ACE Nursery

ACE Nursery Grange Avenue, Derby, Derbyshire, DE23 8DH

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 6 July 2017 16 April 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 provider, who is the manager and the designated lead person for safeguarding, has not attended child protection training or trained staff effectively in this. Some staff do not recognise signs and symptoms that indicate a child is at risk of harm or where to refer allegations against a member of staff should they arise. This means children are not adequately safeguarded.  Teaching standards are not consistently good in the pre-school. Some staff do not make the most of opportunities to challenge and extend children's learning in order to help them reach their full potential.  The provider has systems in place to evaluate staff performance, however, they are not yet robust enough to raise the quality of teaching in the pre-school room to a consistently good level.  Self-evaluation is not strong enough to help identify all areas where improvement is needed in order to provide high-quality care and teaching for children.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff build useful partnerships with parents and other professionals. This helps to support children's care and learning, especially for children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language.  Children behave well. Staff provide clear guidance and explanations to help them manage their behaviour. Children are kind and demonstrate good manners.

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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 designated lead person for safeguarding attends training to gain an up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding issues and can provide support, advice and guidance to other staff with regard to all safeguarding issues 28/07/2017

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Due Date

 improve the quality of teaching in the pre-school room and ensure staff challenge and extend children's learning so they make the best possible progress in all areas 30/09/2017

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Due Date

 ensure that staff supervisions are more sharply focused on improving the quality of teaching of all staff. 30/09/2017

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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 the ongoing self-evaluation process to identify all areas of weakness across the nursery.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with members of staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection and held meetings with the deputy manager.  The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector completed a joint evaluation of an activity with the deputy manager. She took into account the views of parents spoken to on the day of inspection.  The inspector spoke to key persons about the children's development and their progress in learning. She also discussed how they identified children's next steps and planned for children's individual needs.  The inspector discussed the staff's suitability and qualifications with the deputy manager. She also sampled the policies and procedures and the nursery's action plan, and discussed the safeguarding procedures.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

Safeguarding is ineffective. The provider has failed to attend relevant child protection training. In addition to this she has not effectively trained staff. Some staff's knowledge of safeguarding issues is not secure and has not been embedded into their practice. This compromises children's safety. The manager has made some improvements since the last inspection, such as presenting writing materials in a more inviting way. However, self- evaluation is not accurate enough to identify or address the more pressing weaknesses, such as those in safeguarding and the quality of teaching. The provider does conduct recruitment procedures to ensure the suitability of the staff. However, the supervisions to support staff are not robust enough to ensure consistently good teaching. The provider has used extra funding effectively to help provide more language resources and training.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

The quality of teaching is variable. Staff working in the pre-school do not make the most of the opportunities and activities provided for the children to extend their learning. They do not encourage children to think or develop their understanding of solving problems. Some staff's teaching does not inspire children to learn. In contrast, the staff in the baby and toddler rooms are teaching well and interact with enthusiasm. Staff encourage young children's physical development effectively. For example, babies stretch and grab things, such as bubbles, and two-year-old children use their small-muscle skills effectively to stir soil and make pretend cakes in the mud kitchen. Assessments of children's development are used to identify their next steps in learning.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

The provider cannot assure children's well-being due to weaknesses in safeguarding practice. In addition, the inconsistencies in the quality of teaching mean that some children are not motivated, supported or inspired to learn as much as they can. Despite this, staff follow children's interests and are attentive to their needs. Children enjoy warm relationships with the staff, who are kind and caring. Staff support children to learn about healthy lifestyles effectively. Children have opportunities to exercise daily and are provided with healthy meals and snacks. Children are learning to respect each other's opinions and about their similarities and differences.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Outcomes for children in the pre-school room are not good enough. They are not supported to help reach their full potential. However, they are gaining some skills to support their future learning. They are listening, taking turns and developing their personal skills. The youngest children make good progress. They are exploring the opportunities that are on offer and developing their communication skills effectively.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 206189 Local authority Derby, City of Inspection number 1089934 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 - 8 Total number of places 74 Number of children on roll 110 Name of registered person Austin Community Enterprise Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 16 April 2015 Telephone number 01332 774255

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reference number

ACE Nursery registered in 1999. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6pm, all year round, except for a week between Christmas and New Year and on bank holidays. The nursery employs 15 members of staff. Of these, 11 hold appropriate early years qualifications at levels 2 and 3. 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

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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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