of praise and encouragement to promote good behaviour. Staff intervene promptly if

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

there are hints of disagreements and help younger children to understand why they must share resources. Therefore, children clearly learn the boundaries that contribute to good behaviour in the nursery.

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

Children confidently choose equipment and resources to develop their play and involve their peers. Accordingly, they form relationships with others. Children learn to take sensible risks as appropriate, for example, while using knives at dinner time they demonstrate a clear understanding of keeping safe. They readily explain that such equipment must be used carefully. Children enjoy balanced meals prepared daily in the nursery kitchen and staff talk about favourite foods at the dinner table. Although time is spent on raising children's awareness of healthy food during planned activities, staff do not always discuss the benefits at dinner time. This means that children do not have opportunities to repeatedly make links with what they learn and what they eat. The inviting outdoor space provides many ways for children to develop their physical skills. Children learn to maintain their balance and to negotiate space while riding around on

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

bikes. They confidently use the climbing frames and develop their small muscle skills by digging in the gardening boxes. They have great fun when they run around in the available space and play with the wide range of equipment provided. The welcoming environment and opportunities for exploratory play with age-appropriate resources promote children's emotional well-being positively in the nursery.

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provision

The arrangements for safeguarding children in the nursery are satisfactory. Designated persons for child protection and all staff have completed appropriate training and are clear about their responsibilities to protect children. The provider has an acceptable understanding of their responsibility to keep children safe. For instance, there are adequate risk assessments for the space at the front of the nursery used during the drop- off and collection of children. Letters to parents have raised their awareness of supervising their children constantly when near the road which is, at times, busy. However, safety arrangements within the nursery are not sufficiently rigorous. Some heavy internal doors pose a potential hazard to young children. They have not been taught to always stand away from the doors and wait until staff take them through. Storage in the children's toilet pose a hazard to children as they cannot always move away without stepping over

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provision

objects. This a breach of the requirements of the Early Years Register and both parts of the Childcare Register. The practice in the nursery with regard to the recruitment and induction procedures ensure staff are suitable to work with children. All staff, including those who cover during absences are vetted for suitability. The staff-to-child ratios are consistently maintained and the effective deployment of the staff results in the close supervision of children during all activities.

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provision

The provider has a sound understanding of the learning and development requirements. The management team regularly review the planning and assessments relating to children's learning to support their progress. Peer observations of staff's practice contribute to the awareness of how teaching is delivered. However, this is not rigorous enough to help staff make effective changes in their practice. This means that the quality of teaching is not always effective in supporting children's learning. All staff attend regular training to increase their knowledge and understanding to support children. For instance, all staff have received training to support children with asthma, according to the care plans. The training builds on the qualifications of staff who, on the whole, support children's needs, including progressing their learning appropriately. There is a clear focus on supervision and discussion of individual practice and appraisals ensure staff have

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provision

opportunities to discuss their training needs.

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provision

Sound progress has been made since the last inspection, particularly in relation to promoting children's self-help skills during routine activities. The provider now ensures all staff are involved in the self-evaluation of the nursery. Staff regularly ask children what they enjoy and use their ideas in the planning of activities. The providers obtain parents' views about events or occurrences, for instance, the workshops. One of the main strengths of the nursery is the established partnerships with parents. The management team encourage all parents to be actively involved in their child's learning. Parents receive information about activities and have opportunities to learn about these first hand due to regular workshops. They receive copies of policies relating to the children's needs and the procedures in place to ensure they are met. Staff work primarily with external agencies and other professionals to provide care and learning support for children. Currently

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provision

children do not attend other providers. The management team are informed about the importance of sharing information to promote children's individual learning effectively.

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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:

 ensure that the premises and equipment used for the purposes of the childcare are safe and suitable for that childcare (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure the premises and equipment used for the purposes of the childcare are safe and suitable for that childcare (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 229015 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 968186

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 37 Number of children on roll 47 Name of provider Waddles Limited Date of previous inspection 12/04/2011 Telephone number 0121 373 4827

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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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