Little Joeys Nursery

Little Joey's Nursery Unit 7/8, Merlin Way, Bowerhill, Melksham, Wiltshire, SN12 6TJ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 17 November 2015 14 April 2014

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Outcomes for children Requires improvement

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This provision requires improvement. It is not yet good because:

 Some teaching is not good enough. Staff do not always place enough importance on making sure children have interesting learning opportunities.  Staff do not receive enough support to help them do their jobs well. Opportunities for staff to receive feedback on their teaching practice are just beginning.  There are parts of the nursery day when babies' needs are not planned for. At lunchtime babies are put in their highchairs before lunch is ready and some get very upset while waiting because they are hungry.  Since the last inspection there have been a number of changes of manager and staff. There was some past poor practice which is now improving.  Processes to evaluate what works well and what needs further improvement are not thorough and so do not support improvement in all aspects of the nursery.

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It has the following strengths

 Parents report the nursery has improved in recent months. The two acting managers have done a good job in changing things for the better. They have worked well with advisors from the local authority to put effective systems into place.  The new manager is highly knowledgeable about how to keep children safe.  Children are enthusiastic. They readily join in with singing action songs or practising the Christmas nativity play.  Children have plenty of space to play indoors and outside.

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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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Due Date

 improve the quality of teaching, including assessment, so that children have an interesting and challenging curriculum each day 30/04/2016

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Due Date

 improve the effectiveness of staff supervision and provide regular developmental feedback on the quality of their teaching 29/01/2016

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Due Date

 ensure all staff consider the needs of babies at all times and meet these fully. 11/12/2015

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Due Date

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

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Due Date

 consolidate new management arrangements so that effective leadership becomes well- established at the nursery  make sure all leaders and managers are fully involved in a reflective self-evaluation process that pinpoints what needs to be improved at the nursery so all areas for development are successfully addressed.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spent time observing children in all areas of the nursery including the outdoors and the afterschool club.  The inspector spoke with children, parents and members of staff.  The inspector held meetings with the owner, the manager and the deputy managers to discuss the leadership and management of the setting.  The inspector carried out a joint observation of teaching practice with one of the deputy managers.  The inspector reviewed a range of relevant documentation including records of staff suitability, policies, development planning and learning records.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

The management of the nursery is improving. Previous weaknesses have been satisfactorily addressed. Several new initiatives make a positive difference to children's experiences, such as improved development planning. The recently introduced system to monitor how well groups of children make progress is particularly good. Already this is helping children to do better because staff are aware of gaps in their learning. The provider is aware of the need to become more involved in monitoring how well the setting is run. The brand new manager has lots of good ideas but has not been in post long enough to put these into practice. Safeguarding is effective. Staff have undertaken relevant training and show a sound understanding of how to keep children safe. Leaders have an accurate view of what good practice looks like. They started observing staff practice a few months ago but this is not yet established well enough to improve teaching

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

The quality of teaching varies greatly. Some practice is very good. Older children are challenged to develop their understanding of mathematics because activities are appropriately difficult and encourage children to think. Younger children enjoy singing activities because staff are enthusiastic and supportive so that all participate. Some practice is not as good. On too many occasions in all rooms of the nursery, staff play alongside children without making enough attempt to help children learn. Staff observe children and plan their next steps of learning. However, in the two-year-old room many next steps do not reflect the most important things a child should learn. Many, for example, are limited to learning colours or shapes. This does not help children make progress in all areas of learning and does not support staff to tailor their teaching to children's needs. Some activities are not planned well. When making playdough, for

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

example, children have to wait a long time to take a turn stirring the mixture and several become bored. Some become unsettled in their behaviour as a result. However, once the playdough is made, staff make the most of teaching opportunities to introduce letters, sounds and numbers.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

Children develop their independence through taking part in the nursery routines. Some put their own coats on before going outside and they choose which activities to play with. Older children demonstrate good levels of self-confidence when practising the nativity play: they follow instructions well and act out the scenes without much prompting. These skills help children to be prepared for school when the time comes. Staff do not always plan for the needs of younger children. Outdoors, for example, non-walking babies are sat on the muddy grass with no suitable resources or toys to entertain them or help them develop.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Children make sound progress in their learning. Most are working at typical levels for their age. Funding helps eligible children to do better in their development.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 145794 Local authority Wiltshire Inspection number 1026596 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 86 Number of children on roll 84 Name of provider Gary Cooke Date of previous inspection 14 April 2014 Telephone number 01225 702000

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Setting details

The Boomerang Safeplay Centre includes Little Joey's Nursery and Didgeridoo After School and Holiday Club. Didgeridoo registered in 2001 and extended the registration in May 2012 to provide care in the nursery unit for younger children. It is situated on the industrial estate at Bowerhill, near Melksham. Little Joey's Nursery offers care to children all year round, with the exception of Bank Holidays. The nursery opens Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 6pm. There are 20 staff who work with the children, of whom nine have childcare qualifications at level 3, and five have a qualification at level 2. The manager has a level 6 qualification in Early Years and Childcare. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education to children aged three and four years. Didgeridoo After School and Holiday Club offers care to school age children during the school term from 3pm to 6pm and in the school holidays from 8am to 6pm each day.

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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

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Setting details

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