Little Bears Nursery

Little Bears Nursery Little Bears Day Nursery, 6 Northcroft Lane, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 1BU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 28 February 2018 9 May 2014

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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 provider does not have an up-to-date safeguarding policy. It does not include clear procedures for staff to follow if they suspect a child is at risk of harm, or guidance for them following an allegation being made, such as against a staff member.  The provider does not have a secure understanding of her role and responsibilities, including those as the lead safeguarding officer, such as how to respond to allegations made. Recruitment and vetting procedures are weak and do not adequately check the suitability of staff working with children. This significantly compromises children's safety.  There are insufficient staff with valid first-aid qualifications to meet children's needs. For example, not all outings with children have first-aid qualified staff present as required.  Systems for assessing and monitoring children's development and planning for their learning are weak. Management does not monitor these and staff do not update them

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This provision is inadequate

regularly. Children do not all make the progress expected for their stage of development.  Staff's professional development opportunities to continually develop their knowledge and practice, and offer consistently good learning experiences for children, are poor.  The provider does not evaluate and monitor the provision effectively. She does not identify the provision's significant weaknesses and fails to meet all legal requirements.

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It has the following strengths

 Parents are happy with the pre-school provision and speak positively of it.  Children have good opportunities to develop their understanding about the similarities and differences between themselves and 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

 implement a policy and procedure to safeguard children that is in line with the guidance and procedures of the relevant Local Safeguarding Children Board and includes an explanation of the procedure to follow in the event of an allegation being made, and ensure all staff are fully aware of this 01/04/2018

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Due Date

 improve management's understanding of its role and responsibilities, including those as the designated safeguarding lead 01/05/2018

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Due Date

 implement effective recruitment systems to ensure that any person who has regular contact with children is suitable to work with them 01/05/2018

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Due Date

 ensure adequate numbers of staff have paediatric first-aid training to be able to respond to emergencies quickly, taking into consideration the layout of the premises and staff who will take children on outings 01/06/2018

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Due Date

 monitor staff's assessments, tracking and planning to support staff to identify and target weaker aspects of children's learning, and help children close gaps in their learning effectively 01/04/2018

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Due Date

 ensure staff undertake appropriate training and professional development opportunities to develop their knowledge and the quality of their teaching skills, to offer quality learning experiences and plan for children's development effectively. 01/06/2018

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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

 strengthen evaluation of the provision to ensure that all requirements are met and continuous improvements are made.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled documentation, including policies, children's progress records, medication records, training and qualification certificates and risk assessments for outings.  The inspector assessed staff's understanding of how to keep children safe.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the provider.  The inspector discussed training, settling-in routines and learning and development opportunities for younger children with staff in the baby room.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day of inspection.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

The arrangements for safeguarding are ineffective. The provider, who is also the manager, does not have a secure knowledge of her role and responsibilities. The safeguarding policies and procedures are not in line with the guidance and procedures of the Local Safeguarding Children Board. Although staff have a suitable understanding about signs that may indicate a child is at risk, they do not know whom to report concerns to beyond their manager, if needed. The manager lacks knowledge of the procedure to follow in the event that an allegation is made against a member of staff. She does not have a secure understanding of the early years foundation stage and this has led to breaches in requirements. For example, she has not ensured that qualifications are kept current and there are not sufficient first-aid qualified staff available to cover the pre-school room. In addition, she has not ensured that there is a first-aid qualified member of staff present on

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

all outings. The manager's knowledge of safer recruitment procedures is weak and she does not ensure that she follows up references or that application processes are rigorous. This compromises children's safety and does not ensure staff's suitability is appropriately checked. The manager does some reflection on her practice and the provision and is aware that her knowledge around safer recruitment and safeguarding needs updating.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

The quality of teaching is inconsistent. On the day of inspection, young children were not receiving quality learning experiences as staff were having to settle a large number of new babies who had just started at the setting. This meant other babies and toddlers were left to play with minimal input from staff. In the baby room there were limited learning opportunities for children. For example, young children were not able to build on their skills and explore media and materials to help develop their understanding of texture, different consistencies and making marks. However, staff are caring and comfort babies well, developing their confidence as they settle into their new environment. Staff's assessment of children's development is weak. Tracking does not effectively identify children's starting points or the progress they make. Staff are not always clear on what children need to do to close gaps in their learning. Planning is incidental and not organised

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

to help ensure children follow up on their next steps in learning and make best progress. Children who learn best outdoors have limited opportunities as only a short time is allocated for each set of children to use the outdoor area each day. Staff in the toddler and pre-school rooms offer a range of activities for children to explore. Children enjoy playing with friends at the sand and play dough tables, creating shapes and using their imagination. Staff help children develop their vocabulary and creativity. Children sing songs with staff in group times and discuss the weather and plans for the day.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

The significant weakness in safeguarding arrangements at the setting compromises children's safety. However, staff do daily safety checks on the environment and regularly check sleeping babies to help keep them safe. Staff teach children about different people in society well. For example, children enjoy visits from the fire service and police, and meet local elderly people and make them craft gifts. However, on some outings safety is not ensured, and on a trip to a local retirement home no staff with paediatric first-aid qualifications accompanied the children. This is a breach in legal requirements. Opportunities for children to get fresh air and exercise are limited, especially in the winter months. However, children enjoy the short time they get in the garden climbing on equipment and playing with balls, developing their physical skills well.

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Outcomes for children are inadequate

The youngest children, and some children who speak English as an additional language, make insufficient progress in their learning from their starting points. Children in the toddler room are not consistently able to build on their developing skills and staff often do tasks for them rather than encouraging them to do these for themselves. Overall, children in the pre-school room are prepared well for their transition to school. They have good independence skills and lay the tables and serve themselves lunch. Children have opportunities to develop their early literacy skills, such as reading and using print in their environment as they play.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY439036 Local authority West Berkshire (Newbury) Inspection number 1069121 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 55 Number of children on roll 67 Name of registered person Tejo Kaur

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 9 May 2014 Telephone number 0163544184

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reference number

Little Bears Nursery re-registered with the current owner in 2012. It is located in Newbury, in Berkshire. The nursery is open Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 6.30pm all year round. The nursery receives funding to provide free early years education to children aged two, three and four years. There are 13 members of staff who work with the children. Of these, eight hold relevant qualifications at level 2 to level 8. One part-time member of staff holds early years professional status.

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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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