Small Wonders Nursery, Pre-School and Forest School

Small Wonders Day Nursery And Out Of School Club 2a Eastwood Road,, Oundle, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE8 4DF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 13 November 2017 11 January 2017

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Outcomes for children Requires improvement

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This provision requires improvement. It is not yet good because:

 The arrangements for deploying staff, particularly in the baby room when children are settling in, are not effective. This results in children's individual needs not being met.  The quality of teaching is variable and inconsistent. Staff, particularly in the pre-school room do not consider children's interests that emerge during activities. They do not consistently use these interests to plan challenging and enjoyable experiences, to help children continue to make progress in their learning.  Children's behaviour is not managed effectively. Staff do not provide clear guidance about behaviour, so that children learn about what is and is not acceptable.

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It has the following strengths

 Children develop a positive relationship with staff. They seek detailed information from parents about babies routines, toddlers laugh with the staff at jokes they make and pre-school children enjoy lively conversations during activities and mealtimes.  Parents are happy with the care their children receive at the nursery. They comment on the progress their children are making and that the staff are friendly and approachable.  The staff and management team have a secure understanding of how to keep children safe and protect their welfare. Children are appropriately supervised during their play. Suitable risk assessments for the premises and outings contribute to children's safety.

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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 the staffing arrangements and deployment to ensure children's needs are met, particularly in the baby room 27/11/2017

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Due Date

 ensure that staff consider pre-school children's interests sufficiently to keep them suitably challenged and to provide them with an enjoyable experience 31/12/2017

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Due Date

 ensure that children's behaviour is consistently managed in an appropriate way. 27/11/2017

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Inspection activities

 The inspectors observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  One inspector carried out two joint observations with the nursery manager.  The inspectors held meetings with the provider, the manager and with four members of staff. They looked at relevant documentation and checked evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.  This inspection was carried out as part of a risk assessment process following information received by Ofsted.  The inspectors spoke to children and a number of parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff know what to do if they are concerned about a child's welfare. They complete regular training which keeps their knowledge up to date. Appropriate procedures are in place for recruiting and checking staff's ongoing suitability. Ratios in the nursery are met. However, in the baby room, staff are not adequately deployed to meet children's individual needs and ensure that new children are able to settle-in effectively. This results in babies becoming distressed. The monitoring of planning and children's progress is not strong enough to ensure children's emerging and spontaneous interests are followed. There have been recent changes to the management of the nursery and the leaders are beginning to identify their main plans for future improvement.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Staff do not consistently adapt the routines and plans of the day, based on children's emerging interests. In the pre-school room in particular, there is more focus on completing tasks that children do not show much interest in, such as writing and letter formation, instead of following the interests that have emerged through their play. Children enjoy the time they spend outdoors, particularly in the outdoor classroom at the nearby school. Children use the environment to go on a bear hunt, eventually becoming excited at finding a bear in a log cabin. They speculate about different marks that they see on the floor and whether they might be the footprints of a bear. Children in the toddler room explore real vegetables in the home corner and enjoy using a clockwork timer. Children are confident to move resources around. They take the toy trains from the track into the sand tray to extend their interest. Babies are provided with items to promote their

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

learning and curiosity, such as tunnels. However, staff are preoccupied managing those who are unsettled and this results in less interaction and teaching.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

Children's behaviour is not managed consistently. Staff do not make their expectations about what is acceptable behaviour clear to children. Children are sometimes unsure that their actions upset others. Children generally show that they are confident in the nursery and the adequate key-person approach supports positive relationships. During activities, children initiate conversations and ask for items they want. However, the ineffective deployment of staff in the baby room does not always support babies' feelings of well- being. Children's awareness of the benefits of healthy lifestyles is promoted. They are provided with nutritious meals, snacks and drinks. They learn how to manage their own self-care and they take part in activities outdoors in the fresh air.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Children develop some skills that prepare them for the next stage in learning. They put their coats on ready for outdoors play, they make choices about their play and they pour their own drinks. However, the variable teaching limits their overall, ongoing progress.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY269478 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 1117360 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 103 Number of children on roll 74 Name of registered person Small Wonders Day Nursery Ltd

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 11 January 2017 Telephone number 01832 274929

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reference number

Small Wonders Day Nursery and Out of School Club re-registered in 2012 and is managed by a limited company. The nursery employs eight members of childcare staff. All hold appropriate early years qualifications between level 2 and 6, including one with early years professional status. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, for 51 weeks of the year. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. 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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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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