Active Kids Nursery

Active Kids Nursery Sundon Park Centre, Hill Rise, Luton, LU3 3EE

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10 March 2017 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

 The provider has failed to notify Ofsted of a significant event, relating to the practice of a previous member of staff.  The manager does not have established systems for staff supervision in place. This does not help to identify staff training needs or to promote good quality teaching.  The key-person system is not effective. There is no provision made to accommodate staff changes and to ensure that each child is assigned a key person. Children are not supported to become familiar with the setting or to develop secure relationships with staff or other children.  Staff do not manage children's behaviour appropriately. As a result, there are times when children's behaviour is disruptive and they are not learning effectively.  Management does not effectively make information available to parents. They are not always aware of staff changes, the name of their child's key person or how to share children's learning at home.

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This provision is inadequate

 Staff do not effectively plan for all children and activities fail to engage or challenge them.  The quality of teaching is inconsistent. Staff do not ensure activities are age- appropriate or effectively manage mixed age groups of children who share facilities.  Staff do not use assessments to understand children's needs and levels of achievement to plan activities and support for every child. They do not complete the required progress check for children aged between two and three years.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff provide children with a range of balanced snacks and regular opportunities for outdoor play. This helps to promote their healthy lifestyle.

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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

 implement effective supervision arrangements to provide training opportunities and coaching for staff to help promote good quality of teaching 10/05/2017

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Due Date

 ensure each child is assigned a key person and that the key-person system is effective in helping children to become familiar with the setting and develop secure relationships 10/05/2017

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Due Date

 ensure that children's behaviour is managed in an appropriate way 10/05/2017  develop effective partnership working with parents, ensuring they are kept informed about staffing in the setting, the name of their child's key person, and how they can share learning at home 10/05/2017

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Due Date

 improve planning to include all children, engage them effectively in their learning and provide a challenging and enjoyable experience for each child 10/05/2017

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Due Date

 improve the quality of teaching to ensure activities for children are age-appropriate and that the individual needs of all children are met 10/05/2017

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Due Date

 ensure assessments are used to understand children's needs and levels of achievement and to plan activities and support for every child to make good progress 10/05/2017

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Due Date

 complete the progress check for children aged between two and three years and provide parents with a short, written summary of their child's development in the prime areas of learning. 10/05/2017

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Inspection activities

 This inspection was carried out as a result of concerns raised from an outside agency.  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 the nursery manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the nursery manager and several discussions with the provider. She looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.  The inspector spoke to a 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 not effective. The provider has not notified Ofsted of a significant safeguarding event that raised concerns about the practice of staff. This means that not all legal requirements have been met. The provider does ensure that all staff working with children have undergone robust checks on their suitability and that they follow the nursery policies. For example, children only access the internet under close supervision and for suitable purposes, such as sourcing information. The ratios of staff to children are closely monitored and always adhered to. At present, a majority of the staff take on a supporting role. This results in an increased workload for the core team of staff. The provider recognises that there are significant weaknesses in the quality of the provision. He is in the process of recruiting staff with the aim of establishing more stability in the team. The newly appointed manager is well qualified and has experience of working

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

in a managerial position. In the short time in her role, she has already implemented some positive changes and has detailed improvement plans she is keen to proceed with. This demonstrates a capacity to improve. The manager held a recent parents' meeting to initiate more positive partnership working and gather feedback. However, this alone has not been enough to ensure parents receive all relevant information or know how to share children's learning at home. The manager has not yet implemented staff supervision meetings to help identify their training needs or follow up from areas of improvement that the previous manager identified. Staff are not sufficiently supported to improve their quality of practice.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

Staff do not provide children with challenging and enjoyable experiences to meet their individual learning needs. This limits the progress that children make. Assessments of children's achievements are not consistent in quality. For example, some children who have been attending for several months have not had an initial assessment completed. Many ongoing assessments are not fully completed and not all children have had the required progress check by the time they reach the age of three. The lack of this information has a negative impact on the staff's ability to plan for children's learning. Teaching is inconsistent. Some children wander among the activities and receive minimal interaction from staff. Staff planning is not yet implemented effectively and does not include activities for babies. Furthermore, babies are currently accommodated with the older children, but no provision has been made to provide them with age-appropriate

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

resources from the time that they arrive. At times, older children imitate the actions of the babies by pointing, rather than talking.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

Children's behaviour is not managed consistently. Staff do not use effective strategies or offer clear, concise explanations about behaviour for children. This is evident as children are regularly observed running up and down the room, throwing resources from the table and show amusement as they snatch toys away from other children. This leads to a chaotic environment that hinders children's safety and their capacity to learn. Settling-in procedures do not support children to build secure relationships with others or separate from their main carer with ease. This is because they experience changes to their key person and some children are not assigned a specific adult to care for them and oversee their learning needs. Some children develop attachments to staff and are accepting of comfort when they are upset.

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Outcomes for children are inadequate

Children receive poor learning experiences and are not prepared well for their future learning. Parents of children who are learning to speak English as an additional language say their children's speech is developing. However, assessments of children do not reflect this progress or help staff to identify how to support them further. Children know their colours and are beginning to develop their small-muscle skills as they explore paint and draw with chalks. They demonstrate some independence as they pour their own drinks and are keen to help with personal care needs.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY497699 Local authority Luton Inspection number 1086237 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 1 - 4 Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 20 Name of registered person Active Kids Nursery Ltd.

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 07552774277

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reference number

Active Kids Nursery was registered in 2016. The nursery employs two full-time members of staff and three bank staff. All hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above, including the manager who has a BA (Hons) Degree in Early Years Leadership And Management. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday all year round from 8am to 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery is closed on bank holidays and between Christmas and New Year. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language.

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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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