Mighty Oak Trees Nursery School, Southend

Mighty Oak Trees Nursery School, Southend 46 Chase Road, Southend On Sea, SS1 2RE

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 22 September 2016 Not applicable

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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 new manager has not had enough time in post yet to fully address weaknesses in planning, observations and assessment. Assessments are variable in quality and planning does not consistently arise from what staff know about children to fully underpin all children's development.  Some staff have too high age related expectations of young children's behaviour and act unnecessarily quickly to prevent children from displaying behaviour that is entirely appropriate for their age and stage of development.  Staff sometimes struggle to differentiate activities as these take place with a large mixed age group of children. Two-year-old children are sometimes expected to sit for longer than they can manage and as a result, begin to disrupt activities.

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It has the following strengths

 The new manager has focussed on improving quality of practice to promote children's safety. For example, training in child protection procedures has ensured that all staff understand how to identify and respond to child protection concerns.  Staff are kind towards children and meet their individual care needs well. Babies' care routines are well managed.  Children's speaking skills are strong and they readily chat to adults and each other.

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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

 improve the consistency of observation and assessment systems to ensure that all staff plan activities for children that arise from knowledge of their level of achievement, interests and learning styles 31/10/2016

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Due Date

 provide training in managing behaviour to ensure that all staff manage children's behaviour in ways that are appropriate for their age and stage of development. 31/10/2016

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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

 develop the organisation of group activities in the preschool room so that children take part in activities that are most appropriate for their age and stage of development  continue to develop systems for supervision and appraisal of staff to ensure that all staff continue to develop their skills and improve their practice

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Inspection activities

 This inspection took place following a risk assessment in relation to information about the provider.  The inspector spoke to parents and staff to gather their views about the provision.  The inspector observed children and staff taking part in activities and free play in all rooms, and indoors and outdoors.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector spoke to the manager and the registered person, and sampled documentation used for the management of the setting, including records of staff suitability checks, children's assessment records, risk assessments and the safeguarding and behaviour management policies.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

The newly appointed manager understands the requirements of the statutory framework for the early years foundation stage and is taking action to improve practice. The manager has been carrying out supervisions with staff to address gaps in their knowledge. She has not had sufficient time in post for this to make enough of a difference to aspects such as staff's management of behaviour. Recent staff training opportunities have improved staff understanding of other responsibilities such as child protection. As a result staff are aware of their role to protect children and risk assessments promote children's safety effectively. Relationships with parents are positive. Parents are beginning to receive information about their children's progress. The manager continues to develop her relationship with the senior leadership and is working to a clear action plan with support from her local authority advisor. As such there is capacity for the nursery to continue to improve.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

The manager has made recent changes to address weaknesses in observation and assessment systems that have yet to have full effect. Some assessments give insufficient detail about what children can do to fully inform planning for all their individual needs. In the pre-school room, group activities take place with two, three and four-year-olds in one group. These activities are longer than appropriate for the younger children who find it hard to concentrate. Staff speak confidently about children they care for. Staff plan experiences inside and outdoors that cover all areas of learning in suitable depth. These successfully support children's overall development. Children enjoy exploring textures, for example, as they play in water and paint. Children readily chat to adults and each other.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

Most staff manage children's behaviour well. However, some staff have unrealistic expectations of children for their age and stage of development, and over-direct their behaviour. This disrupts some group activities and means that children are not always sure what is expected from them. Children settle well and show that they feel close to their key person by chatting and playing with them. Babies regularly go to their key person for a cuddle. Mealtimes are well managed and children enjoy a range of healthy foods supplied from home with guidance from the nursery staff. Children enjoy playing in the fresh air to promote their health and physical development.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Children make typical progress for their age and stage of development across the areas of learning. However, progress is not as rapid as possible because some staff are more skilled at assessing children's development than others so activities do not always match or build on children’s stage of development. Children are skilled communicators, and enjoy singing and story time. Children are learning skills to support their future learning, for example when they go school. For example, they learn to write their names, and to put their own coats on to play outside. A recent focus on potty training means that younger children are becoming more independent in their personal care.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY495476 Local authority Southend on Sea Inspection number 1073417 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 0 - 0 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 0 Name of registered person Mighty Oak Trees Childcare Ltd

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 07800593118

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reference number

Mighty Oak Trees Nursery School, Southend was registered in 2016 and is one of five settings owned by the same provider. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7am until 7pm. The nursery employs eight members of staff who hold appropriate qualifications in childcare. 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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