Springlands Day Nursery

Springlands Day Nursery 179 Shrub End Road, Colchester, Essex, CO3 4RG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 15 February 2017 10 April 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 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 welfare is compromised. The registered provider does not have a secure understanding of her role and responsibility to safeguard children. She does not ensure that allegations of inappropriate staff practice are acted upon in line with the Local Safeguarding Children Board guidance.  The provider does not have effective arrangements in place for the supervision of staff to focus on strengthening the quality of teaching.  The key-person system is not robust enough to ensure that each child's care and learning are consistently tailored to their individual needs.  The quality of teaching is variable and does not always support children to make good progress in their learning.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff generally keep parents informed about their children's day. They encourage parents to share information about what they know about their child.  Staff observe children as they play and have a suitable understanding of where they are in their development.  Staff organise the environment so that children have access to a suitable range of toys and resources, which covers all the areas of learning. Children are adequately occupied as they choose what they want to do.

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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

 gain a secure knowledge of how to safeguard children in line with Local Safeguarding Children Board guidelines, with particular regard to the procedures to be followed in the event of an allegation made against a member of staff 27/02/2017

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Due Date

 develop appropriate arrangements for the supervision of all staff to provide a culture of support, coaching, teamwork and continuous improvement 13/03/2017

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Due Date

 ensure that the key-person system is effective in meeting children's individual learning and care needs and that key persons build a positive relationship with parents 06/03/2017

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Due Date

 improve the overall consistency of teaching to ensure that all children receive good levels of challenge and have their learning extended to encourage their thinking skills. 06/03/2017

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Inspection activities

 We carried out this inspection as a result of the risk assessment process following information received by Ofsted about this provider.  The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector spoke with staff and children during the inspection.  The inspector completed a joint observation with a senior member of staff.  The inspector held a meeting with the provider. She looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.  The inspector spoke to a small number of parents 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 ineffective. Children's safety and welfare are compromised. On the day of the inspection, the inspector observed a member of staff holding a child down very firmly on a mattress at sleep time, despite the child's protestations. This incident was discussed at the time with the provider. The action the provider proposed to take to address this incident was not in line with the Local Safeguarding Children Board guidelines. Despite this, staff generally recognise the signs and symptoms of abuse and have a suitable knowledge and understanding of child protection. The provider seeks the views of parents. However, she does not accurately reflect on her provision to identify weaknesses in practice and act upon these accordingly. Staff work towards a recognised early years qualification and have access to in-house training. However, staff performance management is not robust. This means that the

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

quality of teaching is inconsistent across the nursery. Staff are not supported to learn from each other to create a culture of effective teamwork.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Staff have a generally sound understanding of how children learn. The progress check for children between the age of two and three years and ongoing assessments are used to monitor children's progress. Monitoring of different groups of children, including funded children, is effective. Any gaps in children's learning and development are identified. Staff work with parents to put consistent approaches in place if there are any identified areas in the children's development that need support. The outside learning environment is interesting to the children. However, teaching practice is variable. Staff do not consistently support children to ensure that activities sustain their interest and attention. They do not always ask effective questions to engage children or take the time to listen to their responses. Despite this, at other times interaction with children is more positive. For example, staff get down to children's level as they dig in the soil. They talk to them about

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

what they have found and join in with their imaginative play as they pretend to find treasure.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

The key-person system is not implemented effectively to support children's well-being. While each child is allocated a key person, some parents and staff are not aware of who this person is. Staff working in the rooms do not always have a good enough knowledge of all the children they are caring for in order to know and meet their needs effectively. For example, some staff are not aware of some individual children's home languages other than English. They are not always alert to children's wishes, including indications when children decline to participate in routines of the day, such as sleep time. Children have regular opportunities for exercise and fresh air, to support their good health and develop their physical skills. They learn appropriate hygiene practice through the daily routines. Children are encouraged to try a range of different foods as staff sit and eat with them making mealtimes a sociable occasion.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

The progress that children make is not as rapid as it could be given their starting points. Nevertheless, children happily get involved in activities in the outdoor learning environment, such as making dens, exploring the soil and water in the pond. Children are acquiring some basic skills to help prepare them for the next stage in their learning, and their eventual move to school. They begin to identify colours and use number names in their play. Children have suitable opportunities to develop their early writing skills.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 650129 Local authority Essex Inspection number 1084559 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 2 - 8 Total number of places 59 Number of children on roll 57 Name of registered person Catherine House

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 10 April 2013 Telephone number 01206 545671

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reference number

Springlands Day Nursery was registered in 1985. It is one of two settings operated by a private provider. The nursery works closely with Springlands Baby Chalet, which is situated in the same road. The nursery employs 12 members of childcare staff and an administrator. Of these, eight hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, 47 weeks of the year. Sessions are available between 7.30am and 6.30pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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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

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

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