Little Bloomers Day Nursery and Pre School

Little Bloomers Day Nursery and Pre School H M Forces, Kendrew Barracks, Cottesmore, OAKHAM, Rutland, LE15 7BL

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 2 August 2017 7 September 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 Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate 4

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This provision is inadequate

 Staff do not supervise children well enough, particularly in the outdoor area. This leads to younger children being exposed to risks. Risk assessments are not robust. For example, household paints and chemicals are accessible to children in the bathroom and laundry room.  Occasionally, good hygiene practices are not followed appropriately in the baby room to minimise the risk of cross-infection.  Staff do not make accurate assessments of children's learning and progress to provide effective support and challenge to enable every child to make good progress.  The manager does not identify weaknesses in the quality of teaching. She does not ensure that all staff have the appropriate skills to plan and deliver challenging and enjoyable learning experiences for children.  Staff do not involve parents in establishing what children know, understand and can do. They do not always offer enough support to help parents to guide their child's learning

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This provision is inadequate

at home.  Occasionally, staff do not meet the individual needs of children who have identified allergies. For example, alternative food choices are not offered during mealtimes.  Self-evaluation is not good enough to help the manager and her team to identify any weaknesses in the provision or to help drive improvement.

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It has the following strengths

 Children are happy and settled. They have formed warm, caring relationships with staff and show secure emotional attachments.

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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 younger children are supervised and monitored more effectively in the outdoor area to ensure their safety 03/08/2017

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Due Date

 ensure that risk assessments are completed and all reasonable steps to remove, minimise and manage risks are taken, with particular regard to risks associated with children gaining access to the ground floor bathroom and laundry room. 16/08/2017

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Due Date

 act on information provided by parents and carers about a child's dietary needs 09/08/2017

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Due Date

 ensure that children engage in good hygiene practices, in order to prevent the spread of infection 09/08/2017

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Due Date

 make regular and precise assessments of children's learning and use the information gained to plan suitably challenging activities to help all children make good progress 02/10/2017

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Due Date

 improve the quality and consistency of teaching, ensuring that staff have the appropriate skills to plan and deliver challenging and enjoyable learning experiences that take into account children's interests and stage of development 02/10/2017

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Due Date

 develop the partnership with parents and carers so they are actively involved in establishing the starting points for children's learning and are well supported to guide their children's learning at home. 30/08/2017

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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

 strengthen self-evaluation to ensure that it accurately identifies significant weaknesses to improve the quality of the nursery and outcomes for children.

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Inspection activities

 This inspection was carried out as part of a risk assessment process, following information received by Ofsted.  The inspectors observed the quality of teaching during activities inside and outside, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspectors spoke with staff, children and parents during the inspection and took account of their views.  The inspectors completed two joint observations with one of the deputy managers.  The inspectors held meetings with the manager and one of her deputies. They looked at relevant documentation, such as staff qualifications and the evidence of suitability of all those working with children.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

Safeguarding is ineffective. Although staff are adequately deployed and required staff-to- child ratios are met, staff do not supervise younger children to ensure their safety outdoors. For example, younger children run around with pencils in their hands and with small pieces of plastic in their mouths. Staff do not promptly intervene to ensure children's safety. Despite this, staff have a suitable knowledge of child protection matters and know how to refer concerns. Staff attend first-aid training and accident and medication records are maintained appropriately. Indoors, the manager and her team do not manage or identify risks effectively. Many areas within the nursery are cluttered and poorly maintained. Further to this, hazardous chemicals and household paints are stored within reach of children. Hygiene practices within the baby and toddler rooms are not consistently implemented. Children share face flannels at mealtimes. This means there is a

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

risk of cross infection. Most staff are qualified. However, they do not observe, plan and assess children's learning effectively. The manager does not monitor the quality of teaching and staff practice in order to take effective action and address weaknesses. Self- evaluation is weak and does not identify areas for improvement. Staff do not involve parents in a two way dialogue to share information about what children know, understand and can do. They do not suggest ideas to help parents to guide their child's learning at home.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

The quality of teaching overall is poor. For example, staff in the baby room do not offer enough opportunities for children to develop their emerging speaking skills. Staff caring for older children miss opportunities to build on and challenge children's ideas. This means that children do not make sufficient progress in their learning and development. The planning of activities is often generalised and is not used to precisely identify individual next steps in learning for each child. That said, children are happy and enjoy playing with the range of resources and activities on offer. Older children use glue spreaders and brushes to cover surfaces and stick paper onto balloons. They look at their fingers covered in glue and comment on this being 'sticky' and 'yucky'. Young children and babies make choices from a range of easily accessible toys and resources. For example, they choose from a range of books and battery-operated toys stored in shelves and low-level boxes.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

Leaders, managers and staff do not ensure that children are always safe. Children's health and welfare are not promoted. Occasionally, when planning menus, the manager does not consider suitable alternatives for those children who have identified allergies. This means that sometimes their individual needs are not fully supported. Children behave well and have secure bonds with staff. They are confident to invite staff and visitors into their play. Children have regular opportunities during the day to play outside where they have opportunities to run, climb, crawl through tunnels and use wheeled toys to promote their physical skills.

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Outcomes for children are inadequate

Staff do not support children's development well enough, to ensure that they gain the skills needed for their future learning. Sometimes, children lack motivation as staff do not challenge their skills or thinking. Staff fail to recognise when children are ready to move on to the next stage of their learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY432811 Local authority Rutland Inspection number 1109732 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 120 Number of children on roll 59 Name of registered person Kathleen Anne Bloomfield

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 7 September 2015 Telephone number 01572 812 828

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reference number

Little Bloomers Day Nursery and Pre School registered in 2011. The nursery is open each weekday from 7am until 6pm, all year round. An additional out-of-school provision operates from Monday to Friday from 7am until 9am and 3.20pm until 6pm during term time. The nursery employs 16 members of staff. Of these 12 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and 3. One member of staff holds early years professional status. 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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