Ar-Risaalah Nursery

Ar-Risaalah Nursery Basement Part, 69/85 Whitmore Road, Small Heath, Birmingham, B10 0NR

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18 March 2016 25 June 2014

p.1

This inspection: Inadequate 4

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

p.1

This inspection: Inadequate 4

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Inadequate 4

p.1

This inspection: Inadequate 4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate 4

p.1

This inspection: Inadequate 4

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate 4

p.1

This provision is inadequate

 This is the fifth consecutive inspection where the provider has not met the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to make the necessary improvements. Leaders do not make effective use of meetings with staff, training and quality assurance observations to drive up the quality of care, learning and development that children receive.  Staff do not know how best to support children’s learning. They do not plan challenging and interesting activities to support children’s learning and development across all areas. Staff's observations and assessments of children's learning are poor. Children make limited progress and gaps in their learning remain.  Staff recruitment arrangements are not rigorous enough. Leaders have made staff appointments accepting poor quality written references. Communication with parents is not well support by the key person system.

p.1

This provision is inadequate

 Not all staff have a secure knowledge and understanding of the child protection procedures. Children’s records contain inaccurate information about individual children’s medication and dietary requirements. Risk assessments are not used effectively to identify obvious hazards seen both indoors and out.

p.1

It has the following strengths

 Children who are new to English are ably supported to settle in the nursery by bilingual staff.  Parents express high levels of confidence in staff and their comments about the setting are very positive.

p.1

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:

p.2

Due Date

 ensure that all staff understand the setting’s safeguarding policy and procedures; that all staff have up to date knowledge of safeguarding issues; they know what to do when an allegation is made against staff, and are able to respond to concerns about the welfare of children in a timely and appropriate way 22/04/2016

p.2

Due Date

 address the weaknesses in the recruitment procedures to ensure that people looking after children are suitable to fulfil the requirements of their roles. Put effective systems in place to ensure that practitioners and any other person who is likely to have regular contact with children are suitable 22/04/2016

p.2

Due Date

 ensure that all staff receive effective professional support to help them understand their roles and responsibilities; and ensure that leaders support staff to undertake appropriate training and professional development opportunities to ensure they offer quality learning and development experiences for children 30/06/2016

p.2

Due Date

 put appropriate arrangements in place for the supervision of staff. Ensure that effective supervision provides support, coaching and training for the practitioner and promotes the interests of children. Use supervision to foster continuous improvement, which encourages the confidential discussion of sensitive issues 22/04/2016

p.2

Due Date

 improve the effectiveness of the key person system to ensure that every child’s care is tailored to meet their individual needs and to build stronger relationships and communication with their parents 22/04/2016

p.2

Due Date

 ensure that policies, and procedures, for administering prescribed medication includes effective and accurate systems for obtaining information about a child’s needs for medicines, and for keeping this information up-to-date 22/04/2016

p.2

Due Date

 ensure that information obtained about any special dietary requirements, preferences and food allergies that the child has, and any special health requirements are accurately recorded and maintained 22/04/2016

p.2

Due Date

 take all reasonable steps to ensure children are not exposed to risks. Implement effective systems to demonstrate how risks are managed and how leaders and staff identify aspects of the environment that need to be checked on a regular basis, when and by whom those aspects will be checked, and how the risk will be removed or minimised 22/04/2016

p.2

Due Date

 ensure the safe and efficient management of the setting, and ensure the needs of all children are met by improving the 22/04/2016 organisation and maintenance of records.

p.2

Due Date

To meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage the provider must:

p.3

Due Date

 improve the monitoring of the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in order to identify gaps in children’s learning and to support their good behaviour, learning and progress 30/06/2016

p.3

Due Date

 ensure that the quality of teaching and learning is consistently good and ensure that every child has the opportunity to make good progress across all areas of development 30/06/2016

p.3

Due Date

 gather detailed and accurate information about what the child can and cannot do when they start at the setting; and use this information and improved ongoing observations and assessments to chart the children’s attainment and progress over time 30/06/2016

p.3

Due Date

 provide a challenging and interesting educational programme and plan good quality activities across all developmental areas, taking into account individual children’s learning needs 30/06/2016

p.3

Due Date

 Improve staff’s use of skilled questioning and narrative to provide children with good opportunities to develop their critical thinking and reflections on their learning. 30/06/2016

p.3

Inspection activities

 This inspection took place as a result of a risk assessment following concerns about the effectiveness of the provider to meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The inspectors explored and considered these concerns with the manager.  The inspectors reviewed the improvements that leaders have made since the last inspection and their plans for future improvement.  The inspectors observed children during a range of play and learning activities in the designated play areas, including outdoors.  The inspectors held meetings with the leaders and staff.  The inspectors looked at a range of documentation including children's learning journals and the adults' planning of children's learning and development activities.  The inspectors checked evidence of the suitability of all adults working at the setting and the professional qualifications and training of staff and leaders.  The inspectors took account of the views of parents and those of children spoken to on

p.4

Inspection activities

the day.  The inspectors explored the safeguarding arrangements, the security of the premises and how effectively the provider has identified and taken steps to minimise any potential risks.

p.4

Inspectors

Deborah Jane Udakis, Her Majesty's Inspector and Kamaljit Kaur Jandu, Regulatory Inspector

p.4

Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

Leaders have failed to make the necessary improvements to the provision. There are a number of breaches of welfare and learning and development requirements. Some aspects of leader’s assessment of the suitability of staff are not rigorous enough. Performance management systems do not support improvements in practice and leaders have not identified for themselves the full extent of the areas of weakness. They have yet to put in place an effective process to identify and assess any gaps in children’s learning and development. Gaps in children’s learning are not closing because leaders and staff do not have a clear knowledge or understanding of the attainment and progress of individuals and groups of children. The arrangements to safeguard children are ineffective. Meetings with staff are not used effectively to improve the quality of teaching or to make sure that all staff have a secure knowledge of how to safeguard children and how to refer concerns

p.5

Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

about a child’s welfare. Recent improvements to the premises mean that children have access to good quality bathroom facilities and a small designated outdoor play area. However, the leaders and staff have not identified or addressed specific hazards. For instance, a rug in the toddler room was a tripping hazard; outdoors branches and shrubs poke through fences at child height and old building materials are accessible to the children. These all place children at risk of injury.

p.5

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

Staff’s evaluations of their own practice provide evidence of ineffective teaching and learning. Their evaluations show many instances where learning intentions are not met. Their poor quality questioning is not focused on helping children to develop their understanding across prime areas and numeracy or literacy. Activities provided do not meet the individual learning needs of children. For instance, a planned focused activity involved children painting over work sheets with drawings of plants and trees. All of the pre-school children completed the activity at the same time. The children had to ask staff for additional paint colours because only one pot each of green and yellow paint was provided initially. Many children completely cover their template paper with layers of paint. The older children took more care trying to keep within the lines but the process of applying brush strokes of paint and mixing different colours is what engaged the children

p.5

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

the most. Very little learning takes place. Staff’s over reliance on pre-prepared worksheets prevents children from developing their expressive art and design and problem solving skills. Consequently, children do not learn to solve problems in a safe environment in which they feel confident taking risks, learning from mistakes and trying again. The weak teaching does not allow children to do this and limits their hands on play and learning. Children do not access an appropriate curriculum, which provides them with daily opportunities to learn about reading, writing, and mathematics through meaningful activities. Staff are caring and attentive but their poor teaching skills means they are not focused on helping children to develop their learning. In the pre-school room the voice of the staff permeates and dominates the environment. Staff talk incessantly at the children using loud voices. Most older children are able to hold short conversations but their voices

p.5

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

are not heard over those of the staff. For instance, staff count loudly sequentially but children are not heard to do this. Staff’s identification of the next steps in children’s learning is not based on accurate assessment or observations. Staff’s observations and assessments are not consistent. Staff often overestimate what the children can do and provide little understanding of how to support children’s individual learning needs.

p.5

Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

Daily routines regularly interrupt children’s play and learning. Abrupt announcements by staff to tidy up do not give children time to plan and complete their play and learning before moving on to another activity. Children follow instructions but they are not routinely encouraged to make good decisions. Children’s behaviour is largely compliant. The older children follow staff instructions. However, in the toddler room, the lack of interesting and challenging activities leads to some low level disruption. When this happens, staff do little to dissuade or distract the children or to support them to engage in the activities available. Staff do not make consistent use of descriptive praise to boost children’s self-esteem and building good behaviour. For instance, too often children are praised without knowing why. When children are positively praised by staff for behaving well, they beam with pride and understand why they are being praised. The key person

p.6

Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

system is not wholly successful at ensuring effective two way information with parents. Some parents want more detailed information at the end of the day about what their child has been doing. Children develop secure and trusting relationships with the staff.

p.6

Outcomes for children are inadequate

Too few children are on track to achieve a good level of development at the end of the Foundation Stage. Outcomes for children are uncertain. Children’s progress cannot be accurately measured because of the weak and ineffective use of staff’s assessments of children’s learning. Staff do not securely gather sufficient details of the child’s skills and abilities from the time the child starts at the setting. Children’s mathematical understanding is not well supported as they do not routinely access learning and play activities where they are able to sort, categorise, put items in a series, and problem solve. Children participate in low levels of physical activity. They are not provided with enough physical challenge to help them develop the attitudes, skills and behaviours for lifelong physical activity and health. Children do not develop the habits of effective learners because they are not given time to persevere, concentrate and build their attention span.

p.6

Outcomes for children are inadequate

They do not access activities that are interesting enough to engage them for prolonged periods of time. In addition, the frequent interruptions by staff and the expectation that children stop what they are doing immediately to tidy up or get ready for snack hinders children’s concentration. For instance, one child was engrossed in a story and he was listening attentively until the activity was stopped abruptly because it was time for the focused activity. The staff’s routine use of worksheets results in missed opportunities for children to use and develop their speaking, creativity, and movement necessary for good learning and development. Consequently, children are not well-prepared for their future learning.

p.6

Setting details

Unique reference number EY434751 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 1037408 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 20 Name of provider Ar-Risaalah Academy Date of previous inspection 25 June 2014 Telephone number 07423014359

p.7

Setting details

Ar-Risaalah Nursery was registered in 2011 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. It is situated in the basement of the Alyssa Senior School in the Small Heath area of Birmingham. The nursery opens Monday to Friday during term time. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. Children attend with special educational needs and/or disabilities as well as children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery employs six members of childcare staff, including the manager. Of these, four staff have an early years qualification at level 3.

p.7

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.

p.7

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.

p.7

Setting details

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/, write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Setting details

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our website for news, information and updates at www.ofsted.gov.uk/user.

p.8

Setting details

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

p.8