Warton Pre-School Nursery

Warton Pre-School Nursery The Nursery Unit, Maypole Road, Warton, Tamworth, Staffordshire, B79 0HP

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 2 March 2016 10 December 2014

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate 4

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This provision is inadequate

 The committee has not notified Ofsted of the appointment of a new manager. This is a breach of the welfare requirements. The recruitment processes are not rigorous enough.  Leaders previously failed to refer concerns about the welfare of individual children. This places children at risk of harm.  Risk assessments are not thorough. Consequently, in the garden children are at risk from harm from bird droppings and exposed metal rods.  Staff's assessments of children's learning and development are inaccurate. Leaders and staff cannot specify with any confidence the progress children make over time.  Performance management and supervision arrangements have yet to address the weaknesses in the quality of teaching and safeguarding.  Specific weaknesses in teaching relate to staff's questioning to support children's new learning, the lack of challenge in activities to support the children's interests, and the

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It has the following strengths

 The children are developing the habits of eager and motivated learners. They are curious and enthusiastically explore imaginary worlds during role play and the texture and composition of snow.  Children behave well and are increasingly able to avoid confrontation through self- regulation and negotiation.

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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:

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Due Date

 put in place effective systems to ensure that practitioners, and any other person who is likely to have regular contact with children (including those living or working on the premises), are suitable 06/04/2016

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Due Date

 ensure that all staff are able to identify signs of possible abuse and neglect at the earliest opportunity, and to respond in a timely and appropriate way. 06/04/2016

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Due Date

 ensure that any concerns about the welfare of a child are notified to agencies with statutory responsibilities without delay. This means the local children's social care services and, in emergencies, the police 06/04/2016

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Due Date

 take all reasonable steps to ensure children in the care of the pre- school are not exposed to risks and demonstrate how risks are managed 06/04/2016

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Due Date

 put in place appropriate arrangements for the effective supervision of staff to provide support, coaching and training for staff, to promote the interests of children, secure continuous improvement and to encourage the confidential discussion of sensitive issues. 06/04/2016

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Due Date

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

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Due Date

 ensure that all children make good progress and acquire all of the skills and abilities they need to become successful readers and learners by improving the quality of teaching and assessment and by providing a challenging and interesting range of activities across all areas of learning 24/06/2016

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Inspection activities

 This inspection took place as a result of a risk assessment following receipt of a number of concerns about the provision. The inspectors explored and considered each of the concerns with leaders and managers.  The inspectors reviewed the improvements that leaders have made since the last inspection and their plans for future improvement.  The inspectors observed children during a range of play and learning activities in the designated play areas, including outdoors.  The inspectors held meetings with the leaders and staff.  The inspectors looked at a range of documentation including children's learning journals and the adults' planning of children's learning and development activities.  The inspectors checked evidence of the suitability of all adults working at the pre- school and the professional qualifications and training of staff and leaders.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the leader.

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Inspection activities

 The inspectors took account of the views of parents and those of children spoken to on the day.  The inspectors explored the safeguarding arrangements, the security of the premises and how effectively the provider has identified and taken steps to minimise any potential risks.

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Inspector

Deborah Udakis, Her Majesty's Inspector, and Yvonne Johnson, Early Years Regulatory Inspector.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

This inspection was carried out in response to a number of concerns Ofsted received in respect of the quality of provision, children's behaviour and the suitability of staff. The nursery has undergone a significant period of change and instability. Substantial changes have taken place to the leadership and management in recent months. Leaders took appropriate steps when practitioners failed to meet the organisation's expectations. Leaders believe that they now have the right team in place with the experience and knowledge to provide stability and to improve outcomes for all children. There have been recent improvements to the communication and sharing of information with parents. Some parents spoke positively of the changes in the leadership and said they are hopeful of further improvements. However, leaders have had limited success to date in tackling the most significant weaknesses identified. Some of the weaknesses in practice relate to the

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

decisions of the previous leaders. For example, they neglected to refer known concerns about the welfare of children to the relevant agencies. More recently, leaders did not obtain valid written references to support their decision to employ a new manager. They did not inform Ofsted of this appointment which is a breach of the welfare requirements. The safeguarding policy does not clearly set out the specific processes and protocols relating to the nursery. The arrangements to safeguard children are not effective. Leaders have yet to put in place effective measures and performance management systems to bring about the required improvements. They acknowledge that there is considerable work to be done to ensure the nursery’s success.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

Staff's assessments are unreliable. Some very capable children are incorrectly assessed as being below typical levels of development in aspects of their learning. Leaders are aware of the weaknesses in assessments but they have yet to put in place a system to monitor how effectively staff assess children’s progress. Children's learning is not well supported by staff. Over time children do not make good progress in their learning from the time they start at the nursery. Staff ask questions in quick succession and do not give the children enough time to reflect and consider their responses. Staff intervene in the children's self-initiated play without enhancing the learning experience. They do not make effective use of skilful questioning to support and promote children's learning and investigations. Planning and education programmes are not well equipped to support children's early literacy. Staff have poor knowledge of how to best support children to

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

develop the skills they need to become successful readers, writers and learners. Despite this, children enjoy story time and become engrossed in the telling of the narrative. The older children routinely practise spelling and writing their names by rote and recognise the letters in their name. However, staff do not teach children the sounds the letters make to help them to decode letters and words in other situations.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

Leaders and staff do not ensure that risks to children are consistently minimised. Hazards seen on the day of inspection had not been addressed by leaders and staff, leaving children at risk of harm. The welfare of children is not adequately protected as a result of lapses in safeguarding practice. Children arrive full of enthusiasm and are keen to be with their friends. They form secure emotional bonds with the staff and readily approach them for reassurance and support. With few exceptions, staff attend to the daily personal care needs of the children in an appropriate manner. Children behave well despite the weaknesses in teaching. Minor incidents of low level disruption are predominantly dealt with by the children themselves. They are quick to remind each other about expectations of behaviour. Only occasionally do staff need to remind children about sharing and being kind to one another. The children use a sand timer to allocate time to the use of

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

resources. One of the older children explains, 'it tells when it is time to change and let the other children have a go'. Leaders arranged for the premises to have a thorough clean over the half-term holiday and they have put in place an effective cleaning rota.

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Outcomes for children are inadequate

Weaknesses in teaching and assessment mean that children do not acquire all of the skills and abilities they need to become successful learners, especially in respect of literacy. This is confirmed in feedback to leaders from the local primary school who advised that the most recent new starters were not emotionally and educationally well prepared for school. Much of the children’s learning is self-initiated. Staff provide too little positive teaching to enhance children’s learning and progress, so most do not make the progress they are capable of making. Consequently, those children with skills and abilities below those typical for their age do not catch up in their learning. Inspectors observed children outdoors, using short rulers and attempting to measure the depth of the water they collected. However, staff’s interventions meant that the children were harried and given insufficient time to complete their investigations, develop their understanding of measure

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Outcomes for children are inadequate

or to hone their critical thinking. Staff’s interference and their lack of skilful questioning mean that children's investigations do not lead to secure learning. For instance, the children were not well supported by staff to make comparisons between quantities. Children were not encouraged to persevere when faced with challenges. Consequently, they have poor problem solving skills. Despite these shortcomings, inspectors observed children relishing practising writing their names in the snow that had settled on a table. They develop their agility and coordination during daily physical activities and routines. The older children experience greater physical challenges as they use the large climbing frame in the outdoor play area. The older children confidently count sequentially up to 21. They incorporate their developing understanding of shape, size and measure in their play. Children become engrossed in the imaginary world of dinosaurs which they initiate and

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Outcomes for children are inadequate

develop. They talk enthusiastically about where the dinosaurs live and the nature of the Jurassic World they have created. A three-year-old child talked with confidence about the world of dinosaurs, their habitat and threats from larger dinosaurs. The children show concern for the environment as they plant and nurture fruit and vegetables in the allotment and garden area, and help to tidy away resources.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY338462 Local authority Warwickshire Inspection number 1035755 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 13 Name of provider Warton Preschool Nursery Committee Date of previous inspection 10 December 2014 Telephone number 01827 894 445

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Setting details

Warton Pre-School Nursery was registered in 1979 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is owned and managed by Warton Pre-School committee. It operates from a converted school building in the village of Warton, near Tamworth. Children have access to an enclosed area for outdoor play. The group serves the local and surrounding areas and is accessible to all children. The group opens Monday to Friday, during school term times. Sessions are from 7.15am to 12 noon and 12 noon to 3pm. A lunch club operates from 12 noon to 1pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 13 children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age range. The group provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The group supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. There are three staff

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Setting details

who work directly with the children, all of whom hold appropriate qualifications at level 3 to 4. The nursery receives support from the local authority.

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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. 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

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Setting details

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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