St Albans Little Learners C I C

St Albans Little Learners C I C St Albans Church Hall, Finstock Avenue, Blurton, Staffordshire, ST3 3JS

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18 March 2016 16 August 2013

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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

 Standards of teaching and children's learning have declined. Actions from the previous inspection have not been adequately addressed. Further weaknesses in teaching and learning have not been identified or tackled.  Assessment of children's achievements is not always accurate. The next steps identified for children's learning are not always well matched to their abilities, shared with all staff or used to plan suitably challenging activities.  Too little focus is given to working in partnership with parents and carers. Some key persons do not engage with all parents and carers to find out what children are achieving at home. Parents and carers are not given the opportunity to agree when to complete the progress check for children aged between two and three years or to share the summary with other professionals, such as health visitors.  The key person arrangements do not help all children develop their self-esteem, feel

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This provision is inadequate

fully included or develop strong relationships with others.  At times, staff are too focused on routine tasks. As a result, children's learning is not always promoted. They are not supported to cooperate with each other and solve problems for themselves.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff give priority to keeping children safe. Children are helped to manage their feelings and behaviours. They enjoy exploring, both in the indoor and outdoor play areas.  Overall, children are developing their independence. They seek resources to play with, wipe their own noses and select utensils at mealtimes.

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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 assessment is informed by the views of all parents and carers and used to identify accurate next steps for children's future learning 11/04/2016

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Due Date

 ensure every child's individual next steps in learning are understood by all staff and used to plan suitably challenging activities to help children make adequate progress, given their starting points 11/04/2016

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Due Date

 agree with parents when to complete the progress check for children aged between two and three years, provide parents with a written summary and encourage them to share the information with other relevant professionals, such as health visitors 11/04/2016

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Due Date

 ensure each key person seeks to engage with all parents to help them continue children's learning at home, and helps all children to be included and to develop their self-esteem and positive relationships with others 11/04/2016

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Due Date

 improve the arrangements for completing routine tasks and ensure staff plan purposeful experiences and promote children's learning throughout the day 11/04/2016

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Due Date

 make sure staff receive the training, coaching and support they need to develop their teaching skills and improve children's learning. 11/04/2016 To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

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Due Date

 help pre-school children learn to cooperate with each other and resolve problems for themselves.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the nursery manager.  The inspector held meetings with the nursery manager and deputy manager. She looked at relevant documentation, such as the nursery's self-evaluation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.  The inspector spoke with some children and staff at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector spoke to a small selection of parents and carers during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

Although staff are suitably qualified, weaknesses in their teaching and children's learning have not been identified or addressed. Managers do not ensure staff receive the support, coaching and training they need to develop their teaching skills. Consequently, children's learning is not adequately promoted. Safeguarding is effective. Staff are recruited safely and checks are completed to ensure they are suitable to care for children. Children are safe as they play. Staff take the necessary steps to keep all areas free from hazards and they protect children from harm. They know the action they must take if they are concerned about a child's welfare. The views of parents are sought as part of the nursery's self-evaluation. Parents feel managers and staff listen and value their opinions and comments.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

The quality of teaching has significant weaknesses. Staff do not consistently obtain information from all parents and carers about what children are learning at home. This means ongoing assessment is not accurate. Staff do not ask parents when is the best time to complete the progress check for children aged between two and three years. Parents are not given the opportunity to share this check with other professionals, such as their health visitor. This does not promote effective partnerships. Children are not always adequately challenged. At times, staff are more focused on completing routine tasks and do not ensure children are engaged in purposeful play. Plans made for children's future learning are not always focused on the areas where children are making less progress. Staff do not consistently share children's next steps with the rest of the staff team. However, all children show an interest in the wide range of resources made available to

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

them. Young children use their imaginations as they engage in pretend play. They enjoy exploring musical instruments and some young children join in with singing rhymes. Staff ensure older children, and those who speak English as an additional language, develop the skills they need to communicate with others.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

Children's social and emotional well-being are not always fostered. The key person arrangements result in some children sitting alone at a table during mealtimes with their key person. This hinders their interactions and relationships with other children and adults. Staff encourage children to share, take turns and be kind to others. Children enjoy carrying out small tasks, such as tidying away resources when they have finished playing. However, when pre-school children struggle to cooperate and work together to carry a heavy box, staff intervene too quickly and do not encourage them to resolve the problem for themselves. Children are learning the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. They enjoy time to play outdoors in the fresh air. Overall, meals and snacks are nutritious and balanced.

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Outcomes for children are inadequate

Children are not sufficiently prepared for school or the next stage in their learning. They are not all helped to achieve typical progress from their starting points. The gaps in children's learning are not closing and in some instances they are widening. Older children develop their literacy skills as they copy initial sounds in words and link those sounds to written letters. All children are learning to listen and follow instructions. They develop their early reading skills as they explore books.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY385005 Local authority Stoke on Trent Inspection number 1028581 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 53 Name of provider St Albans Little Learners Nursery CIC Date of previous inspection 16 August 2013 Telephone number 01782 367470

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Setting details

St Albans Little Learners CIC was registered in 2008. The nursery employs 10 members of childcare staff. Of these, one member of staff holds an appropriate early years qualification at level 5, seven staff hold a qualification at level 3 and two hold a qualification at level 2. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. The nursery supports children who speak English as an additional language.

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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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