Playroom Day Nursery

Playroom Day Nursery Playroom Day Nursery, Unit 6a, Sneckyeat Road Industrial Estate, WHITEHAVEN, Cumbria, CA28 8PF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 11/07/2014 09/12/2013

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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

 The registered provider and managers do not always inform parents and carers of accidents or incidents that children have been involved with. Consequently, children's safety and well-being is compromised.  The key persons and other staff do not always effectively support children and families on arrival at the setting. Consequently, children's emotional well-being and welfare is not consistently fostered.  Managers and staff lack vigilance in ensuring that the premises and equipment keep children safe. As a result, children are occasionally exposed to unnecessary hazards in the baby room and outdoors.  The organisation at the commencement of the snack and mealtime routines is not suitably managed to promote a harmonious and settled tone. As a result, there is some disorder and confusion at the beginning of these sessions.  The managers and staff do not completely adhere to the policies and procedures of the

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This provision is inadequate

nursery. This results in poor management of the setting and breaches in safeguarding practice.

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It has the following strengths

 Children make satisfactory progress in their learning and development because staff plan appropriate next steps that meet their individual needs.

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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 conducted two joint observations, one with the registered provider and one with the manager.  The inspector viewed all areas where children play, inside and outside.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector discussed aspects of policy and practice with the registered provider, managers and staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed a range of documentation, including accident and medication forms, relevant policies and procedures and children's assessments and learning files.  The inspector talked to parents and carers, taking their views into account.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of all managers and staff working at the nursery.

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Information about the setting

Playroom Day Nursery was opened in 2011 by the current owners and is managed as a private partnership. It operates from Whitehaven in Cumbria. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It serves the immediate locality and also the surrounding areas. The nursery opens five days a week from 7am until 6pm all year round, except for bank holidays and a week at Christmas. Children attend for a variety of sessions. Children are cared for across four rooms and have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 65 children on roll, all of whom are within the early years age range. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. There are currently 11 staff working directly with the children, 10 of whom have an appropriate early years qualification. This includes the manager who has Qualified Teacher Status. One

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Information about the setting

member of staff holds a degree in Education, and another staff member holds a degree in Child and Family Studies. The nursery receives support from the local authority. They are a member of the National Day Nurseries Association.

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must:

 ensure that parents and carers are informed on the same day or as soon as is reasonably practicable, of any accident and injuries involving their children that occur in the nursery

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must:

 ensure that key persons tailor the care and learning for children to fully meet their individual needs

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must:

 ensure that the environment and equipment are safe for children to use.

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

 review and assess the management and organisation of snack and mealtimes, to ensure children become accustomed to a calm and settled routine where they can develop their social and communication skills

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

 review the policies and share with staff and parents regularly so that everyone is fully aware of the procedures to follow, in order to consistently maintain the safety and well-being of all children.

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who attend

The managers and staff have a basic understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Staff observe children in their play and use assessments of their learning to plan appropriate activities to promote some next steps in their development. As a result, activities and experiences are sufficiently interesting and stimulating to help children make adequate progress in preparation for school. Children's learning files are generally well completed and show the progress that children are making in relation to their starting points. Staff track children's learning and complete the required progress check for children between the ages of two and three years. Managers are beginning to monitor children's development more closely so that early intervention to gain additional support is sought when required.

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who attend

The quality of teaching has improved slightly since the last inspection. Children play together much of the time, but occasionally they are taught in smaller groups. For example, children enjoy learning about letters and sounds as they play a game of animal soup. Staff are enthusiastic as they entice children to choose items out of the bag. Children are focused and engaged in this activity because the member of staff makes learning fun. They decide whether objects begin with the same letter and if it should go into the pan to make the soup. This is effective in teaching children to learn their letters and sounds. Staff extend the learning opportunity further by encouraging children to find other objects beginning with the same letter. As a result, their learning experiences are reinforced through first-hand experiences. Staff provide lots of painting opportunities for children. Outside, children are free to experiment and create large picture displays using

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who attend

different colours of paint. Staff support them by observing and providing the appropriate resources. Younger children explore the paint as they create musical shakers. Staff encourage some sensory awareness as they ask children to shake the container and listen to the sound. Staff support children's early literacy skills by reading stories to them. Children listen and join in with the narrative, demonstrating their familiarity with the book. Children explore the cacti in the planter as staff talk about the colours and shapes, and ask children to describe how it feels. As a result, children learn the early skills of mathematics and gain an understanding of the world.

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who attend

There is a suitable range of information available for parents and carers at the entrance to the setting. This helps parents to become familiar with the nursery, such as, staffing personnel, menus and activities. Staff liaise with parents during settling-in visits to gather starting points for children's learning. They inform parents about their children's day through daily diaries and chats. In addition, parents can view their children's files at regular open days or by asking the managers or key persons at any time. Home learning links are being established to support children's development. For example, staff display learning games and different nursery rhymes in the entrance for parents to read and make a note of. In addition, the nursery teddy bear and toy dog are available for children to take home, so that parents can log any adventures they have with their child. This supports children's communication skills as they explain to their friends the adventures

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

Staff support children by attending to their need for food, exploration and sleep. All children in the nursery are allocated a key person and this information is shared with parents and carers when children first start. Photographs of key groups are also on display for parents and carers to see, which keeps them informed and alerts them of any changes. However, on occasions, the key persons and key staff present do not effectively meet and greet children and parents on arrival. This results in some children finding it harder to settle and build secure and familiar relationships with key persons and staff members. This does not fully promote children's well-being.

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

The environment is suitably resourced with different areas of learning identified. These are mostly enticing for children to play in. Generally, toys and equipment are in an acceptable condition. However, some items of equipment in the baby room are peeling, causing a hazard for babies and young children. In addition, the outdoor area is littered by leaves and some debris, including small pebbles and stones. This is equally hazardous to babies and younger children.

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

Children's behaviour is mainly good. The managers have instigated new behaviour strategies that suit the individual needs and ages of the children attending. These are on display for all staff to follow, which results in consistent practice. As a result, children begin to learn some of the rules and boundaries about what is right and wrong. However, there are times during the day that are somewhat disorderly and lead to confusion for children. For example, when children run through for snack and mealtimes, some children immediately sit down, some go to wash their hands and some forget and go off to play. As a result, an effective routine is not appropriately established to support children's personal, social and emotional development. Staff prepare children for their moves to school by talking to them and reading stories. Furthermore, teachers from different schools are invited to visit and meet the children. This helps to give children a sense of

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

familiarity as they meet their new teachers.

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

Children at the nursery receive healthy nutritious home -cooked meals at lunch times. The four week menu is on display for parents. This helps parents plan to ensure their children get a balanced and varied diet between home and nursery. Children develop their independence and self-help skills as they hand out the plates and cups. This also helps children build and maintain relationships as they help each other. In addition, children develop their coordination as staff support them in pouring their own drinks and serving themselves fruit mousse. Children have daily access to the outdoor area where they develop and practise a variety of skills. For example, babies and younger children enjoy playing in their small ball pool. Staff play with them helping them to develop their coordination as they throw and try to catch balls. Older children climb, balance and enjoy playing with the bikes and vehicles. Children begin to develop an understanding of risk as

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

they negotiate the equipment in the outdoor area. There is also enough space indoors for children to play, explore and keep physically active, helping to establish healthy lifestyles.

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provision

The inspection was prioritised by Ofsted because safeguarding concerns had been raised. Accident procedures are inadequate. This is because the registered person and managers do not ensure that parents are informed on the same day, or as soon as is reasonably practicable, that an accident or incident has occurred. This compromises children's safety and is a breach of the safeguarding and welfare requirements. Staff show an understanding of the comprehensive policies and procedures that are in place. However, the policies and procedures are not all strictly adhered to, in particular the accident and incident policy, thus causing this breach in the requirements. In addition, while managers regularly complete risk assessments and staff do an informal daily check of the premises to check for hazardous items. However, managers and staff are not thorough or vigilant enough to identify hazardous items of equipment or areas that need clearing of debris,

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provision

such as leaves. Consequently, children's safety is further compromised. The managers and staff are fully trained to help protect children from harm or abuse. As a result, they have a sound understanding of the signs and symptoms of abuse and know what action to take if they are concerned about a child. New staff are recruited appropriately and suitably vetted through the Disclosure and Barring Service checks. This helps to protect children.

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provision

The management team have a satisfactory level of understanding of the learning and development requirements. Monitoring systems to identify how individuals and groups of children are developing are in process. As a result, children in need of additional support are targeted more readily. Staff deployment has improved since the last inspection so that children mainly operate in small manageable groups. This means that children's needs are more effectively met. In addition, the registered provider is recruiting staff with higher qualifications and experience, which is helping improve the overall quality of the nursery. Annual appraisals and regular supervision sessions help to identify training needs as well as providing opportunities for staff to share issues and concerns. The managers monitor staff practice and have instigated peer-on-peer observations. As a result, staff are gaining more confidence in assessing their own and each other's skills and abilities.

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provision

The registered provider is receiving a good level of support from the local authority, which is helping with self-evaluation. She has addressed all of the actions from the last inspection and priorities for improvement have been identified in a management and overview plan. The staff are developing appropriate partnerships with parents. Parents spoken to on the day of inspection make positive comments about the nursery. They state that they are pleased with the care their children receive and are kept informed of their children's progress.

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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 all necessary measures are taken to minimise any identified risks (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that all necessary measures are taken to minimise any identified risks (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. We re-inspect nurseries and pre-schools judged as requires improvement within 12 months of the date of 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

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Grade Judgement Description

is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. Met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. 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 EY437625 Local authority Cumbria Inspection number 981257

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 38 Number of children on roll 65 Name of provider Charlotte Wood and Margaret Wood Partnership Date of previous inspection 09/12/2013 Telephone number 01946591119

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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

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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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