Little Gardners Nursery

Little Gardners Nursery Main Road, Marchwood, Southampton, SO40 4ZH

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 8 May 2017 18 June 2014

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Outcomes for children Requires improvement

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This provision requires improvement. It is not yet good because:

 The organisation of space, baby equipment and the deployment of staff within the rooms and outdoors do not meet children’s care and learning needs well enough.  Methods for the supervision, coaching and support of staff to carry out their roles effectively are not fully effective.  The planning of the play programme and the tracking system to ensure that all children receive consistent challenge and are helped to move on in their development are not fully successful.

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It has the following strengths

 Relationships and communication with parents are generally strong. A culture of working together is built from the very beginning, for example, through conducting home visits when children first start.  Children are happy, behave well and enjoy their self-chosen play. Older children build positive relationships with staff, whom they respect.  Staff focus well on children’s health needs. For example, they encourage plenty of outdoor play and provide a healthy, nutritious, hot meal at lunchtime.  The provider has already begun to address key areas for development within the nursery.

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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 the organisation within the rooms and deployment of staff across the nursery meet children's learning needs effectively 25/05/2017

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Due Date

 ensure staff are offered regular supervision, coaching and support to enable them to carry out their roles effectively 25/05/2017

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Due Date

 develop the planning of the play programme and the tracking of children's progress to ensure that all children receive consistent challenge and are helped to move on in their development. 25/05/2017

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children's play activities indoors and outdoors, looked at the available resources and read relevant documentation.  The inspector held a meeting with one director and the deputy and had a telephone conversation with the other director, to discuss their leadership and management, including self-evaluation methods.  The inspector spoke to some parents and took account of their views.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the deputy.  We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about this provision.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

Safeguarding is effective. The directors ensure staff receive child protection training as a priority part of their induction. Staff show a clear understanding of their role with regards to protecting children from harm and minimising risks. The leadership team's ability to evaluate what is working and what needs improvement does not work well enough. For example, some staff receive support and training but the directors do not review practice enough to check if it makes a difference to children's outcomes. An accurate development plan is in place and is being worked through, but is not fully embedded yet. There are robust recruitment procedures and staff gain additional qualifications. Procedures for accidents, injuries and gathering child information and records are carried out by staff. Staff work well with other agencies.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Staff provide a range of varied and suitable play activities which support children's learning and development. Staff observe children regularly but they do not use the information consistently to check children's progress and plan what they need to learn next, so not all children make good progress. Some staff interact and teach children well. During song time they emphasise and repeat the words clearly to younger children to help develop their emerging communication skills. Activities such as vegetable planting in the allotment or observing the tadpoles help to develop children's understanding of the world and life cycles. However, not all staff are skilled in offering sufficient levels of challenge and extension of learning when children engage in practical play.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

Caring and understanding staff help children to settle and play happily. Adult to child ratios are correct. For the youngest children, however, the key staff do not make the best use of space and resources to fully encourage their learning and development. Staff teach children about healthy routines, encourage them to take regular exercise and are alert to any changes in physical health. Staff supervise children to keep them safe but do not always deploy themselves effectively during children's free play, which affects their learning and development. Children learn the evacuation procedure in the event of an emergency when they hold regular practices. They show respect to staff and learn to care for pets.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Children are happy and feel safe and secure. However, overall, children's progress is not good enough because the support they receive from staff is variable. Some children learn skills to prepare them for the future, such as learning to put their coats on independently or to cut with scissors. Children sing and do the actions to new songs. They listen and respond to questions when looking at books. Children are becoming confident when they play outside with friends, but their imaginations are not consistently extended, for example, during play with drainpipes because not all staff are skilled teachers.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY473827 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 1097990 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 56 Number of children on roll 96 Name of registered person Little Gardners Nursery Ltd

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 18 June 2014 Telephone number 02380 868 700

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reference number

Little Gardners Nursery registered in 2014. It is run by a family owned limited company. The nursery is open each weekday from 8am until 6pm, except during bank holidays, one week in August and one week in December. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are 19 staff who work with children and an administrator. The manager and a second member of staff hold relevant qualifications at levels 5 and 6 respectively. With the exception of three trainees, all other members of staff hold relevant qualifications at level 2 or 3.

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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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