Little Rascals Day Nursery

Little Rascals Day Nursery Little Rascals, 4 Rossgate, Hemel Hempstead, HP1 3LG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 5 October 2017 8 March 2017

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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

 Children’s safety and well-being is compromised. There are a number of breaches of the legal requirements that have a significant impact on children’s welfare, learning and development. For example, children are not consistently kept safe on outings.  The management team did not provide evidence that at least one member of staff with a current paediatric first aid certificate accompanied younger children on an outing. This places children at risk in the event of a medical emergency.  The quality of teaching, including the planning of challenging activities is poor across the nursery and has not improved since the last inspection.  Staff receive minimal support to improve their practice. Supervision meetings remain ineffective. This is despite receiving previous recommendations and enforcement action from Ofsted.  Staffing arrangements and the organisation of routines, especially in the Mini’s room,

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This provision is inadequate

do not meet the needs of the children.  The premises and equipment are not fit for purpose.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff are sensitive towards the children's needs if they are upset. Parents comment positively about the setting.  Children enjoy nutritious meals and snacks. Information is appropriately obtained about any special dietary requirements, preferences and food allergies.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

The provision is inadequate and Ofsted intends to take enforcement action

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

We will issue a Welfare Requirements Notice requiring the provider to:

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Due Date

 ensure children are kept safe 08/11/2017  ensure at least one member of staff with a current paediatric first aid certificate accompanies children on an outing 08/11/2017

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Due Date

 implement effective arrangements for the supervision of staff, identifying performance issues and providing appropriate training to address them 08/11/2017

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Due Date

 ensure the premises and equipment are fit for purpose and suitable for the age of the children being cared for 08/10/2017

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Due Date

 ensure staffing arrangements and deployment of staff meet the needs of all children. 08/10/2017

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Due Date

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage the provider must:

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Due Date

 improve the quality of teaching and the planning of activities to ensure all children are consistently engaged in challenging, purposeful play. 08/11/2017

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Inspection activities

 The inspectors observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector accompanied younger children on an outing. She observed children’s safety and the quality of teaching at this time.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the nursery manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the nursery manager and provider. She looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.  The inspector considered the views of parents in discussion during the inspection.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

The arrangements for safeguarding are ineffective. On the day of the inspection staff failed to ensure children’s safety on an outing. A double buggy, containing two children, was left unsupervised without its brake on. This was on a slope and close to a busy road. This represents a significant risk to children and is the second occasion this year when an incident has occurred during an outing. Leaders and managers did not ensure that a member of staff with a current paediatric first aid certificate accompanied the children on the outing. This places children at risk in the event of a medical emergency. Recruitment procedures are appropriate, revised induction procedures are in progress and mandatory child protection training has been completed. As a result, staff are aware of the signs of abuse and neglect and know the procedures to follow if they have concerns about a child’s welfare. Some members of staff hold appropriate early years qualifications. However, this

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

is having minimum impact on the overall quality of teaching. Insufficient progress has been made since the last inspection to improve the frequency and quality of staff’s supervision. The manager has insufficient time to fully support and coach staff to improve the quality of their teaching and discuss key children. Consequently, the overall quality of teaching across the nursery is poor and children do not make good progress. The Early Years Advisory Team from the Local Authority have offered advice and support.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

The quality of teaching across the nursery is poor. Staff make observations of the children as they play. However, the assessment of this information is often inaccurate. Staff are unable to effectively plan challenging activities to support children’s individual developmental needs and they are unable to demonstrate the progress children make. Initial assessments are not always completed swiftly enough as children begin to attend the setting. Therefore, staff are unable to confidently see how children develop overtime or help them to address any gaps in their learning in a timely manner. Some members of staff demonstrate a weak understanding of child development. During sessions the staff fail to stimulate and challenge children's learning and development. Therefore, children’s progress is hindered. On occasions, staff show a lack of enthusiasm and their interactions with the children become minimal. This results in younger children moving from one

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

activity to another, overturning puzzles and tipping toys onto the floor. At other times younger children enjoy singing songs together as a group and completing actions associated with the song, such as ‘Head, shoulders, knees and toes’. However, group time activities are too long and as a result younger children’s concentration is lost. Older children show an interest in what happens to water when oil and food colouring are mixed together. Although opportunities to explore and investigate for themselves are restricted because activities are over directed by the staff.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

Children are not always kept safe on outings, which means their welfare is compromised. Arrangement for staff deployment at the nursery are not effective. Staff are not always in the same room as their key children and are frequently moved between rooms to meet ratio requirements rather than the children's needs. This compromises continuity in the children’s care and does not effectively support their emotional security. The organisation in the Mini’s room is, at times, chaotic and noise levels rise excessively. For example, while staff spend time preparing for lunchtime, children are not appropriately supervised. They play with dirty water in a blocked sink and attempt to play with the cutlery. The premises and equipment are not suitable for their purpose. The adult toilet used by the staff and occasionally by the preschool children is not clean. The sink is dirty and a cleaning mop is accessible to children. Surfaces on the nappy changing units used by the younger children

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

are not regularly cleaned. This demonstrates poor hygiene practices and increases the risk of cross infection. Staff are beginning to make some links with the local community. Children visit a local residential centre and sing songs to the residents, they also make potted plants and deliver them to local shop owners.

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Outcomes for children are inadequate

Overall, children, including those who speak English as an additional language, are not supported well enough to make typical progress from their starting points. The quality of teaching and the planning of challenging activities is weak, and breaches of the statutory requirements have a significant impact on the arrangements to support the learning and development of children. Children are not effectively supported to develop the key skills they need for the next stage in their learning, including their eventual move to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY498310 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 1112108 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 46 Number of children on roll 47 Name of registered person Little Rascals Nursery Group Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 8 March 2017 Telephone number 01442 416999

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reference number

Little Rascals Day Nursery was registered under new ownership in 2016. The nursery employs 16 members of childcare staff. Of these, 8 members of staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday all year round, except for one week between Christmas and New Year. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6.15pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports children who speak 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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