Little Bears Day Care

Little Bears Day Care Brownlow Community Centre, Claypit Street, WHITCHURCH, Shropshire, SY13 1LF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 24/09/2014 16/04/2014

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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

 Self-evaluation is weak. Consequently, a number of the safeguarding and welfare requirements are not met, such as ensuring people are suitable to have unsupervised contact with children.  Children are put at risk and a legal requirement is not met because the provider does not always ensure that children cannot leave the premises unsupervised and that intruders cannot enter the premises.  Children's safety is compromised as the provider does not always comply with the requirements of health and safety legislation, including the fire safety requirements, with particular regard to the fire door being left ajar.  Children's progress is hindered and this means that the learning and development requirements are not met. This is because some children are not always sufficiently challenged or supported due to ineffective staff deployment.

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It has the following strengths

 Strong partnerships with parents, other providers and the school help to support children's transitions.

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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 scrutinised a range of documents, including attendance registers, risk assessments, self-evaluation records, the provider's improvement plan and evidence of suitability and qualifications.  The inspector observed activities in the indoor and outdoor play areas.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector conducted a joint observation with the deputy and held meetings with the deputy, the nominated person, who is also the manager, and also various members of staff at various times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account the views of children and parents, spoken to on the day, and acknowledged a range of recorded statements.

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Information about the setting

Little Bears Day Care was registered in 2011 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It operates from three rooms in a community centre in Whitchurch, Shropshire. Children attending the after school and holiday club are cared for in a separate hall. There are two outside play areas and the nursery has sole use of the rooms. There are currently 117 children on roll who are in the early years age group. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round, from 8am to 6pm, except for Bank Holidays. It provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds, and supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are 14 members of staff who work directly with children. Of these, one has Early Years Professional status and holds a qualification at level 6, one holds level 5, eight hold level 3, two hold level 2 and two are unqualified.

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must:

 ensure children are safeguarded, by making sure they are unable to leave the premises unsupervised and that no one can enter the premises without the knowledge of a person who is caring for them

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must:

 ensure the safety of children by complying with the requirements of health and safety legislation at all times, including the fire safety requirements, with particular regard to the fire doors

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must:

 ensure that the deployment of staff is effective, so that children are always within sight and hearing of staff and their individual needs are met

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must:

 ensure that children are safeguarded by making sure that only those people whose suitability has been checked, including through the Disclosure and Barring Service, have unsupervised contact with children.

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who attend

The deployment of staff is not always effective, thereby children's ability to learn, develop and progress to the highest levels are hindered. As a result, children's needs are not met. Staff plan a range of activities and experiences that follow children's interests and encompass the seven areas of learning. Observations and assessments, including children's next steps in their learning, are suitably detailed. This, along with verbal discussions with parents, helps the key person plan some suitable activities to meet each child's individual needs. Children's physical development, alongside their communication skills, are suitably fostered. For example, all children access the outdoor environment on a daily basis, where they are able to use a range of resources and equipment to support their physical skills. Babies, for example, are supported by their key person to practice their climbing and balance skills on the low slide, to sit on rockers and trundle trikes and

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who attend

to play throw and catch games with balls. During such times, the staff encourage younger children to learn to take safe risks and provide a running commentary as they play, thereby building on younger children's listening and understanding skills over time. Toddlers enjoy being physically active in the outdoors or in the large hall, where they are supported by the staff to crawl in and out of tents, balance on the beams and run around with freedom. The staff ensure all indoor and outdoor areas are suitably utilised to support children's learning and development. Younger children's social and emotional development is fostered through ongoing praise and encouragement.

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who attend

Children are provided with opportunities to initiate their own play and opportunities to join in with adult guided play. Older pre-school children, for instance, enjoy going out in small groups to collect natural resources that link in to their morning story. As a result, children find leaves, twigs and feathers in the environment and whatever else takes their attention. The staff encourage children's critical thinking during such times by asking them open questions, which encourages their language skills and mathematical thinking. For example, children identify that a twig is much smaller than a tree, and that a feather has fallen from a bird. This supports children's interest in the world around them and weaves their mathematical thinking through their activities. Children also use their imagination during such times as they identify that a hole in the ground may have been made by a rabbit or maybe the stick man. Children scribble on their clip boards during such activities, which

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who attend

supports their skills in pencil control and literacy. This enhances their readiness for school. All children are supported to explore technology. For example, younger children notice cause and effect as they explore battery operated toys with their hands and fingers, manipulating the buttons. Older, more able, children are supported by the staff to explore a range of programmes on the computer, which supports their imagination and problem solving and encourages their small muscle movement as they become practiced in using the mouse and key boards. All children are supported to investigate and use their imaginations. For instance, younger children enjoy pushing their hands through shaving foam, making marks on the table top. During such times the staff encourage them to use their senses to explore through demonstration and asking 'what does that smell like' and 'how does that feel?' Older children investigate as they explore a variety of natural

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who attend

resources, as they float or sink in the water tray. Here the staff again encourage their imagination and critical thinking through open questions. This also enhances children's interests as they explore the world around them. Consequently, children display the characteristics of effective learning, such as playing and exploring and having a go throughout the day.

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who attend

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are appropriately supported developmentally by their key persons. Staff caring for toddlers within the nursery discuss with parents the most suitable time to provide a summary of their child's learning and development. This is done in time for their progress check between the ages of two and three years. Children's assessment folders are discussed with parents, keeping them informed of their child's progress, and informing them of the sort of things their child is doing and how they can support their child's learning at home.

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

Children are developing strong attachments with the staff that care for them, promoting a sense of emotional security. Children are beginning to develop an adequate understanding of keeping themselves safe, as they are included in the evacuation procedures of the setting. However, the staff do not ensure children's safety and well-being is fully fostered at all times in all areas of the provision. This is because the staff do not always check that the premises are secure, that children are unable to leave the premises unsupervised and that no one can enter the premises without the knowledge of a person who is caring for the children. Consequently, children's well-being is not fully fostered and is, at times, hindered. The setting has a suitable range of accessible toys and resources to meet the needs of the children. The setting has positive images and resources that reflect the wider multi-cultural community, including those with diverse physical characteristics, including

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

disabilities. As a result, children have opportunities to increase their appreciation of individual differences.

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

Staff are suitable role models and have a sound awareness of how to promote children's positive behaviour. For example, children are praised when they have a go and when they achieve and are supported to share and take turns with their peers. There is a balanced approach to supporting children's move into the setting. For example, the setting provides settling in sessions that suit the child and their family. During these times, the key person collates a range of information about the child and family, so that children are helped to settle into the provision quickly. This includes asking parents about their child's likes and dislikes and information about children's stages of development. The communication between the provision, other settings and school ensures that all parties work together to identify and work towards meeting children's needs. As a result, children become ready for the next phase in their learning and school.

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

Children's healthy lifestyles are suitably fostered because children play in the fresh air and take regular exercise every day. For instance, they can move and run around with exuberance with their peers and take risks in their play as the staff watch over them during outdoor play times. This helps to build on children's physical development and confidence over time. During snack times, children know to wash their hands and they access a range of healthy food, which includes fruits and carbohydrates. Children are encouraged to develop their independence, as they are supported to pour their own drinks.

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provision

The inspection was prioritised following concerns raised about the provider's ability to safeguard children in the nursery and after a notification by the provider. The inspection found that the provider had failed to ensure that the premises comply with health and safety regulations, in particular the fire safety requirements with regard to a fire door, which is left ajar. As a result of this, and poor staff deployment, the provider has failed to ensure that children are unable to leave the premises unsupervised and that no one can enter the premises without the knowledge of a person who is caring for them. At the inspection it was also found that the provider has failed to safeguard children by making sure only those members of staff whose suitability have been checked, including through the Disclosure and Barring Service, have unsupervised contact with children. These significant weaknesses in practice are breaches in the safeguarding requirements of the

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provision

Early Years Foundation Stage and are also breaches of the requirements of the Childcare Register.

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provision

Staff attend safeguarding training and are able to demonstrate their awareness of the possible signs of abuse and who to contact if they have any concerns about a child in their care. The safeguarding policy informs the staff, parents and visitors about what will happen in the event of an allegation against a member of staff. The policy also informs all persons about the use of cameras and mobile phones within the setting. Parents can access the policies and procedures at any time. Staff recruitment includes checking their identity and qualifications and contacting referees to check on their suitability to work with children.

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provision

There is adequate monitoring of the teaching and learning programmes within the setting. For example, children's progress is adequately tracked and overseen by management to ensure that any gaps in children's learning is fully identified. Following the last inspection, the provider has made some improvements to the monitoring systems, by observing staff practice more frequently and feeding this information directly into staff supervisions. In addition, staff are better supported and able to identify training that they need so that they can deliver an improved quality of teaching. Furthermore, the planning of activities and resources have been improved to ensure that planning is tailored more to the meet each individual child's learning styles. As a result, children are better challenged, which drives forward their learning and developmental achievements. As a result, children's progress towards the early learning goals have improved somewhat. However, children's

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provision

individual needs are not always met, as the deployment of staff is not always effective, therefore children's ability to learn and develop to the highest levels is sometimes hindered. Although the self-evaluation processes in place include input from management, staff, parents and children, the provider has failed to identify the acute weaknesses within the provision, identified at the time of the inspection.

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provision

Partnerships with parents and other providers and professionals are fostered. Information is provided to parents about the provision, their child's care and their learning and developmental progress at all levels. The relationships between the staff and parents are warm. Parents comment positively on a variety of aspects of the provision and how their child is well-settled and cared for by the staff.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Not Met

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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 children receiving childcare are kept safe from harm (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)  ensure that the premises, including overall floor space and outdoor spaces, and equipment used for the purposes of the childcare are safe and suitable for that childcare (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that a child is unable to leave the premises without a person who is caring for children on those premises becoming aware of the child leaving (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that no one can enter the premises without the knowledge of a person who is caring for children on the premises (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  take all necessary measures to minimise any risks to the health or safety of the

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To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

children and staff (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that children receiving childcare are kept safe from harm (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)  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)  ensure that the premises, including overall floor space and outdoor spaces, and equipment used for the purposes of the childcare are safe and suitable for that childcare (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that a child is unable to leave the premises unsupervised, except where the childcare is open access childcare, or where the child is aged eight or over and the parent of the child has agreed that they may leave the provision unaccompanied

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To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

(voluntary part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that no one can enter the premises without the knowledge of a person who is caring for children on the premises (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)  take all necessary measures to minimise any risks to the health or safety of the children and staff (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 EY426728 Local authority Shropshire Inspection number 990427

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 102 Number of children on roll 117 Name of provider Bargates Playgroup Committee Date of previous inspection 16/04/2014 Telephone number 01948 662146

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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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