The Apple Tree Nursery School

The Apple Tree Nursery School 373 Scraptoft Lane, Scraptoft, LEICESTER, LE7 9SE

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18 May 2016 30 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

 At inspection it was found that the setting had not notified Ofsted of changes to the provider's details. In addition, the required documentation relating to their name, home address and telephone number were not available. This is a breach of requirements.  Arrangements for confirming staff suitability are not fully effective. Key information confirming that all staff have undergone the necessary vetting procedures were not available at the time of the inspection.  Records of children's attendance are not accurately maintained. They do not include the name of each child's key person.  Staffing arrangements are not effective in ensuring that children are safe and adequately supervised at all times. Staff are not successfully deployed to ensure that all children's care and learning needs are consistently met.  Not all children are assigned a key person. This means that staff are not able to ensure

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This provision is inadequate

that every child's care and learning is tailored to meet their individual needs. Assessment arrangements are not effective enough.  The quality of teaching and staff's understanding of safeguarding, policies and procedures are too variable. Managers do not effectively check staff's knowledge and monitor their practice to ensure they are confident with their responsibilities and to raise the standard of teaching, care and learning.

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It has the following strengths

 Overall, children's health is appropriately promoted. Children have daily opportunities to develop their physical skills as they play outside in the large garden.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage and the Childcare Register the provider must:

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Due Date

 ensure the name, home address and telephone number of the provider is up to date and accessible 23/06/2016

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Due Date

 maintain a daily record of the names of the children being cared for on the premises and the name of each child's key person 23/06/2016

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Due Date

 provide evidence that relevant vetting procedures have been completed for staff (including the Disclosure and Barring Service check reference number, the date the disclosure was obtained and details of who obtained it) to demonstrate their suitability 23/06/2016

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Due Date

 ensure that staff are deployed effectively so that children are safe and adequately supervised at all times 23/06/2016

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Due Date

 manage staff deployment more effectively, in order to ensure that children's care and learning needs are consistently well met 23/06/2016

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Due Date

 ensure every child is assigned a key person, in order to help ensure that every child's care and learning meets their individual needs 23/06/2016

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Due Date

 ensure staff receive coaching, training and support that they require to develop a good understanding of how to effectively fulfil their roles and responsibilities to support children's care, learning and welfare 23/06/2016

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Due Date

 ensure all staff understand the safeguarding policy and procedures, and that they have an up-to-date knowledge and understanding of safeguarding issues 23/06/2016

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Due Date

 increase staff's knowledge and understanding of how to complete the required written summary of children's progress between the ages of two and three years, and share this with parents 23/06/2016

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Due Date

 improve the assessment of children's development and use this information to plan more effectively and support children to move on to the next stage in their learning. 23/06/2016 To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

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Due Date

 liaise more effectively with parents to establish what they know about their children's existing knowledge and abilities so this supports staff to plan and accurately assess children's learning.

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Inspection activities

 Ofsted carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about this provider.  The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outside. She assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector viewed all areas of the premises used by children, including the outdoor environment.  The inspector held a meeting with the temporary deputy manager. She looked at relevant documentation, such as the setting's self-evaluation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.  The inspector spoke to a number of parents, staff and children during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective. The provider has failed to inform Ofsted of changes to her circumstances. In addition, a number of key records are not maintained and lack essential detail. At the time of the inspection, the adult-to-child ratios met the requirements, however the records of attendance lacked important details. Recent and significant changes of staff mean that most children have not been assigned a key person. Consequently, staff are not able to ensure that children's care and learning fully reflects their individual needs. The deployment of staff is not effective in ensuring children are appropriately supervised and safe at all times, and that their learning needs are met. The deputy was able to talk about the vetting arrangements to check the suitability of staff. However, records confirming these were not available at the time of the inspection. Furthermore, procedures to support staff and ensure that they have a secure and

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

confident knowledge and understanding of their roles and responsibilities are not effective. This means that there are gaps in some staff's knowledge of safeguarding, and teaching practice is not consistently of a good enough standard.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

Not all staff have a secure and confident knowledge and understanding of how to promote children's learning and development. They do not always liaise effectively with parents to establish what children know and can do. They complete some observations and make assessments of children's achievements. However, they do not always use this information effectively to plan for individual children. As a result, some activities do not sufficiently stretch and challenge children's learning. This means that children are not consistently supported in achieving their next steps for learning. Staff are aware of the requirement to complete a progress check for children aged between two and three years. However, they are not fully confident about when and how to do this. As a result, this is sometimes missed or lacks sufficient detail.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

Children's welfare is compromised because of safeguarding weaknesses in leadership in management. Children are settled and join in with the activities on offer, although these are not always challenging or stimulating enough to enable them to make good progress. They form firm friendships with each other and as a rule, behave well. Staff offer praise and encourage children to share, take turns and be kind to one another. Arrangements for meals and snacks contribute to children's good health. Meals are freshly prepared on-site and include fruit and vegetables. The menu is updated and shared with parents taking into account children's individual dietary needs. Children play outside daily in the well- resourced garden. They develop their physical skills as they climb, run and propel bikes and trikes.

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Outcomes for children are inadequate

Outcomes for children are not good enough. The quality of teaching is too variable and the deployment of staff does not fully support children's care, learning and welfare. Children are not sufficiently prepared for their next stage in learning or move on to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY393094 Local authority Leicestershire Inspection number 1051145 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 42 Number of children on roll 53 Name of registered person The Apple Tree Leicester Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 30 August 2013 Telephone number 0116 2413351

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reference number

The Apple Tree Nursery School was registered in 2009. The nursery employs 13 members of childcare staff. Of these, 11 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. The nursery receives funding to provide free early years education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The nursery supports children who speak English as an additional language and children who have special educational needs or disability.

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reference number

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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reference number

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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reference number

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reference number

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reference number

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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