First Class Day Nursery Ltd

First Class Day Nursery Ltd First Class Day Nursery, 81-85 High Road, BENFLEET, Essex, SS7 5LN

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 22/12/2014 28/10/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 4 Previous inspection: 1 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

 Children are not effectively safeguarded as the registered provider does not pay close regard to the government guidance 'Working Together to Safeguard Children' and fails to notify all the relevant agencies with statutory responsibilities without delay if there are child protection concerns. This is also a breach in the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.  The designated person with the lead responsibility for safeguarding does not have a good knowledge of the safeguarding and welfare requirements and fails to follow the nursery's child protection policy and procedures when allegations are made against a member of staff.  The routine at mealtimes is not always efficiently organised and this means that some of the older children become restless and distracted while waiting to eat.

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It has the following strengths

 The quality of teaching is good and sometimes outstanding. The stimulating range of activities and experiences is effective in supporting children's learning and development across all age ranges.  Children and babies form secure attachments with the staff because there are effective settling-in procedures and a strong key-person system.  Partnerships with parents are highly successful which ensures they are involved, valued and well informed about the nursery and their children's learning and development.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the indoor and outdoor learning environments.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector held discussions with the management, staff and children.  The inspector viewed a sample of the children's development records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector saw evidence of suitability and qualifications of the staff, self- evaluation, risk assessment and policies and procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day and from their responses to surveys organised by the nursery.

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Information about the setting

First Class Day Nursery Limited was established in 1989 and re-registered in 2006 under a limited company. It is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in purpose-built premises in South Benfleet, Essex. The nursery serves the local area and wider areas and is accessible to all children. It operates from five playrooms and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery employs 33 members of childcare staff. Of these, 24 hold appropriate early years qualifications. There are two staff with a qualification at level 5, four staff have a qualification at level 4, 13 staff have a qualification at level 3 and four staff have a qualification at level 2. The registered providers hold Early Years Professional status and Qualified Teacher Status. There are eight staff working towards an early years qualification. The nursery also employs a cook. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all

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Information about the setting

year round. Sessions are from 7am to 7pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions or out of school care. There are currently 157 children on roll, of whom 136 children are in the early years age group. The nursery receives funding for the provision of early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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must:

 ensure that the provider has closer regard for the government guidance 'Working Together to Safeguard Children 2013' and notifies all agencies with statutory responsibilities without delay if there are child protection concerns; this means the local children's social care services

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must:

 ensure that the person designated to take the lead for safeguarding children improves their knowledge and understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements and follows the nursery's child protection policy and procedures when allegations are made against a member of staff.

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

 review the organisation of mealtimes to reduce waiting times for the older children so they maintain their emotional well-being and increase their independence skills.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is good because staff work well together as a team, sharing their experience, knowledge and skills to provide an interesting blend of motivating activities that meet the needs of all children. Children make good or even better progress in their learning, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and who speak English as an additional language. This is because key persons have a detailed knowledge of how individual children in their care learn best. Staff make plans for inclusive activities based on their observations of what individual children can do. Children's starting points for learning are established through completion of an initial assessment with parents. Staff also use information about children's interests and experiences at home to help motivate them in their learning. Comprehensive assessments are made of individual children's learning, through tracking their progress in detail, including the progress check for

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who attend

children between the age of two and three years. This enables staff to see if progress is as expected, above or below for their age and stage of development. Consequently, staff can address any gaps in learning that may emerge, so that early intervention can prevent greater future difficulties. The managers also discuss assessments of children's learning with key persons as part of their quality assurance checks, as an additional level of monitoring to ensure the system is developing further rigour.

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who attend

Staff plan for both indoor and outdoor play, which is purposeful and exciting and matches children's individual stages of development and meets their needs. As a result, children and babies display the characteristics of effective learning because they are actively engaged in their play. For example, they dig in the sand, become enthralled by stories and enjoy the action rhymes where they delight in jumping up and down or using a parachute. Staff are skilled teachers. They sit alongside children as they play, encouraging them to show what they know by asking them questions and showing interest in their ideas. They provide a good level of challenge, adapting activities to meet children's individual levels of ability. For example, younger children find their name at self-registration time by recognising their picture, while older children are encouraged to do so by looking at the initial letter of their name. Once this has been achieved, staff provide greater challenge by

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who attend

getting children to recognise the other letters and sounds that make up their names. Consequently, by the time children are ready to move to school they have an impressive level of understanding about how words are formed and some can read simple sentences. In addition, children quickly gain other skills to support future learning, such as, becoming competent using the computer and enjoying calculating and solving number problems. Children know that their efforts are valued when they show great pride in pointing out their pictures or the handwritten captions on display to visitors.

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who attend

Key persons work closely with parents to support children's learning from the start. Ongoing discussion and sharing of children's learning journals ensures that parents remain involved in their children's progress. Parents are encouraged to contribute to their child's journal and each key person encourages home learning by suggesting activities parents can do at home. In addition, children are invited to take home books and activity sacks to share with parents at home. Parents have regular opportunities for consultations with key persons and daily handovers allow for informal discussions about activities and achievements. Furthermore, parents and children are involved in the activity planning when they add notes about their suggestions for further experiences and the toys children wish to play with into the nursery's wishing well.

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

Children's well-being is at risk because the weaknesses identified in the nursery's implementation of their safeguarding policy have an impact on children's overall safety and well-being. This has resulted in the judgement for this aspect of the provision being inadequate. Nevertheless, staff are skilled and sensitive in helping children of all ages form secure emotional attachments. Right from the start, settling-in procedures for new children and babies are well embedded and effective through discussions with parents to meet individual family needs. Children also build relationships with their friends. They are polite and manage their own behaviour well because the staff are positive role models and speak respectfully to children. Sensitive reminders and positive reinforcement from staff, means children receive consistent messages, such as not running around inside and taking care as they walk up and down the stairs, as they may fall. Staff also teach children how

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

to keep themselves safe in an emergency. For example, they regularly practise evacuating the building.

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

Children's emotional well-being is considered and fostered appropriately during times of change. When children move to new playrooms in the nursery, staff share plenty of information. Children are supported on visits into the new room by their key person to give them emotional security and to help them bond with new staff members. Children are very well prepared for the move into school and their future learning. The staff work very closely with the teachers from local primary schools to ensure children have a smooth transfer when they start full-time education or join the out of school club. There are reliable arrangements for taking and collecting older children to and from their primary schools when they attend out of school care.

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

Children's good health is promoted successfully by staff. For example, staff promote good hygiene procedures by making sure children wash their hands before eating and after messy play. They make sure younger children's sleep routines are followed and that cosy areas are provided where older children can rest or relax as they need. Children are provided with nutritious food and staff respect children's individual dietary requirements. For example, daily menus are amended to take account of cultural requirements and unique allergies. Young babies are provided with meals to support their individual stage of weaning onto solid food. Staff encourage older babies to try and feed themselves, offering encouragement and support and as they get older, children serve their own food at lunchtime. The mealtimes are social occasions when staff sit and chat to children while they eat and praise them when they eat up their food. This encourages the younger

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

children to develop a positive attitude to mealtimes and eating healthily. However, the mealtimes for older children are not consistently efficiently organised and this means that some children become restless and distracted as they spend time waiting to eat. Children have daily access to the outdoor area, which offers good opportunities for physical, energetic play and enables children to develop good coordination and control of their bodies. In addition, staff take children out in the local community each day, which means they benefit from lots of fresh air when they visit nearby parks or go to local shops to buy the fruit for snacks.

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provision

This inspection was prioritised following Ofsted receiving concerns regarding the provider's ability to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. This was particularly in regard to the requirements relating to managing behaviour, safeguarding policy and practice, risk assessment, general information and records, food and drink and general suitability matters. The inspection found that the nursery has clearly written policies and procedures, in relation to safeguarding and whistleblowing, that meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. All managers and staff have completed safeguarding training at the appropriate levels. However, the designated member of staff for safeguarding children does not have sufficient knowledge of the nursery's policies or the safeguarding and welfare requirements. This means that the safeguarding procedures are not rigorously followed when there is an allegation made

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provision

against a member of staff. As a result, children are not fully safeguarded as the registered provider does not make certain that the appropriate agencies, such as children's social care services, are informed to robustly ensure all appropriate interventions are made. This is also a breach in the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. Despite this, children's behaviour shows they feel safe in the nursery, as they approach and share concerns with staff with ease. Appropriate security arrangements and risk assessment procedures are in place to ensure children's safety. For example, the nursery has closed-circuit television cameras and an intercom installed. In addition, any visitors are approached and their identity checked. Menus are regularly reviewed and alternative food is provided to cater for any allergies and special dietary requirements. All staff have completed the required background checks and take part in regular supervision meetings

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provision

to ensure their ongoing suitability. All the required documentation is well-organised and available for inspection.

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provision

A strong culture of reflective practice is evident in the nursery and self-evaluation is comprehensive. The management successfully gather the views of all staff, parents and children and take prompt action to make improvements. As a result, the outdoor area is now better equipped and the layout in the playroom used by two-year-old children is much improved. An established supervision and training programme for all staff focuses on improving the quality of teaching, and this means that staff regularly share best practice across the nursery. The procedures for observing, assessing and tracking children's progress are monitored by the management team to ensure there are no gaps in learning. The managers and room leaders also monitor children's next steps on a software program to ensure the progression of both individuals, and groups of children, is planned for. This results in the assessment of children being precise and consistent and

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provision

there is a clear focus on raising children's achievement so they make strong progress in their learning.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are very positive. Parents spoken to at the time of the inspection, express their complete confidence in the nursery. They say they feel very involved in their children's learning and feel that they can discuss their children's progress with their key person at any time. They feel the information provided for them is good and keeps them well informed of any changes or new working practices. Staff also value the support and input from other professionals to meet the overall needs of children. They have well-established and positive links with the local schools and other settings in the area, which children benefit from in support of their next stage in their learning.

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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 Met

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

 ensure that the lead practitioner liaises with any local Safeguarding Children Board and Director of Children's Services as appropriate (compulsory 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 EY363539 Local authority Essex Inspection number 1000664

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 100 Number of children on roll 157 Name of provider First Class Day Nursery Ltd Date of previous inspection 28/10/2011 Telephone number 01268566800

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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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