St Michaels Nursery School

St Michaels Nursery School St Michaels Road, Maidstone, ME16 8BS

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 29 June 2016 Not applicable

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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

 Staff do not always ensure that all parents are made aware of accidents that children have during the day. This compromises children's welfare.  Staff do not supervise children effectively to ensure they are safe at all times. This is also a breach of the Childcare Register requirements.  Staff do not identify and reduce all hazards and risks to keep children safe and meet their needs. This is also a breach of the Childcare Register requirements.  The management team does not effectively encourage staff to improve their skills. Staff do not receive good quality support to ensure they are aware of what is expected from them and to help them develop their practice.  Outcomes for children are inadequate. Children do not receive appropriate encouragement or challenging and interesting activities to help them make good progress. Staff do not work effectively with parents to help them continue their

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This provision is inadequate

children's learning at home.  Management and staff do not accurately track children's development to be clearly aware of how well they are making progress. Staff complete some assessments but they do not identify children's skills and abilities accurately.  Self-evaluation is not effective. The provider has not identified weaknesses in practice and has not got clear improvement plans to raise standards.

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It has the following strengths

 Children are keen and happy to attend the nursery and settle quickly.

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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 that parents are made aware of any accidents or injuries that children have 11/07/2016

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Due Date

 ensure that staff are deployed effectively to support children's safety and to meet their individual needs 11/07/2016

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Due Date

 ensure that risk assessments identify all hazards to children and that staff take effective action to reduce these risks 11/07/2016

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Due Date

 provide staff with effective support through guidance and coaching to raise the quality of teaching 11/07/2016

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Due Date

 ensure staff provide interesting and challenging activities to consistently engage and interest children, and work with parents to help move children forward with their learning 12/09/2016

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Due Date

 improve the methods of observing and assessing children's learning and development to monitor their progress effectively. 12/09/2016

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Due Date

To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

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Due Date

 make effective use of self-evaluation to identify and target all weaknesses in practice to improve outcomes for all children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspection was carried out following the risk assessment process.  The inspector talked with parents, staff and children at various times during the inspection.  The inspector held a joint observation with the manager and discussed the outcomes of the activity.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager and spoke to the provider. The inspector reviewed documentation and discussed how the management team supports staff and evaluates their practice.  The inspector observed the quality of teaching, inside and outside, and assessed the impact of this on children's learning.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

Safeguarding is ineffective. Staff do not understand their responsibility to pass the appropriate information to parents when children have accidents. They do not supervise children sufficiently to ensure they are not at risk of harm. Staff are aware of who to report concerns to outside the setting. The provider and manager do not monitor staff practice closely enough. For example, staff do not receive adequate training and support to develop their skills to support children well. The provider has not identified all areas of practice that need to be developed or improved. The manager maintains appropriate ratios to meet the statutory requirements. Staff keep accurate attendance records to ensure that all children are accounted for. The manager knows when to seek additional support for children who have special educational needs and has established links with other professionals. The provider has a clear understanding of when it is appropriate to

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

notify Ofsted of any changes and appropriately responds to complaints.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

The well-qualified staff team does not use its skills to support children's learning and development effectively. Staff have a poor understanding of how to plan activities based on children's interests and levels of development. Children are not provided with sufficient support or challenge in their learning to develop their ideas and abilities. Staff do not always involve parents so they can support children's learning at home. Management and staff have little understanding of how to track and monitor children's development. Some staff support children's communication and language development effectively. For example, children enjoy sharing stories and singing songs.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

Staff do not work well together to ensure they supervise children adequately. For example, children are able to access toys from tall cupboards, and staff do not notice when they are hurt by toys falling on them. Staff do not ensure that they identify all of the risks to children. The garden has plants that are harmful and staff do not recognise the risk to children or minimise their contact with them. Children gain some independence and confidence in their own ability. For example, they like to tidy away after lunch and wash up their plates.

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Outcomes for children are inadequate

Children do not make sufficient progress in their learning and development. Children are not motivated to explore further and develop their own ideas. They learn some physical skills, such as playing bat and balls games outside. Children do not learn enough skills to help prepare them for the move to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY497009 Local authority Kent Inspection number 1054636 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 2 - 4 Total number of places 31 Number of children on roll 55 Name of registered person Positive Beginnings Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01622 532167

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reference number

St Michaels Nursery School registered in 2015. The nursery is open from 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, term time only. The provider receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are 11 staff, of whom eight hold relevant early years qualifications and the manager has early years teacher status.

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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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