Playsteps Day Nursery

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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Playsteps Nursery The Hub Church Place Swindon Wiltshire SN1 5EH Our Reference EY321164

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Monitoring for provision judged as inadequate

An Ofsted inspector, Julie Swann, monitored your provision on 03/07/2014 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 02/05/2014, 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 your nursery manager the steps you have taken to address the actions raised in the notice to improve. She reviewed the systems you are using to observe, assess and plan to shape learning experiences for each child to help them make the best possible progress in their learning. The inspector also looked at safeguarding procedures, organisation of documentation, staff training plans, along with how children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and English as an additional language are being supported. In addition, the inspector reviewed how you are monitoring the quality of staff's performance and discussed with the manager how you have developed the key- person system to ensure children's individual needs are met. The inspector spoke to a representative from the local authority who attended the nursery on the day of the visit.

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Outcome of monitoring

The inspector found that you have devised a comprehensive action plan detailing the steps you have taken to address the issues raised at your last inspection and have introduced additional systems to evaluate the quality of practice and the impact this has on outcomes for children. You have involved and taken the advice of the local authority and are using outside services and support more effectively to improve the overall quality of practice to meet children's individual needs. This has enabled you to accurately prioritise 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 all staff have attended training to further develop their knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage and their understanding of the characteristics of effective learning. You have recently made changes to the way staff observe, assess and plan for children's learning to provide children with challenges that help them to make best progress. Planning is now more individualised for children. The use of colour coding in the tracker documents is assisting staff in ensuring that any gaps in children's learning and development are identified swiftly. It is also supporting the identification of those children who benefit from additional challenge and extension to maximise their learning opportunities.

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Outcome of monitoring

You have appointed seven staff members to take a role as a special educational needs coordinator and training around these specialist roles has been attended. This results in children benefiting from appropriate support to make progress in all areas of their learning. Additionally, you have put measures in place to ensure that staff are effectively deployed and key-person arrangements ensure that children's individual care and learning is tailored to their individual needs. The manager and staff have improved how they share this information between themselves and with parents in order for everyone to have an accurate picture of children's overall learning. You have improved the level of information sought from parents for children with English as an additional language and key words are recorded in their home languages where necessary. You have enrolled staff onto an external training course to support children who attend the setting with English as an additional

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Outcome of monitoring

language. Circle time is now used effectively as children sing songs in home languages as well as English. As a result, their communication and language development and well-being is supported.

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Outcome of monitoring

The inspection found that the organisation and security of documentation is robust as you have increased the number of lockable storage units. As a result, all documentation is now secure and available for inspection. Appropriate furniture and resources have been ordered. This will enable younger children access to furniture that is better matched to their needs and resources that cover all areas of learning. You have developed a system to promote children's independence through the use of a daily ' special helper' system as children now help to serve their own food, pour their own drinks and empty their waste food or help clean up after meals. Furthermore, you are providing activities that promote children's understanding of healthy lifestyles.

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Outcome of monitoring

Induction and supervision processes for staff are in place. Although these are not fully embedded in regular practice, these processes are already highlighting training successes and the most urgent training. In addition, all staff have benefitted from very regular team meetings and supervision sessions to secure their knowledge and understanding. The manager is continuing to improve how she monitors and supports staff when new systems are introduced. She has clear plans to address weaknesses in teaching and learning through continued monitoring and support.

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Outcome of monitoring

Parents comment favourably on the action you have taken to inform them about the last inspection outcome and how you are sharing the steps being taken to bring about and sustain improvement.

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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

extend ways to increase children's independence, for example by encouraging them to take on suitable responsibilities as often as possible, such as during meal times 31/05/2014

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Action Due date Closed date

ensure that equipment and resources are organised to meet the needs and age of the children, particularly in relation to babies and pre-school children, to provide opportunities for child-initiated play 31/05/2014

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Action Due date Closed date

review daily routines to ensure that they do not interrupt children's play and learning 31/05/2014

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Action Due date Closed date

improve monitoring of the provision and staff practice to identify priorities for improvement and staff training needs. 31/05/2014

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Action Due date Closed date

ensure that the special educational needs coordinator is suitably trained and able to forge successful partnerships with parents and professionals to gain additional support children may need to achieve 31/05/2014 03/07/2014

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Action Due date Closed date

ensure records are stored securely and made available for inspection, with particular reference to any safeguarding concerns and staff records 02/05/2014 03/07/2014

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Action Due date Closed date

put in place arrangements for reviewing, monitoring and evaluating the achievement of all children, particularly those children who are making less than expected progress, have special educational needs and/or disabilities and who learn English as an additional language in order to use relevant information to help them reach their full potential and narrow any achievement gaps 31/05/2014

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Action Due date Closed date

make sure staff are deployed effectively 31/05/2014 to ensure all children's needs are met and that children's key persons are available to give the necessary support for their care and learning, particularly regarding children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are learning English as an additional language ensure planning is effective in matching activities to children's needs and interests by using accurate assessments to plan purposeful play with a balance of adult- led and child-initiated activities to build children's confidence, as they learn to explore, think about problems and relate to others 31/05/2014

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