Stickleberries

Stickleberries Stickleberries, Winterborne Stickland, Blandford Forum, DT11 0NN

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 27 February 2018 Not applicable

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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:

 Staff carry out risk assessments of the premises. However, they do not ensure that all areas of the environment are free of hazards to children, especially in outdoor areas.  The manager does not ensure that there is a named deputy or senior staff member who has the ability to take charge in her absence.  Key-person arrangements for the babies are not fully effective. For example, staff working with the babies are not clear on how to settle the children and how to engage them in suitable play activities to help them progress well.  Although previous actions were met, the manager does not use self-evaluation well enough to enable her to identify and address weaknesses in the provision sufficiently.

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It has the following strengths

 Overall, children are happy and have trusting relationships with staff. The older children play together well and show care and consideration towards each other.  Children have regular outdoor play to develop their physical abilities. For example, they show control as they balance and climb on the hill, and manoeuvre their wheeled toys.  Overall, staff monitor children's progress in their learning appropriately. The ongoing, two-way exchange of information helps keep the parents well informed about children's care and development. Partnerships with parents are effective.  Staff have established strong links with the local schools. For example, children attend some of their special events, which helps to prepare them for their move on to school.

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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

 make more effective use of risk assessment to identify and remove or minimise all hazards to children, particular in the outdoor areas 06/03/2018

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Due Date

 make sure there is a named person who is capable and has the ability to take charge in the manager's absence 06/03/2018

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Due Date

 improve the key-person arrangements for the babies and the staff interaction, to ensure that the younger children's care and learning are tailored to meet their individual needs. 20/03/2018

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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

 make better use of ongoing self-reflection to accurately identify areas that require improvement.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities indoors and outdoors, and interactions between the staff and children, and looked at the play equipment and resources.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager and discussed children's play activities.  The inspector spoke with the co-owners, the manager, staff and parents. She also talked with the children at appropriate times.  The inspector looked at documentation, including a sample of children's records and staff suitability records.  The inspector discussed the systems used to evaluate the provision.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

Due to staff changes recently, there is currently no named deputy or senior staff with the responsibility to cover when the manager is not present. However, the manager is taking action to appoint staff to address this. The manager ensures that sufficient qualified staff work with children and that staff-to-child ratios are met. Staff are deployed well and support children's welfare appropriately overall. The effective security measures ensure that no one can enter the premises unsupervised. Although staff do risk assessments of the premises, these are not fully effective. For example, staff do not identify all hazards in the outdoor areas, such as a gate with a sharp, rusty hinge exposed to children or a cover on the small pond in the large tyre that is easily lifted. However, staff supervise children closely to help keep them safe and the manager states she will take action to remove hazards immediately. Overall, the manager supports the staff appropriately to help them

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

develop their knowledge and skills. Staff have a clear understanding about safeguarding issues and their responsibility to report concerns. Safeguarding is effective.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

The quality of teaching is inconsistent. Some staff regularly miss chances to support the younger children's development effectively. For example, staff have a tendency to carry babies around and do not engage them in any purposeful play. Older children show care and control as they build a tower with construction toys. Staff skilfully model language of 'bigger' and 'more'. They extend children's learning further to get them to measure their bodies against the tower, for instance, to develop their understanding of shape, size and measurement. Children are helpful towards others. For example, they hold the tower for each other so it does not wobble as they take turns to place more pieces on top to make it even bigger. When it falls over, they giggle and happily begin to build it again.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

Key-person arrangements for babies do not work as effectively as they could to ensure that younger children's needs are supported consistently. For example, due to changes, the staff in the baby room are not totally clear about their key children's needs and, at times, children are unsettled. Children behave well and are helpful at tidy-up time. Staff regularly praise children, which helps to boost their confidence and self-esteem. Children enjoy outdoor play. The fresh air and exercise helps them to develop healthy lifestyles. Children show developing independence as they manage their personal care, such as putting their coats and boots on by themselves when going outdoors.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Children acquire some skills to prepare them for their next stage in learning. However, the babies are not supported as well as older children to make good progress. Older children are confident, communicate well with each other, and build positive relationships. For example, they listen attentively to stories and eagerly join in the group discussions about what they think will happen next, which helps to develop their early literacy skills.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY493669 Local authority Dorset Inspection number 1026520 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 - 7 Total number of places 52 Number of children on roll 48 Name of registered person Dunbury Day Nursery Ltd

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01258 880417

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reference number

Stickleberries registered in 2015. It is located in the village of Winterborne Stickland, Dorset. The nursery is open all year round, except bank holidays, from 7.45am to 6pm. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early years education for children aged two, three and four years. The nursery employs eight members of staff. Of whom, one is a qualified primary school teacher and five hold early years qualifications at level 2 and 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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