Starfish Day Nursery

Starfish Day Nursery 52 Queens Road, Chadderton, Oldham, Lancashire, OL9 9HU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 27 May 2015 7 December 2011

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Previous inspection: Good 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

The setting does not meet legal requirements for early years settings

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This provision is inadequate

 Management do not place a high enough regard on the safety of children. For example, not all members of staff, that have unsupervised access to children, have been appropriately vetted. Furthermore, procedures to stop unwanted visitors gaining entry into the nursery are not good enough.  The indoor activities and experiences provided for children are inadequate. Some planned activities are disorganised, and children have extremely limited choices of what to play with. Also, within these rooms, the quality of teaching is poor.  Staff miss some opportunities to promote children's independence and creative skills. For example, older children do not pour their own drinks, and some children only access paints and other media during adult-led activities. In addition, some routines, such as toileting, distract older children from story times.  The identification of what needs improving is weak. The registered providers do not

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This provision is inadequate

keep a close check on staff performance, children's safety, the quality of teaching or the activities provided for children. This means that weaknesses are not effectively identified and addressed.

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It has the following strengths

 Children's mathematical development is suitably promoted throughout the nursery. Furthermore, staff work alongside other professionals and parents to meet the needs of children who require additional support in their care and learning.  Staff have a suitable knowledge of managing allegations, and the possible indicators of abuse. They are all clear about what they would do if they had any concerns.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage the provider must:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 ensure that all staff that work alongside children are suitable to do so by obtaining an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check for each member of staff, and by keeping a record of the disclosure reference number, the date it was obtained and details of who obtained it  ensure that staff, whose suitably has not been checked, do not have unsupervised access to children  ensure that the premises are secure, and children are protected from unwanted visitors, this is in regard to the front door  ensure appropriate arrangements are in place for the supervision of staff to provide effective coaching, support and training for staff, in order to improve the quality of teaching and learning for children  ensure the activities and experiences provided to children cover all areas of learning with sufficient breadth and depth, in order to ignite their curiosity and motivate them to learn  support younger children's creative skills by giving them more opportunities to

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

independently explore paint, media and other materials on a regular basis, in order for them to represent their own ideas.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 minimise disruptions when older children are listening to stories by improving the toileting routine  extend opportunities for children to be independent, for example, by allowing them to pour their own drinks, and choose from a good range of toys and equipment.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 ensure that any person having unsupervised contact with children is suitable to be in regular contact with children, and an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check has been obtained in respect of that person (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that no one can enter the premises without the knowledge of the adults caring for the children on the premises (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that any person having unsupervised contact with children is suitable to be in regular contact with children, and an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check has been obtained in respect of that person (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that no one can enter the premises without the knowledge of the adults caring for the children on the premises (voluntary part of the Childcare Register).

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the activities and experiences offered to children, both inside and outdoors.  The inspector completed joint observations with the deputy manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the managers and looked at relevant documentation, such as the nursery's self-evaluation and evidence of the suitability of staff.  The inspector spoke to a small selection of parents and children during the inspection, and took account of their views.

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who attend. This is inadequate

Some activities are poorly organised and do not challenge and motivate children to learn. During an activity involving children exploring how different animals move, staff fail to interact appropriately with children, and do not join in. As result, children are not interested. In addition, this age group are also extremely restricted in their choice of toys. Children are not stimulated, and most merely wander around not engaging in any constructive play at all. Staff do not notice this, therefore, they do not respond. Furthermore, some children have very limited opportunities to independently explore paint and other media, in order to express themselves creatively. This hampers children's progress and does not ensure all children acquire the skills necessary for school. Parents have access to their child's development files within the nursery and online. This means they are suitably informed, in order to support their learning at home.

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inadequate

Children's health and well-being is at risk because vetting procedures, such as the Disclosure and Barring service check, is not completed for all staff. Furthermore, unchecked staff have unsupervised access to children. In addition, parents, carers and staff gain entry to the nursery via a fingerprint system. The managers have given very little consideration to the possibility of adults allowing unchecked individuals into the building. This means that they have not put anything in place to minimise this risk, and unknown visitors gain entry. Children suitably develop healthy habits. For example, they access fresh air daily, and they learn good hygiene practices, such as washing their hands. However, older children's enjoyment of story time is interrupted, because staff call them out in pairs to use the bathroom. Children are confident and sociable, and most play cooperatively with their friends. Children have formed attachments with staff who are

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inadequate

warm, polite and courteous role models. Children's independence is hindered. For example, some children are significantly restricted from choosing a suitable range of resources, and older children are not encouraged to be independent enough.

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provision is inadequate

The management of the nursery do not have a good enough understanding of the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The managers do not keep a close enough eye on how effectively activities and the quality of teaching supports children's progress. Consequently, appraisals do not highlight any weaknesses in staff practice, in order to shape training priorities. Therefore, although all staff have relevant early years qualifications, the impact on young children's learning is limited. In addition, self- evaluation is weak and does not identify what works well and what needs improving. Staff show a good understanding of the importance of liaising with teachers, when the time comes for children to move on to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY275059 Local authority Oldham Inspection number 860892 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 51 Number of children on roll 81 Name of provider Starfish Day Nursery Ltd Date of previous inspection 7 December 2011 Telephone number 0161 626 9470

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Setting details

Starfish Nursery was registered in 2004. The nursery employs 18 members of childcare staff. Of these, all hold appropriate early years qualifications at levels 2, 3 and 4. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday all year round, except for one week at Christmas and Bank Holidays. Sessions are from 7am until 6.30pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Setting details

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

procedures set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. 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, safeguarding and child protection.

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Setting details

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Setting details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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