Elms Nursery School

Elms Nursery School 8 Richmond Road, Ramsgate, Kent, CT11 9QP

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 19 December 2017 4 July 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:

 Leaders have not fully refined their monitoring processes in all rooms of the nursery to help develop staff practice further.  The quality of teaching is inconsistent. Not all staff use effective interactions to extend children's learning further and keep their engagement and interest in their learning. Children do not make their best possible progress.  Staff do not make the most of opportunities to help younger children develop their understanding further.  Self-evaluation is not fully robust. Leaders do not identify all areas of weakness and set incisive targets for improvement.

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It has the following strengths

 Leaders and staff complete thorough risk assessments of their environment, which helps children play safely in their surroundings.  Staff provide regular opportunities to involve parents in their children's learning. For example, they offer an online system, and have daily discussions and meetings. This helps parents to continue their children's learning at home.  Staff make regular observations and assessments of children's progress and plan relevant activities to meet their individual needs, interests and abilities.  Leaders and staff effectively monitor children's learning, including specific groups. This helps identify any gaps in progress early and provide the appropriate support.

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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

 refine the staff monitoring processes further to offer robust targeted support for all staff to develop their knowledge and skills to a good standard 30/01/2018

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Due Date

 improve all staff teaching to provide children with effective interactions to help increase their development further and keep their motivation and interest in their learning. 30/01/2018

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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

 increase opportunities for younger children to fully build their growing understanding  develop the self-evaluation process further to help identify precise areas of weakness and set targets for improvement.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching and the impact this has on children's learning and development.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the provider.  The inspector spoke to children and parents.  The inspector viewed a range of documentation, including suitability checks and children's records.  The inspector held a management meeting with the leaders of the nursery.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

Leaders have made considerable improvements since their previous inspection. However, they have not fully perfected their staff monitoring processes. For example, leaders do not incisively target all areas of weakness to help develop staff knowledge and skills further. Staff build on their understanding well. For instance, they learn through training how to plan successful 'science experiments' to support children's individual learning. Safeguarding is effective. Staff understand and implement the nursery's policies well, such as nappy changing, using the outdoor climbing equipment, and accident and incidents procedures. They confidently know the signs that would cause them concern about a child's welfare and the processes to follow. Staff have a secure understanding of what would affect their suitability to care for children, including by association. Leaders and staff work with other professionals well. Albeit, leaders do not consistently use their self-

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

evaluation processes well to identify all areas to improve.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Staff successfully support younger children's communication and language skills. For example, they introduce new words, such as 'heart' and 'chalk', to develop their vocabulary further. Staff build younger children's early mathematical development well. For instance, they explain to them that they are emptying and filling containers with sand. Staff ask questions to help children think for themselves. However, not all staff use their interactions well to support children's learning further and keep their motivation and interest. For example, they tell them there are not enough resources so they cannot join the activity and do not always adjust their teaching to meet all children's learning needs.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

The weaknesses in teaching, learning and assessment have an impact on children's enthusiasm and engagement in their learning. Staff successfully develop children's physical health. For example, they offer healthy nutritional meals and daily opportunities to be physically active. Staff effectively support children's emotional well-being, such as catering for their individual sleep routines well. Staff provide clear guidance and explanations to help children manage their own behaviour. For example, they encourage sharing and taking turns, and talk to them about their actions.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Older children, at times, do not sustain their attention and concentration in their development. Therefore, they do not achieve their full potential and prepare fully for their next stage in development. They are confident to talk to adults to share their experiences and interact well with their friends. However, children do not always have opportunities to develop their understanding further, for example, recognising their own objects.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY252581 Local authority Kent Inspection number 1109103 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 62 Number of children on roll 30 Name of registered person Tender Shoots Ltd

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 4 July 2017 Telephone number 01843 852727

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reference number

Elms Nursery School registered in 2003 and is owned by Tender Shoots Limited. It is situated in Ramsgate, Kent. The nursery is open Monday to Friday from 7am to 7pm, for 51 weeks of the year. The providers are in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The nursery employs six members of staff, three of whom hold early years professional status.

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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

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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