Solid Start Day Nursery

Solid Start Day Nursery 10 Village Square, Chelmer Village, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 6RF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 6 April 2016 25 October 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

 The provider demonstrates a very poor knowledge and understanding of her role and responsibilities. She has failed to carry out a Disclosure and Barring Service check for some staff who work on the premises and who work directly with children.  Staff are not deployed effectively to ensure that children receive good quality interactions or that their individual needs are met.  Staff do not provide children with consistent boundaries and routines to ensure they are fully aware of the expectations of them. They use negative language with the children and do not encourage positive behaviour. This has a significant negative impact on children's confidence, self-esteem and general well-being.  Staff do not plan effectively for children's learning. They do not support children's ability to make choices in their play and to think for themselves. Children become disengaged and are often left without play activities to enthuse and motivate them.

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This provision is inadequate

 Staff do not ensure their interactions take account of the differing needs, abilities and interests of children when engaging them in play activities. They do not provide children with appropriate levels of challenge. Most children are not achieving what is expected for their age and stage of development.

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It has the following strengths

 Children experience fresh air and physical exercise daily on walks to places, such as the local park and shops.

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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

 ensure that an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check is obtained for all staff who work on the childcare premises during times when childcare takes place 25/04/2016

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Due Date

 ensure that staff are deployed effectively to make sure that children experience high-quality interactions and that their needs are met at all times 25/04/2016

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Due Date

 ensure that children's behaviour is managed appropriately, making sure that consistent boundaries and routines are in place and that staff use positive language to support children to understand what is acceptable behaviour 25/04/2016

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Due Date

 ensure that all staff working in the setting have sufficient knowledge and understanding to implement their role and responsibilities effectively. 25/04/2016

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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 activities across all areas of learning enable children to make choices in their play and help them to develop their ability to think for themselves 25/04/2016

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Due Date

 ensure staff, through positive interaction, take account of the different ways children learn so that the differing needs, capabilities and interests of all children can be met through sufficient levels of challenge. 25/04/2016

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and on a walk to the local park.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the nursery manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the nursery manager and provider. She looked at relevant documentation, such as the nursery's self-evaluation and evidence of the suitability of staff.  The inspector spoke to staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection and viewed children's development records.  The inspector spoke to a small number of parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

The provider demonstrates a poor capacity to improve. She has failed to address actions raised at previous inspections. The quality of teaching continues to be poor and action taken by the provider to address this is ineffective. The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective. The provider has failed to carry out a Disclosure and Barring Service check for some of the staff that work on the premises and who work directly with children. This poses a significant risk to children's welfare as the suitability of these staff members cannot be assured. Risk assessments are carried out each day to promote children's safety. The manager, who has recently returned to work part time, has evaluated the setting and is aware of weaknesses in practice. However, she is not being supported by the provider in implementing the necessary improvements. The manager has started to monitor the progress that specific groups of children are making. She has started to take

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

some action to address the gaps in children's learning. Staff complete mandatory training and have meetings with the management to assess their practice. However, as the leadership is poor, the quality of teaching is not monitored effectively.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

Although the provider and most of the staff are qualified, they do not have an adequate understanding of how children learn or have high enough expectations of what children can achieve. Their assessments of children's levels of ability are accurate. However, the activities they plan are mundane, uninteresting and not matched to children's individual needs. Children quickly lose interest during play. Staff fail to recognise when children do not want to take part in particular planned activities. In addition, this is poorly executed in practice. For example, during a sand play activity, there are too many children around the sand pit for them all to have an enjoyable learning experience. When attempts by staff to engage children are unsuccessful, children are left with no alternative activities. Staff do not offer sufficient levels of challenge to extend their learning. Staff do not encourage children appropriately to help them think for themselves, to lead their own learning or

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

make their own choices in their play. Staff engage with parents and provide feedback about their children's progress. They have started to advise parents on how they can support learning at home. Staff support disabled children and those with special educational needs in line with guidance from other professionals involved. They share appropriate information between parents and health professionals to keep children's care plans up to date.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

Children's behaviour is not managed well. Staff use negative language when reiterating the rules to the children and young babies. In addition, routines are disorganised and confuse the children. Activities are abruptly stopped, resources taken away and children often have to wait for staff to set up the next activity with little offered to stimulate them. This has a negative impact on children's confidence, self-esteem and ability to remain engaged in activities. In addition, staff do not encourage and promote children's social skills. They continually fail to encourage sharing and turn taking with the children. The provider ensures the required ratios are maintained. However, she does not deploy staff effectively. In particular, during staff lunch breaks, there are sometimes only two members of staff with the children across both the pre-school and toddler rooms. This results in staff supervising the children instead of providing good quality teaching and

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

interactions and ensuring that all children's needs are met. Children's dietary requirements are known and addressed to promote children's good health. The manager has recently implemented new strategies to encourage healthy eating and regular physical exercise.

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Outcomes for children are inadequate

Not enough children are working within the range of development that is typical for their age. They are not well prepared for the next stage in their learning, including starting school. Children are not learning vital social skills, such as turn taking, sharing and managing their own feelings and behaviour. Some children who are more able are starting to recognise letters and numbers, and develop pencil control. Gaps in learning for some children who receive additional funding are not showing signs of closing quickly enough.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY418824 Local authority Essex Inspection number 1028311 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 - 9 Total number of places 38 Number of children on roll 36 Name of provider Solid Start Childcare Services Limited Date of previous inspection 25 October 2013 Telephone number 01245 461477

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Setting details

Solid Start Day Nursery was registered in 2011 and operates under a limited company. The nursery employs 10 members of childcare staff. Of these, eight hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above, including the provider who holds Early Years Professional status. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7am to 7pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four- year-old children. It supports a number of disabled children and those with special educational needs.

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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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