Birchwood Private Day Nursery

Birchwood Private Day Nursery Wellington Road, Kidsgrove, Stoke-on-Trent, ST7 4BH

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16 February 2016 18 July 2013

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3

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:

 Planning and assessment are not monitored rigorously enough to ensure all staff have an accurate understanding of children's skills, abilities and progress.  The next steps identified for children's learning are not always sharply focused enough to support children's good progress.  Staff do not find out enough from parents about what children already know and can do when they start. They are not able to assess precisely enough the starting points for children's learning.  The manager does not evaluate the quality of the provision effectively enough to identify key areas for development and establish a robust plan to drive improvements.  At times the environment is too noisy to enable younger children to listen carefully and concentrate on what they are doing.

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It has the following strengths

 The nursery is bright, child friendly and welcoming. Children enjoy an attractive and well-resourced learning environment, offering opportunities to explore the natural world and engage in energetic play.  The manager and staff understand the importance of promoting children's safety. They follow clear procedures to assess and minimise risks, enabling children to explore and learn about taking risks in safe surroundings.  Staff are consistent in how they manage children's behaviour. Children learn how to behave appropriately and play well alongside their friends.

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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

 ensure that observations and assessment are focused on identifying children's precise next steps 01/05/2016

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Due Date

 monitor planning rigorously so that all children are effectively supported and challenged to make the best possible progress given their age, abilities and starting points 01/05/2016

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Due Date

 use information from parents about children's achievements more effectively and establish more accurate starting points for children's learning. 01/06/2016

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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

 rigorously review all aspects of the provision and take prompt action to address key weaknesses and drive improvement  manage the environment more effectively and help children to remain interested and to concentrate on their learning.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector had a tour of the setting and observed activities in the main play areas and the outdoor learning environment.  The inspector observed the quality of teaching and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager and spoke with children and staff at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector looked at children's learning journey records, the planning and assessment documentation and a range of written policy documents.  The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children and discussed the nursery's self-evaluation and improvement plan.  The inspector took into account the spoken and written views of parents.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

Robust recruitment and induction procedures help to ensure that staff are suitable. The detailed policies and procedures in place underpin their work appropriately. The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff know how to keep children safe in the event of a child protection concern. Effective partnerships with other settings that children attend help staff to maintain continuity in children's learning. Staff are deployed well in each area of the setting, including outside, so that children are safe and appropriately supervised. However, the manager has not established a fully effective system of self- evaluation to ensure that key areas of practice are reviewed on a regular basis.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Children participate mostly in freely chosen learning experiences and have opportunities to extend their knowledge through adult-led, planned activities. Children enthusiastically join in songs and rhymes at circle time. Staff promote children's literacy skills successfully through storytelling. Children recall stories and events and engage in activities that help them to link letters to sounds. Children use their imagination as they pretend to be caterpillars and investigate what to eat and how to move. Staff observe and assess children's progress regularly. However, they do not identify children's next steps in learning precisely enough. This means that the activities they plan do not offer the challenge children need to help them to make consistently good progress in their learning. Staff speak to parents about what children already know and can do when they first join the nursery. However, they do not use the information parents can share well enough in

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

their assessments of the starting points for each child's learning. Consequently, their assessments are not as accurate as possible and staff cannot plan highly effectively for children's ongoing progress.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

Staff create a warm and nurturing environment for children. They praise children's efforts and promote their confidence and self-esteem. There are appropriate arrangements in place to help children to make a seamless move between groups. However, weaknesses in the assessment and planning arrangements mean that children do not make as much progress in their development as they could. Children do demonstrate some sense of responsibility for their environment. They help to tidy away the toys and activities that they have been playing with and happily play alongside each other. They are developing some understanding of how to share, wait and take turns. Staff teach children about leading healthy lifestyles and children enjoy healthy meals and snacks. They provide opportunities for children to develop their physical skills.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Children are not making consistently good progress in their learning and development. This is because teaching is not based on a clear knowledge and understanding of each child's needs. However, they do gain some of the key skills they will need to support them in their future learning. They are becoming increasingly independent and have a growing sense of responsibility.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY345515 Local authority Staffordshire Inspection number 1028831 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 - 9 Total number of places 52 Number of children on roll 60 Name of provider Amanda Jane Marchese Date of previous inspection 18 July 2013 Telephone number 01782296746

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Setting details

Birchwood Private Day Nursery was registered in 2007. The nursery employs 14 members of childcare staff. Of these, 12 hold appropriate early years qualifications between level 3 and 5. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am 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

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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