Alpha Day Nursery

Alpha Day Nursery 413 High Road, LONDON, N17 6RD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16 March 2016 8 July 2015

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

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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 has persistently failed to rectify breaches of the Early Years Foundation Stage requirements to ensure children's safety and well-being.  Children are not safeguarded because managers do not report child protection concerns; children are exposed to risks because the premises are not secure; staff are ineffectively deployed to meet children’s needs and the suitability of staff cannot be verified because staff recruitment is weak.  Children's health is not promoted because the premises are unhygienic and fresh drinking water is not accessible to children at all times. Furthermore, staff do not keep a record of when medication has been administered to children, and there are no procedures in place to protect the health of children who may have an allergic reaction.  Children's behaviour is not managed well. As a result, children do not learn how or why they should behave in order to keep themselves and each other safe.

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This provision is inadequate

 Children progress in their learning is hindered because the quality of teaching is inadequate. Staff do not involve parents as partners in their children’s learning. Furthermore, the quality of teaching is not monitored because arrangements for staff supervision are poor.  Arrangements to support children who speak English as an additional language are weak, which significantly affects their development and their future learning.

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It has the following strengths

 The staff are hard-working and work together as a team.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

The provision is inadequate and Ofsted intends to take enforcement action

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

We intend to take steps to cancel registration and will issue a Welfare Requirements Notice requiring the provider to:

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Due Date

 make sure the premises are secure to ensure people cannot enter without being checked and children cannot leave unsupervised 17/03/2016

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Due Date

 ensure all staff have appropriate training, skills and knowledge and a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities; this is to ensure they can identify and take prompt action to minimise risks 08/04/2016

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Due Date

 ensure the supervision of staff, including managers, provides support, coaching and training, and fosters continuous improvement 08/04/2016

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Due Date

 make sure children can access fresh drinking water at all times 17/03/2016  make sure staffing arrangements meet the needs of all children and ensure their safety at all times 17/03/2016

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Due Date

 promote the good health of children attending the setting; this is with particular regard to the cleanliness of the premises and resources, the suitability of the area where babies’ milk and children’s snacks are prepared and the nappy changing facilities 08/04/2016

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Due Date

 promote the good health of children by recording each time a medicine is administered to a child and ensure staff have a clear procedure to follow to support children with allergies 17/03/2016

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Due Date

 record sufficient information about the identity checks and vetting processes completed to demonstrate the suitability of staff and ensure that a DBS check is obtained by the nursery for each member of staff 08/04/2016

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Due Date

 ensure staff manage children’s behaviour appropriately to enable children to understand how and why they should behave in order to keep themselves and each other safe 08/04/2016

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Due Date

 ensure that all staff are able to recognise and respond appropriately to any safeguarding concerns, and that a referral to appropriate agencies is made in a prompt manner. 08/04/2016 To meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage the provider must:

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Due Date

 improve staff's teaching skills, so all those who work with children can plan and provide challenging experiences to enable all children to make good progress 30/04/2016

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Due Date

 assess and identify children’s level of achievement; use this information to track children’s progress across all areas of learning 30/04/2016

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Due Date

 ensure a two-way flow of information with parents and carers, help parents to support their children’s learning home 30/04/2016

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Due Date

 improve staff’s knowledge of how to support children’s language and communication skills especially children who speak English as an additional language so they make the best possible progress. 30/04/2016

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Inspection activities

 The inspection was carried out following concerns being raised about safeguarding  The inspectors observed activities and spoke with children and staff at appropriate times during the day.  The inspectors held discussions with the nursery managers.  The inspectors spoke with a sample of parents and took account of their views.  One inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspectors looked at a sample of policies, procedures and records, including those used for checking the suitability of staff.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

The provider has persistently failed to meet the requirements of Early Years Foundation Stage. As a result, Ofsted is taking steps to cancel the provider’s registration. Safeguarding is ineffective. Staff have recently attended training to increase their knowledge and understanding of safeguarding procedures. However, managers have failed to refer child protection concerns to the appropriate agencies. As a result, children who may be at risk of possible harm are not safeguarded. The provider has continually failed to ensure that staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe. Staff are not vigilant about ensuring children’s safety. For example, the deputy manager has not taken timely action to make the building secure. Children’s safety is further compromised because the procedure for administering medication is weak. Staff fail to record when medicine has been given to a child. The provider has not followed

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

robust procedures for the recruitment of all staff, including persons associated with the setting. As a result, staff’s suitability to work with children cannot be verified. A record is not kept to show that identity checks have been completed and some staff do not have a DBS check undertaken by the provider. The provider and managers have failed to monitor the quality of teaching and consequently, children do not make the progress they should, which significantly hinders their learning and development. Arrangements for staff supervision are ineffective. The provider does not ensure that managers receive support to help them focus on improving the quality of care and learning for children. Some parents do not have opportunities to look at their children’s development records and staff do not help parents to continue their children’s learning at home. Although one of the managers has a realistic view of the current practice, this has not ensured sufficient improvement to

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

The provider’s expectations for children’s achievement are too low. As a result, children do not make sufficient progress in their learning and development. Pre-school staff are beginning to work together to plan activities for children. However, staff are not aware of children’s capabilities and they do not challenge and stretch them in their learning. As a result, children lose interest and they do not develop the concentration and perseverance skills they need for their future learning. Babies enjoy water play, but their progress is limited as staff do not use their knowledge of babies’ learning needs to teach them skills such as walking. Arrangements to support children who speak English as an additional language are poor. Staff do not encourage children to speak their home language or to develop their English speaking skills. Consequently, some children who require specific help are ignored and do not receive the support they need to achieve good outcomes.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

Older children are encouraged to count through everyday activities but their progress in mathematical development is hindered because staff misname shapes. For example, staff tell children that a sphere is called a circle. Staff encourage children to make the sound that represents some letters and they frequently ask children to repeat an alphabet song. However, children’s communication and language development is hindered because staff do not effectively identify the specific learning needs of the children.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

Children’s health is compromised because the premises are unclean and staff do not follow appropriate hygiene practices. Parts of the premises and some resources, such as children’s chairs and toys, are dirty. Ineffective procedures are in place to support children with allergies to ensure their well-being. As a result, not all staff know how to help children who may suffer an allergic reaction. The area used to prepare babies’ milk is not hygienic and staff do not notice that the torn nappy changing mat exposes children to the risk of cross infection. Children do not understand how they should behave. They frequently test and challenge boundaries because staff do not establish clear guidelines for acceptable behaviour. Older children frequently display unsafe and unwanted behaviour. Consequently, they are unable to learn how to manage their feelings and develop a positive sense of themselves and others. Staff organise some interesting activities, such as

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

ball games, that children enjoy. However, children’s learning is frequently interrupted by children snatching the ball and they are unable to wait for their turn. Some children enjoy close relationships with staff; however, due to poor deployment of staff children’s individual needs are not met. Staff do not always communicate with babies to alert their attention to what is happening next. For example, a baby was lifted out of one chair and placed in a bouncy chair without any eye contact or verbal communication. This poor practice significantly hinders babies’ communication development and does not help them to feel safe and secure. Babies are exposed to risks because they are encouraged to play with very small construction toys. Babies put these pieces into their mouths and staff fail to notice. Children’s emotional well-being and confidence are not fostered and the needs of some children who do not complain go unnoticed because these children receive limited

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Outcomes for children are inadequate

The provider’s persistent failure to meet the requirements means children’s health and safety are compromised. The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate. Older children’s records of achievements do not accurately reflect their knowledge and skills. For example, staff record children have achieved goals inaccurately, such as knowing how to manage their own behaviour well. Staff do not use their observations effectively to plan suitable challenges for children. As a result, children do not make the progress they should, and they are prepared insufficiently for the next stage in their learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY414545 Local authority Haringey Inspection number 1042544 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 - 5 Total number of places 54 Number of children on roll 52 Name of provider Rainbow Early Years and Childcare Ltd Date of previous inspection 8 July 2015 Telephone number 02088818850

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Setting details

Alpha Day Nursery is run by Rainbow Early Years and Childcare Ltd. It opened in 2011 and operates from the first floor of a church building in Tottenham. It is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6.30pm for 51 weeks of the year. The nursery provides funded early education places for two-, three- and four-year-olds. The nursery employs 11 members of staff; ten hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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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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