Puddleducks Childcare

Puddleducks Childcare 106 High Street, YARM, Cleveland, TS15 9AU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 25/11/2014 19/09/2013

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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

 Risk assessments are not sufficiently robust to ensure that potential tripping hazards and obstacles on stairs and landings are identified and removed. This does not ensure the safety of staff and children when using the stairs on a day to day basis and if there was need to evacuate the premises quickly and safely in an emergency.  There is ineffective monitoring of staff. This results in inconsistent practice and delivery of the learning and development requirements.  Observations and assessments are not used well enough to plan a wide range of learning experiences, which reflect children's individual interests and starting points. As a result, not all children make sufficient progress.  Care practices and routines do not always support all children's emotional well-being.  The qualification requirements for staff working directly with children in the baby room to ensure quality of care, safety and security are not met.

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This provision is inadequate

 Strategies for engaging parents in their child's learning and development are weak. This means parents are not fully aware of what their child is learning.

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It has the following strengths

 The management team and staff are clear about the action they need to take if they are concerned about a child in their care.

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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 care in the childcare rooms and spoke to staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings and discussions with the registered provider and the manager throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the children and 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 and other documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents expressed through conversations during the inspection.

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Information about the setting

Puddleducks Childcare was registered in 2013 and is one of two settings privately owned and managed by Puddleducks 106 Ltd. It is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register, and is situated in a three-storey building in Yarm, Cleveland. The setting serves the local area and is accessible to all children. The setting employs 11 members of childcare staff. Of these, 10 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above and one member of staff has a childcare qualification at level 2. The setting opens Monday to Friday, all year round, excluding bank holidays. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm, and children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 43 children on roll, of whom 30 are in the early years age group.

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must:

 undertake robust risk assessments to ensure all hazards are identified and minimised to promote children's safety, with specific regards to keeping stairs and landings clear of items that can cause tripping or obstruction

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must:

 implement effective supervision and performance management arrangements to monitor staff practice and to support them to improve their skills to promote children's welfare and their learning and development

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must:

 improve the arrangements for observation, assessment and planning so that the individual needs, interests and stage of development of each child are considered and use this information to plan a challenging and enjoyable experience for each child in all areas of learning and development

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must:

 ensure care practices and routines consistently support children's emotional well- being so they are happy, safe and secure

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must:

 ensure staff qualification requirements are met with specific regards for the care of children aged under two years to meet their needs and ensure their safety

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must:

 involve parents in their children's learning by improving the exchange of information on entry and during the placement, encouraging them to share what they know their child can do at home.

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who attend

The provision to promote children's learning and development is inadequate. There are inconsistencies in the quality of teaching. This ranges from some staff engaging well with children, to others who appear to have less understanding of how to promote children's learning. Observations and assessments are also inconsistent in quality and in some cases are not completed frequently or accurately enough to ensure children make sufficient progress. For example, in one room, starting points for some children who are relatively new to the setting have been discussed with parents and are recorded in the learning journal. Subsequent observations build on this information to give an accurate picture of where these children are in their learning and what the next steps are. This process has not been completed for other children in the same room, some of whom who have been in the setting for a longer period. Staff have not obtained information from parents about

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who attend

what their children know and can do, and have not completed their own secure assessments from their observations. As a result, they cannot be sure they are providing adequate challenge and children occasionally become disengaged and lack enthusiasm for learning.

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who attend

Some staff interact well and build children's communication and language skills. In the pre-school room staff engage children at circle time, asking questions and encouraging them to join in with one of their favourite stories. They converse with the children, repeating words back to them, building on their sentences to develop their language. However, this effective teaching for developing children's communication and language skills is not always demonstrated by all staff. For example, they ask a question then do not give the child time to formulate their response before answering for them. Additionally, they do not minimise the use of comforters which restricts children's ability to develop their verbal communication.

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who attend

The arrangements for engaging with parents in their child's learning are varied. Information is shared verbally about children's progress and in some cases their development files are occasionally sent home for parents to see and contribute to. However, this is not consistent practice and opportunities for some parents to be actively engaged in their child's learning are not provided. This does not support a two-way flow of information, knowledge and expertise between parents and staff to further children's learning. The progress check for children aged between two and three years is completed in line with legal requirements by staff in the pre-school room and this is shared with parents.

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

Overall, the well-being of children is compromised because of the failure to reduce all potential risks and by the inconsistencies in staff practice in promoting their learning and development. Key persons obtain some information from parents to help children make the move from home to the setting. They ask about routines and comforters and request written information about any special requirements the child may have. Children in the pre-school room and the baby room appear to settle quickly and are happy. This is largely due to consistent, organised routines and effective staff practice. However, this is less so in the 'Tweenie' room. For example, after eating the main course of their lunch some children are settled down for their afternoon nap. When dessert arrives shortly after this, staff get them up and take them back to the table. This unsettles some children causing them to be upset and confused. Practice such as this does not provide a predictable

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

environment in which to promote children's emotional well-being.

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

Behaviour throughout the nursery is managed in an appropriate manner and staff are clear about the setting's policies for this. Staff in the pre-school room teach children about the importance of sharing, taking turns and listening to each other during circle times and meal times. This helps them to develop in their personal, social and emotional development in preparation for them entering school. The majority of staff have completed first-aid training and follow safe procedures for dealing with accidents and for administering medication. They take children out daily in the local areas to benefit from being in the fresh air and to promote their physical development as they use the equipment in the park. Food and drink are appropriate for children. Menus are varied and provide children with a balanced diet. Water is readily available in each room and clean utensils are provided for children to use. Staff in the pre-school room engage children in

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

discussions around road safety to help them learn to how to keep themselves safe.

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provision

This inspection was brought forward by Ofsted when they received concerns about the welfare and safety of children. It was found that although risk assessments are conducted, these are not robust enough to identify and minimise all hazards to promote children's safety. This is with specific regard to keeping the stairs and landings clear of items that can cause tripping hazards and obstructions. These areas are in constant use by children, staff and visitors, and are also used in the event of an emergency. It is also a requirement of the provider's registration on the Childcare Register that the registered person must take all necessary measures to minimise any risks to the health or safety of the children or staff in their care. The designated persons for safeguarding have completed appropriate training and they ensure that staff are aware of what to do should they be concerned about a child in their care. A written policy is in place, which includes contact numbers for

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provision

the relevant authorities. This is discussed with staff so they know who to pass concerns onto and so they are clear about this process and their responsibilities in safeguarding practice. Policies are in place for the safe use of mobile phones in the setting and when on outings to further safeguard children. All adults who work on the premises have had suitability checks completed and a full record is kept of their details in line with requirements. Staffing ratios meet the legal requirements and staff are deployed appropriately when taking children on outings for safe supervision. However, the qualification requirements for staff directly caring for children in the baby room to ensure quality of care, and their safety and security are not always met. The existing arrangements for the supervision of staff and for monitoring the delivery of the learning and development requirements are ineffective. The inconsistencies in staff

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provision

practice, in the monitoring of children's progress, and in the coverage of the seven areas of learning have not been identified by the management team. Consequently, staff do not receive meaningful coaching to improve their personal effectiveness so they can help children to achieve well. The registered provider and the manager are keen to address issues when areas are brought to their attention by inspectors or by local authority advisers following their visits. They have met the action raised at their last inspection with regards to staffing but have not ensured their ongoing compliance with the action relating to learning and development. While this indicates some willingness to improve, the failure to monitor the provision and identify all areas for improvement themselves, demonstrates a lack of rigour in the evaluation of the effectiveness of the setting by the management team.

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provision

Information about children's care is shared verbally and by a daily diary which gives parents details, such as children's food intake and some of the activities they have participated in. A wide range of information is displayed in the setting entrance hall, including information about the Early Years Foundation Stage and the contact details for Ofsted. The management team recognises that the partnerships with some schools and nurseries are more successful than others and are looking at ways to develop their joint working to support children's ongoing learning and development.

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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:

 take all necessary measures to minimise any risks to the health and safety of the children and staff (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  take all necessary measures to minimise any risks to the health and 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 EY461331 Local authority Stockton on Tees Inspection number 998011 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 31 Number of children on roll 43 Name of provider Puddleducks 106 Ltd Date of previous inspection 19/09/2013 Telephone number 07923110873

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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

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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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