Little Ladybirds Day Nursery And Pre School

Little Ladybirds Day Nursery And Pre School 1 Riverside Court, Station Road, Croft, LEICESTER, LE9 3EL

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 24 August 2017 29 March 2017

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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

 The provider, who is also the manager, has failed to take reasonable steps to ensure the safety and welfare of staff and children. Risk assessments are not effective. For example, the outdoor play surface is poorly maintained. Exposed pieces of plastic sheeting underneath the bark chippings cause a trip hazard.  The key-person system is not effective. Children and parents have minimal opportunities to build relationships with staff who work flexible part-time hours. This has a negative impact on some children's emotional development and well-being.  The provider does not always ensure that staff are deployed effectively to meet children's individual needs. In addition, at times when she and the assistant manager are absent, the provider does not ensure that the member of staff left in charge is confident in the role of acting deputy.  Staff do not make accurate assessments of children's learning and progress. They are

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This provision is inadequate

not aware of what children need to learn next. Planned activities do not offer sufficient challenge in order to ensure all children's good progress.  Staff do not share enough information with parents about how they can continue to support children's progress at home.

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It has the following strengths

 Children enjoy playing group games and have formed strong friendships with each other.  Staff have a suitable knowledge and understanding of child protection and wider safeguarding issues.

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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

 take all reasonable steps to remove, minimise and manage risks to promote the safety and welfare of staff and children, with particular regard to the surface of the outdoor play area 24/11/2017

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Due Date

 review the key-person system to provide a settled relationship for children and parents and to ensure that children's emotional well- being and individual learning needs are supported effectively 24/11/2017

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Due Date

 ensure that staffing arrangements meet the needs of all children consistently 24/11/2017

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Due Date

 ensure that there is a named, capable and qualified deputy in charge of the nursery at all times 24/11/2017

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Due Date

 ensure that staff make regular and precise assessments of children's learning and use the information gained to plan suitably challenging activities which help all children make good progress. 24/11/2017

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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

 develop the sharing of information with parents and support them to contribute to their children's learning at home.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors. She discussed and evaluated the impact this has on children's learning with the assistant manager.  The inspector spoke with staff and children during the inspection.  The inspector met with the assistant manager. She looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.  The inspector spoke to a small number of parents during the inspection and took account of their views.  The inspector had a tour of the premises with the assistant manager.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective. The provider does not monitor the quality of the nursery well enough. She and her staff team have recently worked with the local authority and together have developed an action plan for improvement. However, changes have yet to have a positive impact on the overall quality of practice. Since the last inspection, the provider has addressed some of the actions raised. For example, a record of complaints is in place. Staff have initiated contact with other providers in order to share information and provide support for children who attend more than one setting. Appropriate vetting procedures are in place to check that staff are suitable for their role. However, the provider does not recognise the importance of putting plans in place to minimise or manage risks to the safety of children and staff, such as in the event of an emergency. In addition, although staff check the environment for hazards, the provider

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

does not always take swift action to remove or reduce risks that are identified. Staff are not deployed effectively. For example, new and less-experienced members of staff are sometimes left in charge of the nursery. Younger children are sometimes moved from their familiar base room to join older children, which upsets some and makes it harder for them to settle. Staff do not consistently involve parents in a meaningful dialogue to share information about what children know and can do or about how they can guide their children's learning at home. Although parents have access to their child's web-based learning journal, staff are unsure if they make use of this. The provider has recently begun to complete assessments of staff's practice in order to identify their strengths and areas for their ongoing professional development. For example, she observes practice and provides verbal feedback.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

Although most staff are qualified, the quality of teaching is poor overall. Staff's observations and assessments of children's learning and development are infrequent and inaccurate and are not effectively monitored by the provider. Some staff do not know how to use the web-based observation and assessment system effectively. They do not consistently use the information to identify gaps and individual children's skills and abilities and what they need to learn next, particularly for older children. The planning of learning opportunities stems from the nursery topics and does not take into account how children learn and develop. Activities are not consistently matched to children's needs and interests. They are not suitably challenging to help all children become fully engaged. That said, children are happy and enjoy using the resources on offer. Older children initiate their own imaginative games, taking on the role of superheroes and using resources to

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

create props to enhance their play. Younger children independently move around the environment. They momentarily stop at resources that interest them. For example, they explore the feel of sequins and watch as they fall from their fingers onto the floor.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

The key-person arrangements are not effective. Although each child has a key person, some staff, including the manager, work infrequent hours. This limits their ability to build positive relationships with children and parents, in order to support children's individual needs well and to share information about their development with parents. It also limits their ability to observe children and identify and address gaps in their learning. Parents do receive some daily feedback, including sleep and nappy changing times. Children of all ages have access to the outdoor play area. Older children are encouraged to share and take turns as they build with crates and boxes. Younger children gain confidence in their physical skills. For example, they hold a staff member's hand to carefully and successfully walk across a balance beam. Healthy meals and snacks are prepared on site and meet children's individual dietary needs and preferences well.

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Outcomes for children are inadequate

Assessments of children's development are weak and their next steps in learning are not accurately identified and planned for. As a result, children do not make enough progress to help prepare them for moving on to school. However, children in the main are confident, self-assured and play well together. They make independent choices in their play.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY536490 Local authority Leicestershire Inspection number 1096816 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 1 - 8 Total number of places 42 Number of children on roll 15 Name of registered person Caroline Winterton Ltd

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 29 March 2017 Telephone number 01455 697667 07889095597

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reference number

Little Ladybirds Day Nursery And Pre School registered in 2016 and is privately owned. The nursery employs six members of childcare staff. Of these, two have early years teacher status and two hold an appropriate early years qualification at level 3. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6.30pm. 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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