Westhill Nursery

Westhill Nursery King Arthur's Community School, West Hill, Wincanton, Somerset, BA9 9BX

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 27 June 2017 29 January 2015

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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

 The committee does not understand the requirement to notify Ofsted of changes to its members. The committee does not follow effective recruitment and vetting procedures to ensure all staff are suitable. The required records to show the suitability of all staff were not available for inspection. This places children's welfare at risk. This is also a breach of the Childcare Register requirements.  Staffing arrangements during some group times and parts of the session are not well organised to meet the needs of all children, which reduces their learning opportunities.  The committee and manager do not use self-evaluation effectively enough to ensure they meet all requirements, and identify ways to improve children's experiences.  Although children play outside regularly, staff do not make the most of outdoor play to extend and challenge children's development further across all areas of learning.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff are friendly and reassuring. Children respond happily to their gentle humour.  Staff monitor children's progress regularly and identify how to support their learning through activities based on children's interests.  Staff support children's physical skills well. For example, children join in with a mini- tennis activity and learn to run, stop and change direction confidently.

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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

 ensure that the committee has a good understanding of its roles and responsibilities, with particular regard to promptly informing Ofsted of changes to its members, so that the necessary checks can be carried out 27/07/2017

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Due Date

 make records easily accessible and available for inspection, with particular regard to the Disclosure and Barring Service checks for committee members 27/07/2017

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Due Date

 implement effective recruitment and vetting systems to ensure staff are suitable to work with children. 27/07/2017

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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

 improve staffing arrangements to fully support the needs of all children and reduce waiting times between changes of activities to maximise their learning opportunities  improve self-evaluation to identify breaches to requirements and the weaknesses to practice to improve children's experiences  make better use of the outside play area to extend and challenge children's development further in all areas of their learning.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children's play indoors and outdoors, and discussed children's learning and development with staff.  The inspector had discussions with the committee and manager, and viewed documentation, such as operational policies, procedures and required records for suitability.  The inspector took into account the views of parents spoken with at the visit.  The inspector undertook a joint observation with the manager.  This inspection was brought forward following Ofsted's risk assessment process.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

Safeguarding is not effective. The committee has not provided Ofsted with the required information for the nominated person or all committee members who are responsible for the running of the nursery. This means Ofsted cannot take up necessary checks to ensure suitability. The committee could not provide records to show that all committee members have completed required Disclosure and Barring Service checks. The committee does not follow effective recruitment systems to ensure all staff's suitability. This does not ensure children's welfare and safety. However, the manager and staff understand child protection procedures well to report any concerns. The manager does not evaluate practices well enough to address weaknesses promptly to improve outcomes for children. Staff liaise with other professionals involved with children's care and share ideas to support their specific needs. Staff continue to improve their professional development. For instance,

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

they use more visual resources, such as picture timelines, to support children's communication, including those who learn English as an additional language.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Although staff keep to required ratios, they do not organise all activities and routines as well as they could, to support all children's needs and future learning effectively. For example, children wait in line several times during the session, for longer than is necessary, to go to the toilet or to wash their hands. Some staff are involved in preparing snacks or tidying up at these times, meaning they do not always support or motivate children well. Although some children wait patiently, others become restless. This reduces their learning opportunities. The new manager is supporting staff to use a new planning format to identify how to support children's differing abilities more effectively. However, she has not been in the post long enough for this to impact positively on children's progress. Staff encourage children's imagination and understanding of positional language well. For example, children pretend to launch a space rocket and count from 10 to 'blast

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

off'. They go up the steps of the climbing frame, down the pole and under the bridge. Staff form friendly partnerships with parents and liaise regularly about children's progress.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

Significant weaknesses to the recruitment and vetting of staff and committee compromise children's welfare. However, staff get to know children well. Staff praise children and encourage them to be kind to others. Older children readily help the younger ones to put on their coats. They say, 'You must try and then I will help you'. Staff do not use the outdoor play area as well as possible to support all areas of children's learning.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Although children make steady progress, they do not always receive the support they need from staff to engage and help them make rapid progress in all areas of learning. However, older children listen well at register time and recognise the initial sound of their names. They start to form recognisable letters and shapes. Younger children explore different textures, such as 'gloop', and make marks using large and small spoons.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 142879 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 1100983 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 - 4 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 27 Name of registered person Westhill Nursery Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 29 January 2015 Telephone number 07849 639 826

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reference number

Westhill Nursery registered in 1998. It operates from a converted classroom situated within the grounds of King Arthur's Community School in Wincanton, Somerset. The nursery is open Monday to Friday from 8am until 4pm, during school term times only. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education to children aged two, three and four years. There are five staff employed. The manager holds an early years qualification at level 4, three members of staff hold qualifications at level 3 and one holds a qualification at level 2.

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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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