Bedlington Bears

Bedlington Bears 2-4 Forster Avenue, Bedlington, Northumberland, NE22 6EW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 21 September 2017 1 December 2016

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

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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 manager has not ensured all risks to children, particularly in the outdoor areas, have been identified and addressed. This compromises their safety.  Teaching is weak and is not sufficiently responsive to the individual learning needs and preferences of the children who attend. Children do not make enough progress.  Staff do not use information from observations and assessments to plan challenging activities and accurately identify what children need to learn next. Children are not supported well enough to make progress.  The manager has failed to identify and address significant weaknesses in the nursery. Actions taken to address weaknesses from previous inspections have been ineffective. This shows poor capacity to improve.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff help older children to understand behavioural expectations within the nursery. They use age-appropriate strategies to help children develop social skills, such as sharing equipment and taking turns with others.  Some improvements have been made to the upstairs space in the nursery. The sensory room and the library, have been developed to support some aspects of children's learning.

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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

 improve risk assessment procedures to ensure all risks to children's safety are identified and addressed as swiftly as possible 23/10/2017

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Due Date

 ensure that teaching and educational programmes provided for children meet their individual needs, interests and stages of development and promote their learning across all areas 23/10/2017

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Due Date

 ensure that observations and assessments are used effectively to provide challenging activities around what children need to learn next and help them engage in purposeful learning. 23/10/2017

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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

 ensure self-evaluation procedures accurately identify and address weaknesses and raise the quality of provision to a good level.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector spoke with staff and children during the inspection.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the nursery manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the nursery manager. She looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.  The inspector spoke to a number of parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

Safeguarding is not effective. The manager does not have sufficient understanding of risk assessment procedures to ensure children's safety at all times. She has failed to identify the risks associated with children playing with empty drinks cans in the outdoor area. This presents a potential hazard to children and compromises their safety. In addition, risk assessments carried out by staff on the morning of inspection were not effective. A broken sand tray lid was not identified and removed before children accessed the outdoor area. The manager removed both hazards immediately once she had been informed of the risks. Since the previous inspection the manager has taken some action to evaluate areas of practice and has identified some plans for improvement. She has continued to embed staff supervision and training arrangements in the nursery. However, although some observations of staff practice have been carried out, actions taken to improve the overall

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

quality of teaching have been ineffective.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

Although they are well qualified, staff do not demonstrate a good enough understanding of how to support young children's learning and development. The range of activities and experiences provided for children, particularly those who are two-years-old or younger, is poor. Staff do not always take account of individual children's needs and interests when planning activities and to promote their next steps in learning. For example, staff put out a range of pop-up toys that are more suited to non-mobile babies, on a table, for children to explore. Activities lack stimulation and a good level of challenge. As a result, minor conflicts arise when children quickly become bored and lose interest in what they are doing. Staff have some knowledge of what children know and can do. However, information from observations and assessments is not used effectively when supporting children during activities. For example, staff instruct older children to throw balls towards

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

numbers chalked on the wall outside, despite children not having acquired number recognition skills. Opportunities for parents to be involved in their children's learning have recently been improved. Parents spoken to enjoy hearing what activities their children have been engaging in while at nursery.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

Children's safety is compromised by ineffective risk assessments in the outdoor area. However, children show good levels of enthusiasm and are motivated to take part in some activities, such as singing action songs and rhymes. Reasonable information is gathered from parents when children first start attending to ensure consistency in meeting children's emotional and physical needs. This includes any allergies children may have or comforters they may use. Information is shared with external professionals, if appropriate, to develop a joint approach to supporting children who may require additional help or support.

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Outcomes for children are inadequate

Children do not make enough progress. They are not provided with activities to actively become engaged and motivated to learn. Many children are working below the expected range of development for their age in some areas of their learning. Children are not equipped with the key skills needed for future learning and the eventual move on to school. Not enough focus is placed on children who are slower to develop key skills and they are not supported effectively enough to help them catch up in their learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY311651 Local authority Northumberland Inspection number 1079748 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 - 6 Total number of places 36 Number of children on roll 13 Name of registered person Wendy Heather Monaghan

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 1 December 2016 Telephone number 01670 820888

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reference number

Bedlington Bears registered in 2016. The nursery employs four members of childcare staff. All staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The nursery opens 7.30am until 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for 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

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