Bluebirds@ St Nicholas

Bluebirds@ St Nicholas St. Nicholas Primary School, Orthes Street, LIVERPOOL, L3 5XF

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 19 September 2016 Not applicable

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

 Children are not provided with challenging and enjoyable learning experiences. As a result, too few children make the progress they should in literacy, mathematics and their personal care, such as toileting.  Leaders and managers do not take into account babies’ and toddlers’ emotional needs when they start at the nursery. Babies and toddlers are not given sufficient time to settle into their new environment. As a consequence, they remain distressed for long periods of time.  Although children are assigned to a key person when they start at the nursery, this information is not shared with all parents. As a result, parents are unable to build a relationship with their child’s key person, which affects their child’s emotional well- being.  Leaders do not adequately monitor the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, and they fail to address identified gaps in the educational programme.  The system used for tracking children’s progress is not used well enough to support

p.1

It has the following strengths

 Children are provided with wholesome meals and snacks, which promotes their good health.

p.1

What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

p.2

Due Date

 ensure that the settling-in procedures meet the emotional needs of babies and toddlers, for example, by gradually building up periods of time that children are away from their parents 10/10/2016

p.2

Due Date

 implement effective procedures for tracking children’s progress and where emerging concerns are identified, take prompt action to remedy these weaknesses 10/10/2016

p.2

Due Date

 ensure that children make good progress in relation to their starting points, for example, by providing children with activities and experiences to help them learn and develop their skills with particular regard to mathematics, literacy and managing their personal care needs 10/10/2016

p.2

Due Date

 ensure that the procedures for monitoring the quality of the educational programme are rigorous and use this information to plan challenging and enjoyable experiences for all children 10/10/2016

p.2

Due Date

 promote partnership working with parents by ensuring that all parents know the name of their child’s key person. 10/10/2016

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspection was carried out following concerns raised about the provider's ability to meet requirements of registration and provide a quality provision for all children.  The inspector observed the quality of staff practice and the impact this has on children’s learning and well-being.  The inspector held meetings with the leadership and management team.  The inspector spoke to parents and reviewed parents’ questionnaires.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of staff working with children.

p.2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

Leaders do not have an accurate overview on the quality of the provision and they have failed to address identified weaknesses. Although leaders have identified significant gaps in the educational programme, they have not taken prompt action to address these weaknesses. As a result, children do not make the progress they are capable of. The daily routine is not planned well enough to meet the needs of babies and toddlers settling into the nursery. The qualified staff team are kind and nurturing in their approach, and they do their utmost to settle the babies and toddlers who are extremely distressed by giving them one-to-one attention. However, leaders have failed to take into account the effective transitions needed to help babies and toddlers settle into the nursery routine. As a result, there are too many babies crying and staff are unable to meet the needs of all children. Consequently, some toddlers cry themselves to sleep. This distress has a significant

p.3

Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

impact on their emotional needs. Staff have some opportunities to develop their skills through relevant training, such as child protection, and all staff have a good understanding of the possible signs and symptoms of abuse. As a result, safeguarding is effective.

p.3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

Expectations of what children can do are not high enough and as a consequence, children do not benefit from challenging and enjoyable learning experiences. When children start at the nursery they are on track in their learning and development. However, when children leave the nursery, too many children are underachieving in most areas of their development, which has a detrimental impact on their future learning. Staff take reasonable steps to communicate with children who speak English as an additional language, for example by learning key words in their home language. This approach positively supports their communication with children.

p.3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

The transition arrangements for children settling into the nursery are inadequate and do not meet the needs of babies and toddlers. As a result, staff are unable to support babies’ and toddlers’ emotional well-being. The nursery environment is equipped with a good selection of toys and resources. However, babies and toddlers have too few opportunities to explore their environment because they are too distressed and upset for most of the morning session. In the afternoon, some children have settled and show some signs of engagement. However, their levels of engagement are low. Children’s emotional well- being is further hindered due to the lack of partnership working with parents. Parents have insufficient opportunities to build a relationship with their child’s key person and some parents do not know who is looking after their child.

p.3

Outcomes for children are inadequate

Most children, regardless of their age, gender and ability, are not gaining the skills they need for future learning. Children’s learning is hindered due to weak leadership. Leaders have failed to take prompt action to address identified weaknesses in the educational programmes, most notably in mathematics and literacy. Although the newly appointed manager has made some changes to improve outcomes for children, the impact of these changes is not yet evident. As a result, the gap is not closing quickly enough and outcomes for children are inadequate. However, the manager has a clear vision on what needs to improve.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number EY481345 Local authority Liverpool Inspection number 1073238 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 0 - 4 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 15 Name of registered person St Nicholas Catholic Primary School Governing Body

p.5

reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 0151 709 5532

p.5

reference number

Bluebirds @ St Nicholas was registered in 2014. The nursery is situated on the ground floor of St Nicholas Catholic Primary School in the city of Liverpool and is managed by the governing body of the school. The nursery employs six members of childcare staff, including the manager. Of these, three hold an appropriate early years qualification at level 6 and three at level 3. The nursery opens Monday to Friday from 7.45am until 6pm for 51 weeks of the year.

p.5

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.

p.5

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.

p.5

reference number

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.6

reference number

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

p.6

reference number

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

p.6