Little Legs Nursery

Little Legs Nursery 43 High Street, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 4AW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 30 January 2018 31 August 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

 Hygiene arrangements are not robust. The provider does not monitor to ensure that the nursery is clean and that staff follow good hygiene procedures to reduce the possibility of cross-infection.  At times, the provider does not follow the required staffing ratios for the number and ages of children attending.  Staff supervision of children is not always effective to ensure their safety. Staff do not effectively risk assess the environment.  The quality of teaching is variable and children do not make the best possible progress. Staff do not make accurate assessments of the children's learning or consistently plan interesting, challenging activities to move children's learning forward.  Staff are not consistent in their management of children's behaviour. This does not support children to learn how to behave.  Staff do not effectively use opportunities to extend children's understanding and skills

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It has the following strengths

 Parents report that they are happy with the nursery and that staff share information about the child's daily care.  Children have regular opportunities for outdoor play to develop their physical skills.

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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 staff's knowledge of good hygiene procedures to reduce the risks of cross-contamination and to ensure all areas are clean and hygienic 28/02/2018

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Due Date

 ensure that the correct adult-to-child ratios are maintained 16/02/2018  improve staff's understanding of the supervision of children, to ensure they are supervised effectively and their safety is assured 16/02/2018

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Due Date

 ensure risk assessment are effective to identify and minimise any potential hazards or risks to children 16/02/2018

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Due Date

 support staff to develop their understanding of observation, assessment and planning to correctly assess children's level of development and plan good-quality teaching experiences that improve their learning. 16/02/2018

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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

 support staff to provide more-consistent support to manage children's behaviour  continue to develop opportunities for children to use their mathematical skills to further their learning.

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Inspection activities

 The inspection was carried out following the Ofsted risk assessment process.  The inspector looked at a sample of documentation, including key policies and procedures, and children's development records.  The inspector took account of parents' views, through discussions.  The inspector spoke to the nominated person, manager, area coordinator, members of staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector and manager observed and discussed a planned activity. The inspector observed activities and the quality of teaching indoors and outdoors.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

Safeguarding is ineffective. Staff do not have a clear understanding of how to minimise risk to children, follow good hygiene procedures and supervise children correctly. For example, although managers have provided risk assessment training, staff are not putting this into practice. For instance, when risk assessing the garden hazards, such as bird faeces, were not noticed. Staff do not effectively identify potential risks as they supervise the children or complete domestic tasks. For example, during the inspection, staff left hot food unattended within the reach of children while they completed routine duties. They also left children unsupervised while eating breakfast to answer the door on the floor below and when they were tidying the other side of the room. There are short periods when the provider does not follow the legally required staffing ratios. Staff do not follow good hygiene procedures, such as ensuring nappy-changing units are thoroughly clean.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

Staff are fully aware of the current safeguarding legislation and the procedures to follow should they have a concern about the welfare of a member of staff or a child. There are appropriate recruitment, induction and supervision procedures in place. Members of the management team ask questions during one-to-one staff supervisory sessions to effectively monitor the ongoing suitability of staff. While there are some opportunities for staff training, this is having little impact on the quality of teaching and learning. Staff have the correct qualifications for their roles, for example, staff handling food have food hygiene qualifications. Those in the management team are aware there are weaknesses in the practice and are taking some action to rectify these. However, self-evaluation is not effective enough to ensure that areas where improvement is needed are identified and promptly addressed. Staff exchange information with other settings the children attend, to

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

The quality of teaching and learning is inconsistent. Staff do not use their observations of the children's play to develop accurate assessment of their development. This does not support them to detect any possible gaps in children's learning. Staff do not identify children's next steps in learning to help them to plan interesting, challenging activities. Staff have completed training to extend their knowledge of the teaching of mathematics and to give them ideas to develop children's interest in the subject. However, mathematical activities lack challenge, and are too easily achievable for the children taking part. Children are often left to develop their play, but staff do not intervene when behaviour becomes disruptive, for example, when children run around the room.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

The breaches in leadership and management impact on children's safety and well-being. Staff do not all follow the effective behaviour strategies. Some staff approach children to explain why their behaviour is not appropriate, while other staff shout across the room. Staff have put in place arrangements to ensure they are aware of all children's allergies and intolerances. Children enjoy developing their physical skills in the garden, for example, using bicycles and walking on balance beams. The management team has made improvements to the garden to make it safer and reduce the number of accidents. Staff are fully aware of the procedure for recording accidents.

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Outcomes for children are inadequate

Overall, children are not consistently making the progress they are capable of in their learning, although they are gaining basic skills to support the next stage in their learning and eventual move on to school. Children are developing their social and independence skills although their behaviour is not always entirely appropriate. Children enjoy reading books and retelling stories using props, which supports their early literacy.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY460281 Local authority Kent Inspection number 1122649 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 - 5 Total number of places 43 Number of children on roll 69 Name of registered person Little Legs (Colchester) Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 31 August 2017 Telephone number 07956546127

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reference number

Little Legs Nursery is owned by Little Legs (Colchester) Limited. The nursery registered in 2013 and operates in Sittingbourne, Kent. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6pm for most of the year. The provider receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are eight members of staff, seven of whom hold relevant early years qualifications at level 3.

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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

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