Springwood Nursery & Link Club

Springwood Nursery & Link Club 50 Chapel Road, PENKETH, Warrington, WA5 2NU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 23/05/2014 25/09/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 4 Previous inspection: 3 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

 A member of staff whose suitability has not been checked is sometimes left unsupervised with children. In addition, allegations against staff are not appropriately dealt with by the management team. This is a breach of the safeguarding and welfare requirements and seriously compromises children's safety.  Systems to manage the performance of staff are weak and do not focus on improving outcomes for children. As a result, staff do not have opportunities to improve their skills and knowledge to promote children's learning and development.  Teaching is not consistently good across the whole team. Consequently, some children do not progress as well as others.  Staff do not gather sufficient information from parents to establish children's starting points and as a result, planning is not focused on children's next steps.  Activities are not always tailored to the individual needs and interests of children,

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This provision is inadequate

resulting in some children not always being fully engaged in purposeful play.  Children's self-care and independence are not consistently promoted as they do not always have access to appropriate utensils and cutlery at meal times.

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It has the following strengths

 The nursery is bright and welcoming and settling-in arrangements are effective in helping children feel emotionally secure.

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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 activities in the three playrooms and the outside learning environment.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector held meetings with the manager of the provision.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of the practitioners working with the children, the provider's self-evaluation form and a sample of policies, including the safeguarding policy.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day and from information included in the setting's own parent survey.

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Information about the setting

Springwood Nursery and Link Club has been registered under the present arrangements since 2007 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The setting is privately owned and became a limited company in 2012. It is situated in purpose-built premises in the Penketh area of Warrington and serves the local community. The setting opens five days a week, from 7.30am until 6pm, all year round, except on bank holidays. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. There are currently 82 children on roll; 46 of whom are in the early years age range. The setting employs eight members of childcare staff. Of these, seven hold early years qualifications at level 3, and one holds a level 2 qualification. The setting receives funding for the provision of free early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. An out of school and holiday club provision is also available for children aged four to 11 years.

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Information about the setting

The setting supports children for whom English is an additional language.

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must:

 ensure the suitability of all childcare staff by carrying out effective checks at the start of their employment

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must:

 ensure that staff whose suitability has not been checked, do not have unsupervised access to children at any time

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must:

 ensure policies and procedures to safeguard children are fully implemented, in particular, that allegations against staff are managed appropriately

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must:

 improve systems to manage performance of staff, including regular supervision, that has a clear focus on improving outcomes for children

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must:

 improve teaching across the team so that all children are receiving good quality teaching and learning opportunities

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must:

 enhance systems to collect sufficient information from parents to establish children's starting points

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must:

 improve the planning of activities to ensure they are consistently tailored to meet the needs and interests of all children

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must:

 improve the educational programme for personal, social and emotional development by promoting children's self-care and independence further through providing appropriate cutlery and utensils for them to use during meal times.

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who attend

Staff at the setting provide a wide range of activities which cover all areas of learning. Children generally enjoy their time at the setting and most are reasonably motivated and engaged. However, some children are not always involved in purposeful activities and as a result, they spend periods of time wandering around or waiting. Older children have access to interesting activities that provide appropriate levels of challenge. Staff working with this age group use a variety of good teaching strategies to support their learning in all areas. For example, they model good language and also use some sign language to support children for whom English is an additional language. They extend older children's sentences and introduce new vocabulary. For example, as the older children make pictures, staff use words, such as 'texture', to describe the sand and shells. Children's thinking and problem-solving skills are well enhanced as staff use open-ended questions

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who attend

to help the children think about how to make the shells stick onto the paper. Staff also use good strategies to support the older children's understanding of numbers and simple addition and subtraction as they count the shells. Therefore, children in the pre-school room are progressing well towards the early years outcomes. However, this is not consistently applied across the setting. In the other age groups, some staff use appropriate teaching strategies, for example, they talk to children about what they are doing and use clear language to give directions. However, on the whole, most children are only receiving adequate teaching and therefore, their progress is only satisfactory.

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who attend

Staff observe children and record what they see in learning journals, along with photographs of the children participating in various activities. Children's achievements are matched against guidance on assessing the typical development expected for their age and a basic tracker is completed. Staff also complete the progress check for children aged between two and three years and share a summary with parents in order to plan for future progress. Additionally, staff use specific programmes to assess children's speech and language. As a result, staff have a sufficient awareness of each child's abilities. Age- appropriate activities are planned, for example, toddlers make pictures about a popular story that they have enjoyed. However, activities are not always tailored to individual children's needs or interests and therefore, some children are not fully engaged.

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who attend

Staff have implemented a range of strategies to involve parents in their child's learning. For example, they have parents' evenings where staff discuss their child's learning and development, along with home link books for younger children and weekly sheets describing the activities children have been involved with. Furthermore, staff take opportunities to chat with parents daily and there are a range of informal activities for parents to attend, including sports days and Christmas events. However, information gathered from parents as children start at the setting is not sufficient for staff to establish children's starting points. Therefore, planning for the first weeks and months of the child's attendance is not sharply focused on the child's needs and interests.

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

The setting is welcoming and bright. There are lovely examples of children's artwork which is well presented and displayed along with printed words and numbers. Parents can visit with their children before they start attending and staff talk to parents to find out about children's routines, likes and dislikes. This helps children to settle once they start. Children's care needs are appropriately met and staff support children's emotional development by providing cuddles and reassurance when children become unsettled. However, while children may feel safe and secure in the setting, their well-being is compromised because staff who have not had their suitability checked, care for children unsupervised. This places children at risk because not enough attention is paid to ensuring safeguarding arrangements are consistently followed in order to fully protect children's safety.

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

The nursery provides a wide range of resources, stored in low units which are well labelled. However, children do not routinely select their own resources; instead they play with what has been set out by staff. Sometimes, the activities provided for babies and younger children are mundane and do not reflect the interests of the children. Behaviour is satisfactory as staff set boundaries and remind children when necessary about what is appropriate behaviour. For example, children are encouraged to play cooperatively and share because staff remind them that there are plenty of trains in the train set for everyone to play. There is a key-person system in place and this helps children to form sound relationships within the setting. Children learn to be independent as staff encourage them to manage their own care needs. For example, children go to the bathroom and wash their hands with minimal support, and change their shoes to go out to play. They

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

can practise their dressing skills as there are a variety of outfits for them to wear for role play. Therefore, children are developing some of the self-help skills they need for their later learning, including preparing for school. However, children are sometimes not provided with appropriate utensils and cutlery to self-serve and eat their meals. For example, toddlers are given plastic knives and forks which makes eating some foods, such as peas, difficult to manage. As a result, their self-care skills and independence are not consistently promoted.

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

Older children learn about healthy eating because staff talk to them about what may happen if they eat too many sweets and how eating healthy food will give them strong bones. Children brush their teeth at the setting and as a result, they are developing healthy habits. All children have daily access to fresh air as they play in the outdoor learning environment. Older children play cooperatively as they build a den together, while younger children are encouraged to run about as staff playfully chase them while pretending to be driving a car. Therefore, children are developing their physical skills while being active. They take age-appropriate risks and learn to manage these safely as they climb on tyres or traverse from one crate to another.

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provision

This inspection was prioritised following concerns being raised about the provider's ability to safeguard the children in the setting. The inspection found that the provider had failed to respond appropriately to an allegation against a member of staff and, as a result, the appropriate authorities were not informed in a timely fashion. The setting has a clear safeguarding policy and procedure that meets the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage, however, this was not implemented effectively on this occasion. This significant weakness in practice is a breach of the safeguarding requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and also a breach of the requirements for both parts of the Childcare Register. The setting has policies and procedures in place to ensure that staff are appropriately checked for their suitability when they are first recruited. However, this was also not implemented effectively, resulting in a member of staff being employed for

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provision

five months without any suitability checks being carried out. Furthermore, on the day of the inspection, this member of staff was left unsupervised with children for a considerable period of time. This significantly compromises the safety of children and is a further breach of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and the legal requirements of both parts of the Childcare Register. Systems are in place to control and monitor visitors and prevent children leaving without an adult. Staff have attended safeguarding training and safeguarding issues are discussed at team meetings to remind them of the policies and procedures. Consequently, staff know what to do if they have concerns about a child. Therefore, some appropriate steps are being taken to safeguard children.

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provision

The manager occasionally checks children's assessments for accuracy and discusses their progress with their key person. There are some basic arrangements in place to manage the performance of staff, and some training opportunities have recently been identified. However, arrangements for supervisions of staff are not yet fully in place, therefore, staff are not consistently provided with appropriate support to improve their practice. The manager aspires to improve and has established a range of initiatives in her short time at the setting, for example, improvements to the outdoor learning environment and encouraging tooth brushing at the setting. Parents' views are collected using a survey, and the results are taken into account when evaluating the setting's strengths and weaknesses. As a result, there is an improvement plan in place.

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provision

Partnerships with parents and other agencies are established and make a contribution to meeting children's needs. Parents are generally positive about the setting and feel that staff keep them informed about their child's learning and development. Staff have good relationships with the local schools and they liaise well with them to support children's transitions. They understand the importance of working with other agencies to support the children in their care and know who to contact if a child needs further support.

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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:

 have effective systems to ensure that any person caring for, or in regular contact with, children is suitable to work with children and which must include obtaining an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that no individual who is unsuitable to work with children has unsupervised access to a child receiving childcare (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  have effective systems to ensure that any person caring for, or in regular contact with, children is suitable to work with children and which must include obtaining an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that no individual who is unsuitable to work with children has unsupervised access to a child receiving 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 EY448400 Local authority Warrington Inspection number 975805

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 73 Number of children on roll 82 Name of provider Springwood Nursery Limited Date of previous inspection 25/09/2013 Telephone number 01925 722080

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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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