The Mulberry Bush Waterlooville

Little Acorns Nursery School Waterberry Drive, Waterlooville, PO7 7UN

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 8 November 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 Inadequate 4

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This provision is inadequate

 The provider and manager have taken limited action and improvement since the last inspection and when complaints are raised by Ofsted. Self-evaluation is not accurate.  The key-person system is inconsistent across the nursery with some children’s care and learning needs not being sufficiently met, particularly when they move rooms.  The provider and manager do not ensure staff receive adequate supervision, coaching and training to help them carry out their job roles effectively.  The provider and manager do not sufficiently monitor the quality and standards of teaching and learning to ensure they are consistently good across the nursery.  Since the reorganisation of rooms, management has not ensured there are sufficient play resources to stimulate and engage children’s interest in freely chosen play.  Significant weaknesses in the quality of teaching and learning in half of the nursery mean not all children make adequate progress. Not all staff have a secure enough

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This provision is inadequate

understanding of observation, assessment and planning to meet children’s needs.  Some children are not taught to care for play resources and materials because some staff lack knowledge in child development and how to support children effectively.

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It has the following strengths

 The manager delivers effective child protection training to all staff.  Key-group time teaching in the four-year-old room is effective, with children enjoying and learning from a well-planned, lively, song time.

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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

 ensure staff understand their role as key person to ensure children's care and education are tailored to meet their individual needs, particularly when they move rooms 10/12/2017

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Due Date

 ensure staff receive regular supervision, coaching and training to be able to carry out their roles and responsibilities effectively 10/12/2017

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Due Date

 monitor the quality of teaching and learning across the nursery to help all children make good progress in all learning areas 10/12/2017

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Due Date

 make precise observations and assessments of children's progress and use this information to identify and plan for what children need to learn next so they make good progress in their development 10/12/2017

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Due Date

 plan challenging and well-resourced learning experiences that meet children's individual interests and learning needs 10/12/2017

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Due Date

 develop children's understanding of rules and boundaries and how to care for their toys and environment. 10/12/2017

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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 a culture of reflection and thorough evaluation across the staff team to improve standards across the nursery.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector talked to children, observed children's play activities indoors and outside and looked at the available resources.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager about leadership and management and looked at relevant documentation.  The inspector carried out two joint observations with the manager.  The inspector spoke to some parents about the setting and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

There has been a decline in the quality of care and education offered to young children by the provider. The management team has failed to evaluate and monitor the quality and standards across the nursery and put right what needs to improve. They do not ensure that staff are trained and knowledgeable to carry out their roles and responsibilities, particularly in monitoring and raising the quality of teaching. Staff meetings are infrequent and staff who require support and guidance in their performance receive minimal coaching and training. Links with parents and others settings are in place but communication is varied. Safeguarding is effective. The management team meets requirements in relation to staff deployment, child supervision, risk assessment and premises.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

Overall, across the nursery, children's learning needs are not met. In the two- and three- year-old room there is a lack of basic and quality resources for children to play with, which limits their learning opportunities. For example, there are no cars to go with the garage and so children use old bricks with their friends to move up and down the slope. Management or staff do not play with them, intervene, or recognise poor practice or make changes to improve children's play experiences. Children in these age groups are not encouraged to look after play resources properly. Children throw toys out of windows which lay in all weathers to grow mould. The provider does not ensure that all staff plan adequately for children's next steps in development. Key staff do not observe children enough to understand and respond to their needs adequately. For example, staff are unaware of children's cultural background, how often they attend the nursery, their style

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

of learning or how to support those who bite repeatedly.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

The provider does not ensure that staff have knowledge and enthusiasm for their roles. This affects children's day-to-day care. Across the staff team there is not a secure enough understanding of the role of the key person. The provider does not ensure that key staff tailor children's care to meet their needs and build a strong relationship with children and their parents. Information is not shared sufficiently when children move from room to room. Some young children look bewildered after a sleep and receive delayed interaction and comfort from staff. Although there are large spaces for each of the age groups, the planning of the learning environment does not cover all areas of learning sufficiently. Children's behaviour is not supported consistently by staff to ensure they understand the rules, such as taking good care of the resources. Their behaviour deteriorates when they become bored by the poor educational programme. Children's nutritional needs are

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Outcomes for children are inadequate

Children spend a lot of time in the garden running around but not engaging much in meaningful learning experiences. They are generally occupied and happy but do not make the progress they are capable of because of the weak teaching. At times, particularly in the two- and three-year-old rooms, they become uninterested and lack motivation. Not all children gain the skills and attributes they need for future learning and school. Babies, however, enjoy better interaction with staff and are encouraged to master skills, such as walking and holding a spoon to eat.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY499416 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 1117032 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 0 - 4 Total number of places 88 Number of children on roll 148 Name of registered person Little Acorns Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 02392265151

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reference number

Little Acorns Nursery opened in 1995 by the current provider and re-registered as a Limited company in 2016. The nursery operates in a single storey purpose built building in Waterlooville in Hampshire. There are 26 staff, including the manager who has an early years degree. Children attend weekdays from 7.30am to 6pm all year round. The nursery receives funding for free early education for children from the age of two. Staff support children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and children learning English as an additional language.

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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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