Top Tots Montessori Nursery

Childrens Nest Nursery 165 Turners Hill, Waltham Cross, EN8 9BH

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 29 January 2018 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 owners do not ensure that the safeguarding lead understands how to act on any safeguarding concerns raised by staff. This has a significant impact on staff's ability to protect the safety and welfare of children.  The manager does not ensure that she takes all reasonable steps to quickly address safety issues identified by staff. This does not protect the safety and well-being of staff or children.  The providers do not ensure that there is an effective system in place for the supervision of the manager, deputy and staff, to encourage their professional development. Therefore, underperformance has not been identified and tackled to raise the standard of their practice and promote good outcomes for children.  Staff do not implement consistent behaviour management strategies that support children's understanding about the consequences of their actions on others.  Staff do not assess initial information about children's development to inform planning.

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This provision is inadequate

In addition, they do not assess children's progress or plan to meet children's ongoing learning needs. As a result, children are not engaged in challenging activities and do not make sufficient progress in their learning.

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It has the following strengths

 Children enjoy time spent outside in the fresh air each day. Older children practise and develop physical skills as they carefully walk along balancing blocks or propel wheeled toys along with their feet.

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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 the safeguarding lead understands her responsibility to act on any safeguarding concerns that staff raise, to protect children from harm 12/02/2018

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Due Date

 ensure the manager takes all reasonable steps to address any safety issues that staff share, so that staff and children are not exposed to risks and remain safe at all times 12/02/2018

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Due Date

 provide the managers with the appropriate training support and coaching so that they have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities to manage the setting and support good outcomes for children 12/02/2018

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Due Date

 ensure appropriate arrangements are put in place for the supervision of staff, to monitor their personal effectiveness and identify their ongoing training needs 12/02/2018

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Due Date

 ensure that staff manage children's behaviour appropriately to help them learn what is and is not acceptable and understand the consequences of their actions on themselves and others 12/02/2018

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Due Date

 ensure that staff use information gained from initial and ongoing assessments of children's progress to accurately identify and plan challenging activities that encourage their individual next steps in learning. 12/02/2018

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Inspection activities

 We carried out this inspection as a result of Ofsted's risk assessment process.  The inspector completed joint evaluations of activities with the manager.  The inspector held a number of discussions with the manager, staff and children.  The inspector looked at relevant documentation, including evidence of the suitability of persons working with children. The inspector discussed with the manager and staff how they reflect on their practice.  The inspector took account of the views of parents through discussion on the day of inspection.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

Arrangements for safeguarding are ineffective. The owners have failed to ensure the manager, who is the safeguarding lead, has a good enough understanding of her responsibility to act on any concerns raised by staff to protect children's welfare. In addition, she has failed to ensure that safety issues identified by staff are addressed swiftly. For example, a fault with a safety gate was reported but it was not repaired or replaced. This does not ensure that the children and staff are protected from identified risks in the nursery environment. Accident records are completed by staff, and parents are informed on the same day. Staff supervision is ineffective. The providers have failed to identify weaknesses in the manager's understanding of her role and responsibilities and of staff's practice. As a consequence, little action has been taken to tackle underperformance. This has a significant impact on children's safety and progress. Parents

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

are provided with information about the nursery's policies and procedures. Regular newsletters also help to keep parents informed about what is going on within the nursery. The providers do not identify and address weaknesses in practice. This has a negative impact on children's learning experiences and compromises their safety.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

Staff do not work effectively in partnership with parents to assess important initial information about what children know and can do. Consequently, they are unable to identify and plan for children's learning needs from the beginning. Staff do not plan activities that meet individual children's ongoing learning needs or that provide them with sufficient challenge. Young children are easily distracted by the high levels of noise made by the toddlers sharing their base room. This does not help them to develop concentration skills and engage in learning. At times, young children wander around the room with little purpose. When the older children are taken to join others in the toddler room, they become over excited. They spend periods of time running the length of the playroom and back again without engaging in purposeful play.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

The failure to meet safeguarding and welfare requirements compromises children's well- being. Information about children's personal care requirements is sought from parents. This helps the staff to deliver some effective care. Children are allocated a key person who provides parents with daily feedback about their day. Children have formed relationships with their key persons and other staff. This helps towards meeting some of their ongoing emotional needs. The manager does not ensure that suitable behaviour management is implemented by staff. They do not provide children with consistent messages about acceptable behaviour that are appropriate to their level of understanding. Children are encouraged to feed themselves. They are provided with a nutritious range of meals and snacks by the nursery chef.

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Outcomes for children are inadequate

Children, including those who speak English as an additional language, are not supported well enough to make sufficient progress. Young children are not developing the concentration skills needed to help them explore, discover and problem solve. At times, activity planning does not motivate older children to learn or provide them with appropriate challenge. Children are not helped to develop the important skills needed for their next stage of learning or in preparation for starting school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY537999 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 1122277 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 35 Number of children on roll 23 Name of registered person Splash Day Nursery Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 07958218666

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reference number

Childrens Nest Nursery registered in 2016 and is one of two nurseries managed by Splash Day Nursery Limited. The owners employ eight members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and above, including four staff who hold level 3 and one who holds level 5. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. The owners 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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