City Way Day Nursery

City Way Day Nursery 18 City Way, Rochester, Kent. ME1 2AB

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 14 January 2016 11 April 2013

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 Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate 4

p.1

This inspection: Inadequate 4

Outcomes for children Requires improvement

p.1

This provision is inadequate

 Insufficient systems are in place to ensure that staff declare any significant changes which may affect their suitability to work with children. This is a breach of a legal requirement.  The quality of teaching is variable across the nursery. The senior leadership team has not made improvements to teaching they know are needed in the Caterpillars room. Children's different needs are not well met in this room.  Procedures to check that all groups of children are learning and making progress are still very new. As a result, leaders and managers do not regularly monitor to make sure all groups of children are achieving as well as they should.

p.1

It has the following strengths

 There is a happy atmosphere in the nursery. Staff care about the children and form close relationships with them.  Parents confirm they are happy with the nursery and say they feel involved in their children's learning and development.

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

 ensure that staff have regular opportunities to declare any changes to their suitability to work with children, including any circumstances which make staff disqualified or disqualified by association, convictions, cautions, court orders, reprimands and warnings. 22/01/2016

p.2

Due Date

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

p.2

Due Date

 improve the quality of teaching and support for children's learning in the Caterpillars room to ensure that all children's needs are consistently met 26/02/2016

p.2

Due Date

 make better use of assessment information to enable staff to accurately monitor whether all groups of children are making good or better progress 26/02/2016

p.2

Due Date

 ensure staff in the Caterpillars room use their knowledge of what children know and can do to set more precise targets so they make faster progress, especially the quieter, less confident children and those with communication difficulties. 26/02/2016

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching and the support for children's learning, both in the inside and outside areas.  The inspector talked to staff about how they plan for each child's learning needs and measure their progress.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with one of the deputy managers to evaluate the quality of teaching.  The inspector talked to children and asked them what they do and enjoy at nursery.  The inspector sampled a range of documentation, such as records of children's progress, staff training files, suitability checks for staff and child protection logs.  The inspector talked to parents who were available on the day of inspection and took account of their views.

p.3

Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

Safeguarding arrangements are not effective. Staff are not regularly asked to declare any changes to their suitability to work with children. This is a breach of the Early Years Foundation Stage requirements and means that senior staff cannot be sure that children are safe. Leaders and managers have recently worked together to strengthen the quality of provision, make improvements to the safety of the premises and improve hygiene arrangements. Relevant risk assessments are now completed and identified hazards in the rooms and outside areas have now been made safe. However, too much of the senior leadership's time has been spent on addressing these issues and not on improving teaching. Staff have regular opportunities to discuss their work and raise any concerns. Essential support for staff in the Caterpillars room to improve their practice is only just beginning. As a result, children's learning here is not as good as in other areas of the

p.4

Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

nursery. Although some staff are very well trained, the impact of this is not always seen, especially in the Caterpillars room.

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

The quality of teaching is inconsistent. Staff in the Caterpillars room spend too much of their time supervising children, rather than supporting their learning through purposeful activities. High noise levels in this room mean that the needs of younger or less confident children, those who require additional support with speech and language, or those who speak English as an additional language, are not always met. This hinders their progress. However, when the group size is smaller, or when children have more opportunities to be outside, teaching is better. Provision in the Ladybirds and Bumblebees room is more effective. Staff know the children well and understand how children learn. Babies' language and communication skills are successfully supported as staff copy sounds they attempt to make and introduce new words. Young children in the Bumblebees room enjoy exploratory play and creative activities. Staff observe children carefully and notice when

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

some resources are not used as well as others. For example, by moving the sand tray to another area of the room more children used it. Procedures to check that children are learning and making progress are in place. Partnerships with parents and local schools are well established. Regular 'Stay and Play' sessions and 'Tasty Tuesdays' mean parents join in activities with children. This helps them understand how to further develop children's learning at home.

p.4

Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

The weaknesses identified in continually making sure staff are suitable to work with children impact significantly on children's safety and well-being. The disruptive behaviour and actions of some children in the Caterpillars room impacts on children's learning. Staff have not taken appropriate action to address this and manage behaviour better. Despite this, children enjoy their day at nursery and benefit from close relationships with the staff. Babies are looked after by staff who know their personal routines well. They respond positively and promptly to babies' non-verbal gestures and communication. For example, staff quickly recognise when babies are getting tired or hungry. The atmosphere within the Ladybirds room is very homely, calm and positive. Appropriate support is given for younger children to develop the skills they need to look after themselves. For example, staff help children to blow their noses and wipe their hands and faces after eating.

p.4

Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

Children are taught to clean their teeth after eating and this helps to develop appropriate personal hygiene routines. Some opportunities are available for children to play and be physically active outside, which helps support their healthy development.

p.5

Outcomes for children require improvement

Some children make typical progress for their age, but this is not the same for all children. Variations in teaching within the nursery mean not all children learn as well as others. Where teaching is better, children develop important skills which will help them be prepared for starting school. Systems to monitor how well different groups of children learn are still in the early stages of development.

p.5

Setting details

Unique reference number 103713 Local authority Medway Towns Inspection number 1034224 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 0 - 11 Total number of places 78 Number of children on roll 82 Name of provider City Way Nursery Limited Date of previous inspection 11 April 2013 Telephone number 01634 845724

p.6

Setting details

City Way Day Nursery has been registered since 1999 and is situated in Rochester, Kent. The nursery provides care for children aged up to five years, and also offers out of school provision for school-aged children. It is open from 7.30am until 6.00pm, Monday to Friday, 51 weeks of the year. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register, and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are 24 members of staff who work with the children. Of these, 21 hold recognised early years qualifications. One staff member holds Early Years Teacher status. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and also a number of children who speak English as an additional language. There are 82 children aged under five years on roll. The nursery provides funded early years provision for children aged two, three and four years.

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