Dolly's Daycare At Squirrel Lodge

Dolly's Daycare At Squirrel Lodge Furley Park Primary Academy, Reed Crescent, Ashford, Kent, TN23 3PA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18 October 2017 Not applicable

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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 Requires improvement Outcomes for children Inadequate 4

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This provision is inadequate

 The provider has not ensured that staff monitor and assess all children's progress adequately to identify gaps, or plan effectively to meet children's next steps in learning.  The provider does not monitor and support staff sufficiently to raise the quality of teaching. Staff do not challenge older children's learning, to ensure children are actively involved and build effectively on their progress. They do not provide engaging and challenging experiences to encourage children's progress across all areas of learning.  The provider does not ensure they routinely and accurately monitor the progress that individuals and different groups of children make, to identify and quickly address any gaps in their learning.  Staff do not make full use of opportunities to extend children's mathematical understanding of numbers, sizes and shapes.  Staff miss opportunities to further develop children's interest in the written word and to

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This provision is inadequate

practise their early writing skills.  Self-evaluation is not fully effective in identifying areas for improvement and weaknesses in practice.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff are kind and caring towards the children, helping them to feel settled and secure.  Staff help support children to learn about the importance of exercise. For example, children enjoy playing outside and going on walks to the woods to develop their physical skills.

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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 assessments of children's progress to help staff effectively plan for and meet children's next steps in their learning 19/11/2017

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Due Date

 develop staff skills, knowledge and practice to ensure older children receive a good level of teaching experiences that help them make progress 19/11/2017

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Due Date

 ensure staff plan enjoyable and challenging experiences for each child across all areas of learning. 19/11/2017

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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

 strengthen the tracking and monitoring system to effectively track the learning progress of individuals and different groups of children  make the most of opportunities to develop children's interest in mathematics to extend their learning further  provide children with a wider range of reading and writing materials to support their literacy development in all areas of their play  strengthen the use of self-evaluation to identify weaknesses in practice, to target areas for improvement and raise outcomes for children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector discussed the managing of the nursery with the provider.  The inspector sampled a range of documentation, including children's learning and development records, staff recruitment, safeguarding policies and procedures, and self- evaluation.  The inspector took into account the views of parents spoken to on the day of the inspection and from written information.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector observed staff interactions with children and spoke to staff and children at suitable times throughout the inspection.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

The provider has failed to make sure staff have a secure understanding of how to assess children's progress. For example, some staff do not cover all areas of learning when planning for children's next steps in learning. The manager and deputy are new in post. The manager has begun to carry out ongoing supervision to identify staff training needs. However, this is not currently effective in ensuring all staff have the required knowledge and skills to provide good-quality teaching and learning experiences to improve outcomes for all children. For example, staff do not allow children to play an active role in group activities. The provider does not have sufficient information to enable her to track and monitor the learning progress of individuals and specific groups of children, to help ensure every child receives the support they need. There are clear weaknesses in the way the provider evaluates the provision. For example, she identified that the older children were

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

not sufficiently challenged last term; however, she has not adequately addressed this situation. The provider has failed to identify where improvements in practice are needed. However, she demonstrates a willingness to work hard to improve the overall effectiveness of the nursery. The provider has not monitored staff tracking of their individual key children. For instance, not all areas of the curriculum have been observed by staff to ensure they are checking children's progress across all areas of learning. The manager has links with other early years professionals to help support children moving on to school. Staff have positive relationships with parents to help them provide a continuity of care for children. Safeguarding is effective. The provider and staff have a sound understanding of their responsibility to safeguard children. The manager ensures staff are deployed effectively around the nursery to supervise children and keep them safe.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

Staff do not carry out accurate observations and assessments. They are not able to identify children's next steps in their development and address any gaps in their learning. They do not plan challenging experiences that motivate children to learn and enable them to make good progress across all areas of learning. For instance, staff are not aware when children are not engaged in purposeful play. Staff do not consistently support children to develop their mathematical skills, such as learning to compare sizes and shapes and explore numbers through counting. Older children are not given sufficient opportunities to practise their early writing skills to develop their interest in literacy. Staff do not fully ensure that the learning needs of children who speak English as an additional language are promoted. However, they do value children's home languages and use simple key words.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

Staff do not provide older children with a suitably stimulating learning environment. For example, they provide baby books for older children to look at. Children are not given sufficient opportunities to see an environment rich in print. Staff provide children with healthy snacks and are aware of how to meet the needs of children who have food intolerances or allergies. Staff are good role models for children. Children's behaviour is appropriate for their age. Staff help children to value their own and other people's cultures. For instance, children make candleholders to celebrate Diwali. Staff support the individual care needs of children well.

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Outcomes for children are inadequate

Not all children are adequately challenged in their play and this has a significantly negative impact on their learning progress. Older children are not provided with sufficiently engaging activities that motivate them to learn. For example, they are not allowed to help measure out the ingredients while making dough. Children are not making the progress they are capable of in their learning and development to ensure they are well prepared for the next stage in their learning and for the move to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY491027 Local authority Kent Inspection number 1025840 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 28 Number of children on roll 32 Name of registered person Dolly's Daycare Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01233 661199

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reference number

Dolly's Daycare at Squirrel Lodge registered in 2015 and is one of two nurseries run by the same owners. The nursery operates in Ashford, Kent. It is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 4pm, during term time only. The provider receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The nursery employs eight staff, including the two owners. Of these, six staff hold relevant early years qualifications at level 3 or level 4 and one of the nursery owners holds a level 6 qualification in early years.

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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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