The Linden Nursery School

The Linden Nursery School Byfleet Cricket Pavilion, Parvis Road,, Byfleet, WEST BYFLEET, KT14 7AB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 1 March 2017 11 December 2014

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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

 Safeguarding is ineffective. Staff do not follow the nursery's own procedures for following up children’s absence and comply with the policy on using mobile phones.  Procedures for checking that staff are suitable to work with children are not effective. Recruitment procedures are not robust. The provider does not check that staff continue to be suitable, particularly in relation to disqualification and health.  Leaders and managers do not monitor the quality of provision. Processes for providing staff with support and challenge are not in place so weaknesses in safeguarding practice and the provision for two-year-olds have not been identified.  Staff are not well deployed to supervise children and meet their needs.  Key persons do not know enough about their key children to plan appropriately challenging activities for them. This means children are not making as much progress as they could.  The quality of planning and quality of assessment is not consistent. Assessment

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This provision is inadequate

information is not used effectively to plan for the next stage in children's learning.

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It has the following strengths

 Parents report that their children are happy and that staff regularly tell them about changes in the setting and their children's learning.  Children understand the nursery routines, such as changing into their indoor shoes when they come in from the garden and washing their hands before eating.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

The provision is inadequate and Ofsted intends to take enforcement action

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

We will issue a Welfare Requirements Notice requiring the provider to:

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Due Date

 ensure staff have up to date knowledge of potential safeguarding issues and consistently follow procedures intended to keep children safe from harm, including those relating to the use of mobile phones 28/03/2017

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Due Date

 ensure procedures are robust in checking that staff are suitable to work with children when they are appointed and that they continue to be suitable, particularly in relation to disqualification and staff’s health 28/03/2017

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Due Date

 develop procedures to monitor the quality of the nursery so that the learning and development experiences for children continuously improve 28/03/2017

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Due Date

 make arrangements for the supervision of staff and managers so they are supported to improve their practice 28/03/2017

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Due Date

 ensure the key person system is effective so that every child’s care is tailored to meet their individual needs 28/03/2017

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Due Date

 ensure that staff are deployed well to meet the needs of children. 28/03/2017

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Due Date

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

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Due Date

 ensure assessment information is used effectively to plan experiences for children so they make as much progress as possible. 28/03/2017

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities both indoors and in the outside area.  The inspector spoke to children, staff, and leaders at appropriate times during the day. She held a meeting with the leaders.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector spoke with parents and took account of their views.  The inspector looked at children's records and assessments, evidence of training and a range of other documentation including, policies and procedures.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

Safeguarding is ineffective. A number of weaknesses in the nursery’s practice mean that children are not safeguarded from potential risk of harm. Leaders and managers do not ensure that the nursery's own procedures for dealing with children’s absence are followed consistently. Lengthy and/or frequent absences are not followed up. All staff have received safeguarding training, and discussions with staff show they have an understanding of how to identify a potential child protection concern. However, they are uncertain how to report concerns and fail to follow up concerns about children. Staff do not follow the agreed policy for using mobile phones and use them when children are on the premises. This was not noticed by managers or questioned by staff. All staff have had criminal records checks. However, procedures for ensuring staff are, and continue to be, suitable to work with children are not sufficiently robust. Leaders and managers do not

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

monitor the quality of the nursery effectively. They have not evaluated the quality of the provision, and have no clear plans to improve it. Leaders and managers have not identified that assessments of children are not always accurate, and that staff do not consistently follow risk assessment procedures. Managers have not ensured that staff carry out and record daily health and safety checks of the premises. This shows a lack of understanding of their roles and responsibilities. The setting had previously been set actions relating to safeguarding, supervision and the checking of suitability of staff which had been met. However, practice in these areas has not been sustained which indicates the lack of capacity to improve. Staff do not receive support to help them carry out their roles effectively. This has led to low staff morale and means that leaders have not identified weaknesses in safeguarding and teaching, particularly in the provision for two-

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

The quality of teaching and learning is inconsistent. Staff find the mixed age range of children difficult to manage. They do not plan activities to meet the needs of the children. For example, younger children spend long periods of time without any support from an adult when they are not involved in purposeful play. This leads to minor incidents where they could hurt themselves or other children. For example, younger children explore the role play area and climb onto small tables and use equipment meant for dolls, such as the cot and bouncy chair, for themselves without staff noticing. During outside play, children develop their listening skills and understanding of concepts such as ‘in’ and ‘above’ when staff introduce traffic lights to the children’s own running game. Children are offered a broad range of activities which are interesting for some children but staff do not take their learning forwards. The organisation of staffing does not ensure all children’s needs are

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

met. For example, at the beginning of the day, staff are involved in dealing with tasks at one end of the room while children choose what activities they want to play with. Staff are not watching what the children are doing and miss incidents between children and opportunities to support children in their play. Key persons do not know enough about their key children to plan appropriately challenging activities for them. Assessment information for children is not consistently accurate and this means that activities provided do not meet children’s individual needs. For example, older children are able to write their names without adult support but are not being challenged beyond this. Older children show interest in large numbers such as those up to 100 but this has not been recognised by staff.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

Children do not get messages about the importance of a healthy diet. For example, children are encouraged to bring fruit from home to have at snack time. However, children who stay for lunch have packed lunches with a high sugar content and staff do not encourage children who only want to eat their crisps to eat their more healthy foods. Children’s prompt and regular attendance at nursery is not promoted effectively, which does not help children get ready for school. Leaders and managers are not alert to patterns of non-attendance or health issues which may indicate potential safeguarding concerns. Young children who stay all day and need to sleep are not able to rest because there is no quiet space for them. They become tired after lunch, which affects their play and learning. For example, they become tearful and hit out at other children because they are unable to sleep. Staff are not always aware of these incidents and this means they are

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

not able to fully support children’s emotional development and understanding of what is expected and why.

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Outcomes for children are inadequate

Children, including two-year-olds and more able four-year-olds, do not make as much progress as they could because their individual needs are not met. Staff do not have high enough expectations of what children can achieve and this means they are not well prepared for school. Children are working at expected levels for their age in physical development. They change their shoes and put their coats on in readiness for playing outside and this helps them get ready for school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY430586 Local authority Surrey Inspection number 1084022 Type of provision Sessional 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 24 Number of children on roll 32 Name of registered person New Generation Nursery Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 11 December 2014 Telephone number 01932356361

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Linden Nursery School has been in operation since 1972. It re-registered in 2008 and again in 2011 and is privately owned by New Generation Nursery Limited. It operates from one room in a porta cabin on the grounds of Byfleet Cricket Club in Byfleet, Surrey. There is an enclosed outdoor play area, kitchen facilities and toilets. Children attend from the local area. The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It accepts children from the age of two years. There are currently 32 children on roll, all of whom receive funding. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The nursery offers flexible hours to meet the needs of families between the hours of 9am and 3pm, Monday to Thursday, and 9am and 12pm on Friday. Six staff are employed at the nursery including the manager. Three staff have a relevant level 3 qualification, one holds a level 2

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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. 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

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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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