Robjohn Nursery School

Robjohn Nursery School Robjohn Nursery, Robjohn Hall, School Lane, Narborough, LEICESTER, LE19 2GS

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 17/11/2014 19/11/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision requires improvement

 Staff demonstrate a suitable understanding of how to safeguard children. This ensures children are protected at all times.  Staff respect the children's individual personalities and treat them with kindness. This effectively supports their emotional well-being.  Staff implement consistent behaviour management strategies. As a result, children learn to follow simple rules and boundaries.

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It is not yet good because

 The quality of teaching provided by the staff is variable and is not always sufficiently focused to fully challenge all children. This results in children having inconsistent interactions from the staff to support their learning.  The manager does not use supervision to provide effective support, coaching and training for the staff. As a result, the quality of teaching is variable and opportunities to raise children's progress to a good standard are hindered.  The manager has not recorded information about staff qualifications and the identity checks and vetting processes that have been completed. This compromises the effective management of the nursery.  Staff do not always make the best use of resources and equipment to support consistently good quality learning experiences, which keep children motivated and engaged.

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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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Inspection activities

 The inspector had a tour of the premises during the inspection.  The inspector observed activities in the three playrooms and the main hall.  The inspector held meetings with the owner/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 suitability and qualifications of staff working with children, the provider's self-evaluation form and improvement plan.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Robjohn Nursery School was re-registered in 2013 on the Early Years Register. It operates from Robjohn Church Hall in Narborough, Leicestershire and is privately owned and managed. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. Children have access to a large hall, three adjoining rooms and an area is available for outdoor play. The nursery employs 12 members of childcare staff. All members of staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and above, including one member of staff with Early Years Professional status. The nursery opens Monday to Friday during term time only. Sessions are from 8.50am until 12 noon. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 51 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children.

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must:

 ensure the quality of teaching methods used by the staff, such as questioning techniques, is improved so that children are sufficiently challenged and receive consistently good support during activities to help them make good progress

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must:

 ensure supervision of the staff is fully effective in order to provide coaching and training to support their continued professional development, with specific regard to improving the quality of their teaching to a consistently good standard

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must:

 ensure an accurate record of information is maintained about staff qualifications and the identify checks and vetting processes that have been completed.

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

 make effective use of resources and equipment, in order to ensure children are provided with good quality learning experiences, which keep them motivated and engaged.

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who attend

Staff are continuing to develop their knowledge and skills to help them guide the development of children's capabilities in readiness for school. For example, children are encouraged to form friendships with one another and to play cooperatively together. Since the last inspection, staff have implemented new assessment and planning procedures. Staff complete regular observations and have a general overview of the children's development in order to monitor and track their progress. They are beginning to use this information more effectively to shape further learning experiences based on the children's interests and precise learning needs. For example, staff recognise that many young children need to refine their cutting skills and therefore, provide activities using scissors to support this. Staff join in children's play and offer some support and encouragement. However, the quality of teaching is variable across the staff team. For example, while staff

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who attend

generally talk to children about what they are doing they do not always encourage them to think critically or creatively. This is because the staff sometimes both ask and answer questions for the children rather than giving them the time to think and respond for themselves. Additionally, staff sometimes ask questions in quick succession, such as 'what colour is this' and 'how many cars are there'.

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who attend

Children are occupied and demonstrate that they enjoy their time at the nursery. They have opportunities to participate in a range of activities across the seven areas of learning. For example, younger children listen to stories and enjoy singing their favourite songs and rhymes, and are developing the confidence to sing by themselves in front of their friends. Additionally, older children learn to listen to instructions and work cooperatively together as a team during parachute games. They smile and enthusiastically use their arms to make the parachute move high into the air. However, the staff do not always effectively challenge children's developing physical skills. For example, the majority of the children can competently manoeuvre the wheeled toys around the hall and are not provided with additional challenges to develop their skills further, such as weaving in and out of an obstacle course. Children's communication and language skills are suitably promoted. This

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who attend

is because staff initiate conversations during daily routines and small group discussions. Additionally, older children are encouraged to describe what they are building with the construction resources. Children have opportunities to be creative and to explore using their senses. They paint, immerse their hands in baked beans, feel the wobbly jelly and make marks in the corn flour and water mixture. However, occasionally the lack of additional materials during creative art activities hinders opportunities for the children to fully express their own ideas. As a result, children's interest in the activity is not always sustained.

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who attend

Staff encourage parents to share what they know about their children's starting points on entry. This information is then used to aid the settling in and initial assessment process. Parents receive appropriate updates on their children's progress, including a regular written summary and can talk to their child's key person daily. In addition, parents are encouraged to share information about their child's ongoing learning at home, such as about their children's new interests and achievements. Staff understand the requirement to complete the progress check for children between the ages of two and three years, to identify children's progress at this key developmental stage.

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

Staff work hard to prepare the rooms prior to the children arriving. They have access to a broad range of resources and equipment to support the children's learning and development. However, resources are sometimes not well presented to capture the children's interest and encourage them to explore. For example, small world toys are often piled onto a table or the floor. Additionally, children have insufficient opportunities to independently select additional resources for themselves. Consequently, opportunities for children to initiate and explore their own play and ideas are not always sufficiently maximised. Staff build the children's self-esteem and confidence through their praise and encouragement. They actively support all children to play and learn together and develop control over their actions. For example, staff remind young children to be kind and caring towards one another and explain why certain behaviours are not acceptable. As a result,

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

children are beginning to accept the needs of others, to share and take their turn. Children are supported to develop an awareness of their own personal safely. For example, during outings around the local community children are taught how to cross the road safely and learn why it is not appropriate to speak to strangers. Additionally, children are taught how to use the scissors safely. An appropriate number of staff hold paediatric first-aid certificates and records are maintained of any accidents or any medicines administered.

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

Children and their families are warmly welcomed into this friendly nursery. This is further enhanced by the implementation of the key-person system, which provides consistency for the children and their parents. Staff respect the children's individual personalities and treat them with kindness. As a result, children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure, which effectively supports their emotional well-being. All children are happy and settled. Children are supported appropriately in the transition from home into the pre-school. Parents are invited to attend settling-in sessions and information is gathered about each child's family and background. Children are based in group rooms with others of a similar age. This contributes to the children's sense of security. Staff understand the importance of emotionally preparing and supporting older children as they move onto the Reception Year at school. For example, staff talk positively to the children about making new friends

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

and talk to the children about the new experiences they will encounter. Furthermore, care routines are appropriately organised to encourage children's independence and sense of responsibility. For example, children are encouraged to manage their own personal hygiene needs and to undress and dress into their sports clothing in readiness for physical education sessions at school.

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

The confines of the premises and the small outside play area limit opportunities for children to freely access fresh air and outdoor play. Nevertheless, staff supplement children's outdoor experiences during walks around the local community and trips to the park. For example, children chase bubbles in the park and observe features of the natural environment, such as the trees and flowers. Children are provided with appropriate snacks and encouraged to choose between milk and water to drink. Snack times are social occasions as children sit chatting to their friends. This also provides opportunities for the children to develop their independence and self-care skills. For example, children learn to wash their hands before their snack and independently select their snack choices and pour their own drinks.

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provision

Management and staff understand their role and duty to protect children from harm. They understand the signs of abuse and the importance of following the Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures in relation to recording and reporting any child protection concerns. Recruitment procedures are secure; appropriate checks are carried out to ensure staff suitability for their roles and responsibilities. For example, references are taken up prior to staff beginning at the nursery and a Disclosure and Barring Service check is obtained. However, the manager has not recorded information about staff qualifications and the identity checks and vetting processes that have been completed. For example, the disclosure reference number and the date the disclosure was obtained and details of who obtained it are not documented for every member of staff. This is a legal requirement and compromises the effective management of the nursery. Risks assessments are regularly

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provision

reviewed and daily visual checks are carried out to ensure the environment is safe and secure. For example, staff ensure that the radiators are made inaccessible to the children during the session because they get hot. Additionally, the premises are secure and staff closely the arrival and departure times of the children, to ensure they are only collected by authorised persons and that they do not leave the premises unnoticed.

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provision

Since the last inspection, the nursery has recently undergone a number of management and staff changes. One manager now takes sole responsibility for the day-to-day running of the nursery and three designated members of staff have been appointed to support the manager in her role. The manager ensures staff hold appropriate levels of qualifications according to their post. Additionally, new information and changes to procedures, such the implement of the new planning systems are shared with staff members at regular staff meetings. Self-evaluation is used to highlight strengths and areas for improvement. The manager has taken some steps to address the actions and recommendations raised at the last inspection. Support has been obtained from the local authority and an improvement plan is in place to support the staff team to overcome weaknesses. As a result, some of the actions and recommendations are beginning to be addressed. Management and staff

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provision

are currently implementing more effective assessment and planning procedures and the grouping of children has been considered. For example, two-year-old children now have a designated base room. However, the recent changes to procedures are not yet fully embedded in practice to provide measurable improvement. Furthermore, the manager's supervision of the staff remains irregular and informal. As a result, the staff's continuous development is hindered because the necessary improvements to the quality are teaching have not been addressed quickly enough.

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provision

Management and staff develop sound relationships with parents. They are welcoming and approachable to parents and regularly exchange information with the parents. Additionally, parents receive a prospectus about the nursery and useful information about the service provided is displayed on the noticeboard. Parents speak positively about the care and learning provided. Management and staff understand the importance of partnership working with external agencies in order to secure appropriate interventions for children to receive the support they need. For example, appropriate links have been established with a speech and language therapist to support children's language development. In addition, staff develop relationships with other providers and schools in order to ensure continuity and coherence by sharing information with each other and with the parents. For example, Reception teachers are encouraged to visit the children in the

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provision

nursery environment, which helps to support children's transitions to school during the summer term.

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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 EY464751 Local authority Leicestershire Inspection number 962608 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 60 Number of children on roll 51 Name of provider Linda Joan Wenlock Date of previous inspection 19/11/2013 Telephone number 07793154810

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Setting details

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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