Clifton House Day Nursery

Clifton House Day Nursery 15 Cambridge Road, Waterloo, Liverpool, Merseyside, L22 1RR

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 5 June 2017 11 September 2014

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3

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

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3

Outcomes for children Requires improvement

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

 The provider does not ensure that suitably qualified staff are deployed effectively. Consequently, less experienced staff are not supported consistently throughout the day.  Recruitment processes are not always rigorous enough to ensure the highest standard of vetting. While Disclosure and Barring Service checks are completed, interview processes are not thorough and references are not always in place.  Teaching is variable. Staff practice is not regularly monitored to identify gaps in knowledge or to highlight how teaching can be improved further.  Staff do not always support children who speak English as an additional language to the highest level. Children's home languages are not promoted in an appropriate way.  Managers rarely compare the progress of different groups of children to identify if some make better progress than others across all areas of learning.

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It has the following strengths

 Children in the pre-school room make very good progress in understanding the world. Staff plan exciting activities to help them learn about the natural world.  Parents are kept well informed about their children's well-being and learning. Their views are gathered in a variety of ways. For example, they attend parents' evenings, complete questionnaires and meet with the manager to discuss any complaints they have. Parents are very happy with the care and education their children receive.  Good partnerships with other agencies effectively promote children's learning.

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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 that qualified staff are deployed effectively, in order to provide support to less experienced members of staff 03/07/2017

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Due Date

 ensure that robust recruitment processes are implemented consistently 03/07/2017

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Due Date

 implement effective methods of monitoring staff performance in order to identify gaps in staff knowledge 03/07/2017

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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

 provide further opportunities for children to use and develop their home language in play  evaluate and extend monitoring systems to allow comparisons to be made about the progress of different groups of children, so that any gaps in progress are identified and planned for.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and assessed the impact on children's learning.  The inspector had a tour of the premises and spoke with staff and children during the inspection.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the setting's deputy manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager and the provider. She looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the setting.  The inspector spoke to parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

The management team is experienced and appropriately qualified. However, the provider does not deploy qualified staff to ensure less experienced or newer staff are well supported. Sufficient staff are on duty to meet requirements and effectively supervise children. The manager does not consistently apply thorough recruitment procedures to ensure she has a detailed knowledge of staff's prior experience. In addition, she does not monitor staff practice effectively. The quality of teaching varies, as a result. Safeguarding is effective. Staff can recognise the signs that suggest children may be at risk of harm and know how to refer their concerns. They follow effective procedures to record accidents, administer medication and assess risks in the environment. The provider is aware of the requirements she must meet and under what circumstances she must notify Ofsted. The manager has a plan in place to drive the required improvements.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Teaching for pre-school children is better than for other ages. Children enjoy a range of well-planned activities. For example, when children play in the pretend ice cream parlour, they show an understanding of number, demonstrate early writing skills and confidently describe the choices on offer. Baby room staff have improved their knowledge of babies' development through additional training. However, other staff are less confident in supporting children's learning. For example, their knowledge of how to promote children's awareness of diversity or how to support children who speak more than one language, is not strong. Overall, staff know what children need to learn next and plan to help them make progress. However, the manager does not regularly monitor or compare the progress of different groups of children, to identify where improvements can be made.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children form strong attachments to staff. Flexible settling-in processes help staff get to know children and begin to build secure relationships. Children are quickly soothed with a cuddle when they are upset after a period of absence or when they fall over during play. Staff plan activities to help children learn to cooperate and take turns. Children are well behaved, they listen to staff and play well together. Healthy meals and snacks are provided and children enjoy physically challenging outdoor play in all weathers.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Overall, children make steady progress. However, pre-school children make good progress and show a readiness to start school. All children develop good self-care skills and show independence. Children are confident, keen to express themselves and able to communicate their wants and needs. They join in play enthusiastically and show curiosity when staff introduce new activities, such as observing the life cycle of caterpillars.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 310409 Local authority Sefton Inspection number 1099707 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 0 - 4 Total number of places 41 Number of children on roll 65 Name of registered person Clifton House Nursery Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 11 September 2014 Telephone number 0151 949 0838

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reference number

Clifton House Day Nursery registered in 1990. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round, except for two weeks at Christmas and bank holidays. Sessions are from 7am until 6pm. The nursery employs 14 members of childcare staff. Of whom, five hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and seven at level 2. 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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