Yew Tree Nursery at Yew Tree Children's Centre

Yew Tree Nursery at Yew Tree Children's Centre Berryford Road, Liverpool, L14 4ED

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 30 September 2015 9 October 2014

p.1

This inspection: Inadequate 4

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

p.1

This inspection: Inadequate 4

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Inadequate 4

p.1

This inspection: Inadequate 4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate 4

p.1

This inspection: Inadequate 4

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate 4

p.1

This provision is inadequate

 Self-evaluation is not accurate and does not identify some key weaknesses. Staff have not received enough monitoring or feedback to improve how they teach and care for children.  Leaders in the organisation running the nursery do not take action swiftly enough on some of the risks identified by staff. Safeguarding is not effective.  The key person system does not always support children's care or learning needs well. Records indicate parents may not always be informed about accidents to children.  Assessments are not always accurate about what outcomes children achieve or what progress they make, including evaluations of children with additional needs. Assessments are not used well to plan activities to meet children’s specific needs.  Too much of the teaching, especially outdoors, is not preparing children well for the next stage of their learning. Some activities do not keep children interested, and some

p.1

This provision is inadequate

staff do not question children in ways which help them to think.

p.1

It has the following strengths

 The setting is welcoming, spacious and very well-resourced, with good quality equipment both inside and in the extensive outdoor area. This is supplemented well with some interesting home-made resources.

p.1

What the setting needs to do to improve further

The provision is inadequate and Ofsted intends to take enforcement action We will issue a Welfare Requirements Notice requiring the provider to:

p.2

Due Date

 take all reasonable steps to ensure staff and children in their care are not exposed to risks and to demonstrate how they are managing risks. Risk assessments should identify aspects of the environment that need to be checked on a regular basis, when and by whom those aspects will be checked and how the risk will be removed or diminished. 09/10/2015

p.2

Due Date

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

p.2

Due Date

 ensure that all staff have up to date knowledge of safeguarding issues and of the procedures to follow in the event of a concern about a child or a member of staff 23/10/2015

p.2

Due Date

 ensure that all children are cared for by key persons who have sufficient knowledge, understanding, skills and experience to meet their care and learning needs 23/10/2015

p.2

Due Date

 consolidate the newly introduced systems to supervise staff so that the quality of teaching and learning is improved, by ensuring that staff receive feedback to help them plan, organise and deliver activities which meet the individual needs of children and by helping staff to improve their use of questions to move children's learning on 18/12/2015

p.2

Due Date

 improve the accuracy of assessment so that all staff understand where children are up to in their learning and progress, in order to identify any specific gaps in children's learning and care and provide individual support when necessary 06/11/2015

p.2

Due Date

 ensure that parents are informed of accidents and of any first aid treatment given on the day accidents happen, or as soon as possible after that. 09/10/2015 To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

p.2

Due Date

 improve the way leaders and managers evaluate the nursery's effectiveness, so that they more accurately identify the strengths and areas for improvement, in order to enable them to focus their improvements on those activities which will improve outcomes for children quickly, for example, by improving the quality of teaching, learning, assessment and development.

p.3

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed staff interacting with the children and the impact this has on children's learning and development in in every area of the nursery including the outside play areas.  The inspector carried out three formal joint observations with the acting manager, who also accepted the inspector's invitation to observe practice alongside the inspector throughout the inspection.  The inspector spoke to a sample of staff about safeguarding, and about arrangements for managing their performance and helping them to improve.  The inspector held a formal meeting with the acting manager and nominated person, and short meetings with the acting manager throughout the inspection. The inspector also spoke informally to staff and children at appropriate times.  The inspector spoke to a sample of parents and took account of their views.  The inspector looked at and discussed the provider's self-evaluation form and

p.3

Inspection activities

improvement plans, the staff appraisal records and the latest team meeting minutes.  The inspector reviewed a sample of children's assessment records, staff planning and accident records. The inspector also reviewed a broad selection of policies and procedures, including those supporting safeguarding and behaviour management.

p.3

Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

Since the last inspection, the leaders and managers did not tackle the required improvements urgently enough to ensure that the nursery meets the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. This is because the leaders did not give enough importance to the impact of staff on children’s care and learning. As a result, their views on the nursery’s effectiveness are too generous. Through her newly introduced supervision arrangements the acting manager has quickly started to identify specific training needs in her team. She has rightly made her main priority improving the key person system and the quality of teaching. She has organised training in October specifically to improve how staff care for and teach children. Staff report that until the acting manager arrived in August, there were no arrangements to monitor their work and give them regular feedback to help them improve. The acting manager has already identified some

p.4

Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

significant areas for improvement. For example weaknesses in how staff assess children, and in how staff use the resources to promote learning, especially outdoors. However, it is too early yet to see the impact of her many improvement initiatives. Safeguarding is not effective despite staff recently updating their training. This is because some staff have a limited understanding of the range of types of harm children may experience and of the indicators of these. Some staff are unsure of where to refer concerns about children or staff. This does not protect children.

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

Despite a high proportion of qualified staff, not enough teaching in the nursery is good enough to prepare children well for school. Activities are not closely matched to children’s specific learning needs because assessment is not always accurate. This makes it very difficult for staff to reliably show that children are making expected progress or for staff to plan activities that make good any gaps in children’s learning. It limits the usefulness of assessment information shared with parents, or with staff in the schools children go on to. The organisation of some planned activities such as music sessions does not motivate or keep children interested, and they quickly end up wandering aimlessly. The manager has rightly identified that outdoor play is too often used simply to supervise children rather than help them learn. Individual play plans are used well for some children with additional needs. Stronger staff use naturally occurring opportunities well to introduce new ideas

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

when working with children who need help with language and with relating to others. They introduce new words like ‘drip’ and ‘pour’ during an outdoor water activity. They explain using gestures and give the children time to practice turning a tap to pour and drip water. This helps children develop an understanding of the concepts. They sensitively teach children to take turns and to share. However, too many staff do not teach well. They often give meaningless praise, irrespective of what children are doing. This does not give children good guidance or an incentive to do well. The acting manager recognises that not all staff are making the most of the good quality resources and activities to help children become confident, active learners.

p.4

Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

Overall the key person system is not working effectively because some key persons do not give children the consistent support they need to form close attachments. The acting manager has very swiftly organised training to address this. However, some staff care well for very young babies, and respond sensitively to their physical needs. Behaviour in the nursery is generally good. The arrangements to assess risks in the setting are in breach of the requirements, and do not ensure children’s safety. Risk assessments are not effective, for example, staff repeatedly identified a risk with a faulty cot. The organisation did nothing to fix this. Overall the current arrangements do not promote children’s general health and safety well enough. For example, occasionally the accident records are not signed by parents so it is unclear if parents were informed or not. Older children are gaining some valuable independence skills such as looking after their

p.5

Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

own care needs, washing their hands after outdoor play or before snacks. They help staff to lay the lunch table in the attractive piazza area. They confidently serve themselves from the hot, healthy food provided at lunchtime. Children grow and harvest a variety of fruit, vegetables and herbs in the garden, which helps them understand about healthy eating. Daily outdoor play gives them physical exercise. Parents report that staff support children with additional needs well, including helping parents through the referral process to access external support.

p.5

Outcomes for children are inadequate

As the assessment documents are not reliable, staff cannot provide convincing evidence that children are reaching the levels typical for their age, or making enough progress. This affects how well nursery staff work with other practitioners and parents to ensure good outcomes for children.

p.5

Setting details

Unique reference number EY393224 Local authority Liverpool Inspection number 1023073 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 54 Number of children on roll 80 Name of provider Sure Options Ltd Date of previous inspection 9 October 2014 Telephone number 01512 204 455

p.6

Setting details

Yew Tree Nursery at Yew Tree Children’s Centre was registered in 2009 on the Early Years Register. It is one of two nurseries managed by Sure Options Limited, both of which are on the sites of Children’s Centres. The nursery employs 15 members of childcare staff. Of these, two hold an early years qualification at level 5, 10 hold a qualification at level three and three members of staff are unqualified. The nursery opens Monday to Friday for 51 weeks of the year. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The setting has applied to for the Early Years Pupil Premium for approximately 30 children.

p.6

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.

p.6

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.

p.6

Setting details

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 reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/, write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

Setting details

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our website for news, information and updates at www.ofsted.gov.uk/user.

p.7

Setting details

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

p.7