Amber's Attic Ltd

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD Telephone: 0300 123 1231 Fax: 0300 123 3159 Minicom: 0161 618 8524 Email: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk Web: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Amber's Attic Ltd 109-123 Stand Lane Radcliffe Manchester Lancashire M26 1JR Our Reference EY271791

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Monitoring for provision judged as inadequate

An Ofsted inspector, Vickie Halliwell, monitored your provision on 17/06/2014 following your inspection where the provision was judged to be inadequate.

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Outcome of monitoring

As a result of our inspection on 26/03/2014, we sent you a notice to improve. If you were set actions at the inspection, or as a result of our subsequent monitoring or investigations, these are included at the end of this letter unless we have already verified that they have been completed.

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Outcome of monitoring

During the monitoring visit the inspector discussed with you and your manager the steps you have taken to address the actions raised in the notice to improve. The inspector had discussions with individual members of staff. She looked at a range of documentation, which included, your policy and procedures for administering medicines, records of medication administered, staff records and documents relating to arrangements for observation, assessment and planning. The inspector also observed interactions between staff and children and viewed the resources and activities available to children. She also spoke to parents and took account of the information provided by your local authority, following their visits to your nursery.

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Outcome of monitoring

The inspector found that you have developed a comprehensive action plan to address the issues raised at the last inspection and have introduced systems to evaluate and monitor the quality of practice. This has enabled you to accurately identify how to address the areas for improvement identified at your last inspection and to plan for ongoing improvement.

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Outcome of monitoring

The inspector found that effective systems are now implemented to ensure that staff and any other person who is likely to have regular contact with children are suitable, this includes checking their previous employment history. Since the last inspection a newly appointed manager has effectively reviewed staff deployment. As a result, staff are appropriately deployed according to their qualifications, skills and experience. This ensures the required ratios of qualified staff are met and that staff are appropriately deployed to meet the needs of and to support specific children. In order to promote consistent care, every child is assigned a key person on admission. Following the redeployment of staff, the management team are committed to minimising any further disruption. Improved leadership and management has resulted in new systems to monitor staff deployment and staff practice. As a result, supportive peer observations are effectively implemented to help identify areas of

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Outcome of monitoring

staff development and to ensure all staff have a clear knowledge and understanding of their roles and responsibilities.

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Outcome of monitoring

The inspector found that you have reviewed and subsequently improved the nursery's procedures for administering medicines. This means a written record is maintained each time medicine is administered to a child and that parents and/or carers are informed on the same day that medication has been administered.

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Outcome of monitoring

You have appointed a highly qualified manager who is a very experienced practitioner with a good knowledge and understanding of the learning and development requirements. Consequently, all staff have received a wealth of in- house training, guidance and support. This has significantly increased their knowledge and understanding of the characteristics of effective teaching and learning and observation, assessment and planning. Useful prompts are displayed throughout the nursery and the inspector found that these are well used by staff, to help them promote children's communication and language development. In addition, the manager and a qualified teacher model good practice and you have secured external 'sing and sign' sessions, which now run within the nursery. Such practice improves outcomes for children and further develops staff's knowledge and understanding of a variety of communication strategies. As a result, staff are

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Outcome of monitoring

planning more effectively for children's future learning and are developing the skills they need to plan challenging experiences that are tailored to meet children's individual needs.

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Outcome of monitoring

In order to provide consistency for individual children you have improved the information given to parents about their children's care and learning. Parents now receive daily information, that includes details of the daily and individual children's care routines. Parents are also advised of the range and type of activities and experiences provided. Through regular informal discussions and during planned parents' evenings, parents are advised of how they can share details of learning at home.

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Outcome of monitoring

You have welcomed support from your local authority and are very clear about the progress you have made and how this has improved the quality of care and the provision for children's learning and development. You have demonstrated a clear commitment to the continued improvement of your provision.

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Outcome of monitoring

Having considered all the evidence, the inspector is of the opinion that the setting has taken prompt and effective action to address the points for improvement.

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Next steps

The next step will be a full inspection.

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Next steps

I hope that you have found the visit helpful in promoting improvement in your setting. If you have any further queries please contact us on the number at the top of this letter.

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Next steps

Nick Hudson National Director, Early Education

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Action Due date Closed date

implement effective systems to ensure that staff and any other person who is likely to have regular contact with children (including those living or working on the premises) are suitable, including checking their previous employment history 23/04/2014 17/06/2014

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Action Due date Closed date

ensure all staff have a clear knowledge and understanding of their roles and responsibilities by providing consistent staff, leadership and effective monitoring across all areas 21/05/2014 17/06/2014

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Action Due date Closed date

implement effective systems to ensure that the manager of the later years provision and any person caring for or in regular contact with children is suitable to work with children, which must include obtaining an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check, is of integrity and good character and has skills and experience suitable for the work (compulsory part of the Childcare Register) 21/05/2014 17/06/2014

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Action Due date Closed date

implement effective systems to ensure that the manager of the later years provision and any person caring for or in regular contact with children is suitable to work with children, which must include obtaining an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check, is of integrity and good character and has skills and experience suitable for the work (voluntary part of the Childcare Register 21/05/2014 17/06/2014

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Action Due date Closed date

keep records of any medicine administered to any child who is cared for on the premises, including the date and circumstances and who administered it, including medicine which the child is permitted to self-administer, together with a record of a parent/guardian/carer's 21/05/2014 17/06/2014 consent (voluntary part of the Childcare Register) keep records of any medicine administered to any child who is cared for on the premises, including the date and circumstances and who administered it, including medicine which the child is permitted to self-administer, together with a record of a parent/guardian/carer's consent (compulsory part of the Childcare Register) 21/05/2014 17/06/2014

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Action Due date Closed date

ensure parents are given information about their child's care and learning to provide consistency for children, including the range and type of activities and experiences provided, the daily routines including individual children's care routines, the name of their child's key person and their role and how they as parents and carers can share learning at home 21/05/2014 17/06/2014

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Action Due date Closed date

ensure staffing arrangements meet the needs of all children and ensure their safety by assigning a consistent key person to every child, making sure required ratios of qualified staff are met and by making sure staff allocated to support specific children are able to carry out that role 23/04/2014 17/06/2014

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Action Due date Closed date

ensure all staff understand the nursery's procedures for administering medicines, including the requirement to keep a written record each time a medicine is administered to a child and to inform the child's parents and/or carers on the same day, or as soon as reasonably practicable 23/04/2014 17/06/2014

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Action Due date Closed date

ensure consistent use of the observation and assessment system to enable staff to understand children's levels of achievement and use the information to tailor activities and plan opportunities to meet children's individual learning needs and support their progress 21/05/2014 17/06/2014

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Action Due date Closed date

develop staff's understanding of their role 21/05/2014 17/06/2014 in promoting children's communication and language development, including asking open-ended questions, describing what children are doing by providing a running commentary, planning activities to highlight specific vocabulary and supporting children in using a variety of communication strategies, including signing, where appropriate

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