Little Rascals Day Nursery

Little Rascals Day Nursery Little Rascals, 4 Rossgate, Hemel Hempstead, HP1 3LG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 27 October 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 Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Outcomes for children Requires improvement

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This provision is inadequate

 Children's safety is compromised on occasions when the nursery fails to deploy the correct number of staff in the toddler room. The provider does not fully understand or meet the welfare requirements in relation to safe adult-to-child ratios.  Staff do not understand their roles and responsibilities well enough in relation to all aspects of health and safety. They cannot demonstrate what the nursery's procedure is if a child is lost or missing.  The quality of the assessments staff make of children's learning is variable across the nursery. Some of the information used to determine children's progress in learning and development is inaccurate or unreliable.  The provider's evaluation of the nursery and plans for the future are not effective in driving improvement quickly enough. Neither does the provider sufficiently find out and take account of the views of parents and staff when planning improvements.

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It has the following strengths

 Older children confidently use numbers for counting and show an interest in letters in their names. Staff use everyday opportunities, such as counting pieces of fruit at snack time, to build on children's knowledge and understanding of numbers for counting and solving problems.  Children learn to be polite and use good manners. Staff act as positive role models to help children understand expectations.  Babies are happy and settled. They confidently explore their surroundings and relate well to their carers.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

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Due Date

 ensure staffing arrangements and deployment of staff meet the needs of all children in relation to maintaining correct adult-to-child ratios 04/11/2016

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Due Date

 review induction training in relation to health and safety issues to ensure staff have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities if a child is lost or goes missing 04/11/2016

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Due Date

 ensure ongoing assessment of children is more consistently accurate and reliable to enable children to make good progress in their learning and development. 30/11/2016

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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

 develop more rigorous and accurate self-evaluation that takes account of the views of staff, parents and children, in order to identify weaknesses and drive continuous improvement.

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Inspection activities

 Ofsted carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information received about this provider.  The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. She spoke to staff and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection and viewed children's observation and assessment records.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the nursery manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the nursery manager and provider. She looked at relevant documentation, such as attendance records and policies and procedures relating to complaints, accidents and safeguarding children. She assessed records demonstrating the suitability of staff working in the nursery.  The inspector spoke to a parent and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

The arrangements for safeguarding children are ineffective. The provider does not have sufficient understanding of their responsibility in meeting all the requirements of the early years foundation stage. Children's safety and well-being are compromised when the correct staff ratios are not met. Staff are not deployed effectively to offer safe levels of supervision in the toddler room, particularly at the beginning of the day. Staff complete appropriate training to help them understand how to recognise and respond to child protection concerns. Safeguarding policies are implemented when required and appropriate guidance is followed. The provider follows safe recruitment procedures and demonstrates that appropriate suitability checks are made on staff and adults connected with the provision. Most staff are trained in first aid and follow the nursery's accident procedure in sharing information with parents and carers. They notify parents of minor

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

accidents when children are collected, or sooner if the accident is more serious. Staff follow a well-established safety procedure when taking children on daily outings. Children are securely strapped in buggies or hold on to a walking rope in order to keep close together. However, staff are not clearly informed about the procedure to follow in the event of a child being lost. The management team is developing appropriate performance management systems to monitor the quality of practice. The new owner uses simplistic development plans to make some changes based on her evaluation of practice. However, self-evaluation is not accurate enough to identify and swiftly address weaknesses that have a significant impact on children's safety.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

The quality of teaching is not yet good because the assessment arrangements are not consistently accurate or reliable. Due to staff shortages, a few pre-school children have not been assessed thoroughly enough and information is not up to date. This means it is not possible to accurately determine the extent of their progress in learning and development. For other children, staff make more frequent observations and assessments in order to plan appropriate next steps in learning. They share their observations with parents at consultation sessions and through daily feedback. The provider has recently reviewed the planning process as part of the nursery's continued improvement and appointed a part-time qualified teacher to further develop the teaching skills of the staff team. Some of the teaching is good. Staff use effective strategies to develop children's language, thinking and ability to solve problems. They provide developmentally

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

appropriate opportunities for children to make marks and acquire early writing skills. They support children to play cooperatively in imaginative role play. Children are generally motivated and engaged in self-directed play or planned activities.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

The provider's weak understanding of some of the safeguarding and welfare requirements has a negative impact on children's safety. Children's well-being cannot be assured when staff care for more children than ratios allow. At other times staff effectively promote children's well-being, good health and hygiene. The nursery has recently reviewed its menus to include more nutritious and freshly cooked meals. Staff encourage children to eat a wider range of different foods and offer plenty of choice. Children enjoy selecting their favourite fruits for snack. Older children develop independence skills as they attempt to spread dips on crackers or rice cakes and are confident to ask for help when needed. Staff make sure that meals and snack times are social occasions where there is plenty of discussion around the table. Staff consistently remind children how to be polite and respectful, rewarding children with praise for their achievement and effort. The nursery

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

suitably supports children as they move up through the nursery rooms and on to school. Information is shared appropriately with new key persons or school teachers to support continuity in care.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

While some children acquire skills that prepare them for school, not all children make consistently good progress from their individual starting points. Inaccurate or incomplete assessments mean that gaps in learning of some three- and four-year-old children are not identified or addressed quickly enough to promote more rapid progress. However, children enjoy learning about letters and sounds and are keen to attempt to write their name. Staff work in partnership with other agencies or professionals in order to support the progress of children who have special educational needs or disabilities.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY498310 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 1076437 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 46 Number of children on roll 64 Name of registered person Little Rascals Nursery Group Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01442416999

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reference number

Little Rascals Day Nursery was registered under new ownership in 2016. The nursery employs 19 members of childcare staff. Of these, 11 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above, including one with qualified teacher status. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday all year round, except for one week between Christmas and New Year. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6.15pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children and supports children who have special educational needs or disabilities.

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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

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