Appy Little Plums Ltd

Appy Little Plums Ltd Alma Street, Leigh, WN7 5JL

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 8 January 2016 Not applicable

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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:

 A large proportion of staff are well qualified but training is not reflected well enough in practice. The quality of teaching is variable between staff and, in particular, it is less effective in the baby room.  Staff do not always plan activities for the younger children which offer them realistic challenges to drive their development forward. Furthermore, some staff do not always make good use of their interactions with children to support and extend their learning.  The leadership team does not monitor the planning and assessments of children's progress closely enough. This has resulted in inaccurate assessment records for some children which impact on staff's abilities to plan effectively for their future learning.  The provider has identified some weaknesses in staff's practice. However, weaknesses are not always addressed quickly enough to bring about positive improvements and raise the overall practice of staff prior to attending further training.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff working with pre-school children deliver good teaching and strong learning experiences. They provide a range of activities to promote children's speaking and listening skills. They regularly talk to children, model and repeat words and respond to their questions.  Children arrive at the nursery displaying lots of confidence and are eager to enter to play with their friends.  Partnerships with parents are secure. They are complimentary about the level of care and learning their children receive. Parents say that they are kept informed about their children's day and comment how they are becoming more confident.

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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 and interactions with younger children, in particular for staff working within the baby room 05/02/2016

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Due Date

 ensure that all staff complete accurate assessments of what their key children know and can do and use this information to plan effectively and challenge their learning. 05/02/2016

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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

 refine procedures for monitoring staff's practice, including regularly reviewing their planning and assessments of children's development  ensure that strategies are put in place at the earliest opportunities to address weaknesses identified.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching in all age groups during activities inside and outdoors and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector completed joint observations with the provider in each of the three age groups.  The inspector held a meeting with the provider. She looked at relevant documentation, such as the provider's self-evaluation and evidence of the suitability and qualifications of staff working in the nursery.  The inspector looked at a sample of policies, children's assessment records and discussed the systems for planning their play experiences.  The inspector spoke to staff, a small selection of parents and children during the inspection and took account of their views. The inspector also viewed a sample of emails sent to the provider from parents unable to speak to the inspector.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

The provider is keen to ensure that children make good progress. She has identified weaknesses in teaching through completing staff supervisions and observations of their practice. She has sourced specific training for staff working in the baby room to help them develop their skills of working with the youngest children. However, not enough has been done to bring about improvements in the short term. The leadership team is responsible for checking staff's assessments of children's progress. However, they have not carried out the monitoring well enough. This has resulted in some children's progress not being accurately assessed. Training has been sourced for staff to build on their observation, planning and assessment techniques. A range of policies and procedures supporting children's health, safety and well-being is in place. The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff attend safeguarding training and are aware of the procedures to follow to

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

protect children from harm. Safer recruitment is robust. Staff complete ongoing suitability checks to further support keeping children safe.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Staff have access to a range of assessment tools to establish children's progress in their learning. However, some staff do not complete the individual trackers accurately, so that they have a secure knowledge of what children can already do and need to learn next. The planning of activities and the quality of the staff's interactions with younger children are variable, with teaching being less effective in the baby room. Some staff supervise children's play rather than engaging with them to extend their learning. In addition, not all activities offer those children challenging experiences to help them make the best possible progress. Other staff, including those caring for pre-school aged children, engage with them during their self-chosen play and use a variety of good teaching methods. They ask children questions, in order to develop their ideas and help them think about how to solve problems. Pre-school children are encouraged to develop a 'have-a-go' attitude and enjoy

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

The provider has created a very calm and welcoming environment. Much thought has been put into the layout and usage of space. All children move around freely and access a range of good quality resources. The outdoors offers children of all ages spaces to be physically active as they play, explore and learn. Many of the children thoroughly enjoy being outside. There is lots of laughter and conversations as they play cooperatively together. Children are well behaved. Staff use positive praise and encouragement which contributes towards their developing confidence and self-esteem. All children have a key person who they build positive relationships with.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Overall, children make steady progress, including those in receipt of early education funding. Pre-school children gain skills which will help them when the time comes to move to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY483066 Local authority Wigan Inspection number 1000210 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 1 - 7 Total number of places 39 Number of children on roll 63 Name of provider Appy Little Plums Ltd Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 07854 222677

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Setting details

Appy Little Plums Ltd was registered in 2014. The nursery employs 14 members of childcare staff, including the provider. Of these, 10 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or level 3. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7am until 6pm and Saturdays 8am until 5.30pm. The nursery also provides before- and after-school care, Monday to Friday 7am until 9am and 3.15pm until 6pm. 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

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Setting details

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Setting details

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Setting details

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