Blossom Tree Day Nursery

Blossom Tree Day Nursery Oldbrook House, 19 Boycott Avenue, Oldbrook, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK6 2PN

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 11 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 Inadequate 4

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This provision is inadequate

 Children's safety is compromised. Assessments of risks do not always include all areas or daily routines. The action taken is not effective to protect children from risk of harm, such as preventing access to hazardous substances.  Staffing arrangements are disorganised during many daily routines, such as snack times and when children move between activities. Staff are unsure about the routines, many of, which have been newly implemented. This means that children are confused and their needs are not consistently met at these times.  There are inconsistencies in teaching and many staff do not plan and offer children sufficiently challenging play opportunities and experiences. As a result, children do not make sufficient progress.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff are kind and caring. Children follow their example and show care and respect for one another. For example, children playing with coloured dough readily share the dough, the plastic moulds and rolling pins.  Staff support children in developing their physical skills. For example, children develop their control and coordination as they balance on stepping stones and kick footballs to one another.  Children learn to manage their behaviour and staff help them to recognise how their actions affect others.

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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

 ensure that risk assessments cover all areas and daily routines, and consistently include the measures to be taken to minimise or remove risks, make sure that staff are aware of these assessments and know the action they need to take 25/10/2017

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Due Date

 ensure that staffing arrangements and daily routines meet the needs of all children 08/11/2017

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Due Date

 support staff to develop their knowledge, so that they plan and offer children challenging and enjoyable play opportunities and experiences. 08/11/2017

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector talked with children and staff at appropriate times throughout the inspection. She completed a joint observation with the nursery manager.  The inspector held meetings with the nursery owner and manager. She looked at relevant documentation, discussed the nursery's self-evaluation and saw evidence of the suitability of staff.  The inspector spoke to a number of parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

Safeguarding is not effective. Staff do not assess all risks to children or take appropriate measures to minimize them. On the day of the inspection, children were able to access a tray of hot food, including a jug of hot gravy which compromised their welfare. Despite this, all staff are aware of the signs and symptoms of abuse and neglect and have a clear understanding of safeguarding issues. They know how to report any concerns to the appropriate person within the nursery, and understand how to report these to the relevant external agency. There are robust procedures to ensure that correct staff ratios are maintained, contributing to the promotion of children's safety. The new manager offers staff regular supervision, and has developed plans for tailored training at monthly team meetings to help staff develop their practice. However, despite ongoing self-evaluation, the manager and owner have not noted the weaknesses in risk-assessing and activity

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

planning. Additionally, many of the daily routines are poorly organised and do not support staff in ensuring that children's needs are consistently met.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

Children do not make sufficient progress, as there are significant inconsistencies in teaching. Many staff do not offer children activities that challenge them and enable them to extend their learning. Staff observe children, assess their progress and work together to plan activities. However, they do not implement these plans appropriately. For example, children sit down to draw self-portraits, but there are insufficient resources for them to take part in and enjoy the activity. Children then lose interest. The disorganised daily routines also have an impact on the time that children have to engage in activities, and on staff's ability to interact with children. Nevertheless, children do enjoy some activities. For example, they sing and count as a staff member uses puppets during an action rhyme session. The manager has some procedures to monitor children's progress. She has started to implement procedures to extend outdoor play. Some staff have attended

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

training in this area and children enjoy some additional activities, such as collecting leaves and noting the changing seasons.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

Weaknesses in leadership and management have a negative impact on children's welfare and learning. However, staff use the key-person system appropriately to work with parents and obtain information about children. Staff follow children's home routines, helping them to feel settled. Children are offered snacks and meals at appropriate times. Staff use newsletters to inform parents about activities, so that parents can talk with their children about these. Staff help children understand healthy practices. There are suitable facilities for children to wash their hands, and staff help them to do this before they eat.

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Outcomes for children are inadequate

Children, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language, are not supported well enough to make sufficient progress. However, children do gain some skills that aid their learning and help to prepare them for the move on to school. Children playing with construction sets use basic mathematical language as they compare the sizes of the towers they are building.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY495227 Local authority Milton Keynes Inspection number 1114993 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Age range of children 0 - 4 Total number of places 84 Number of children on roll 110 Name of registered person Blossom Tree Day Nursery Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01908 662662

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reference number

Blossom Tree Day Nursery registered in 2015. The nursery employs 14 members of childcare staff. Of these; 2 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and 12 hold qualifications at level 3 or above. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6.30pm. 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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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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