Mulberry Bear Day Nursery

Mulberry Bear Day Nursery Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK7 6AA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 2 May 2018 22 September 2015

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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:

 At times, staff are not appropriately deployed to meet the individual needs of the children.  Some agency staff are not fully informed of children’s levels of development and what they can and cannot do. Therefore, teaching is not always matched to children’s abilities and this impacts on the progress they make.  Staff do not have sufficient opportunities to improve their knowledge and understanding of how to deal with challenging behaviour.  The management team does not have an overview of the progress children make. It is not in a position to be able to use the information to help improve the differences in children’s learning.

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It has the following strengths

 The manager recognises the shortfalls in the practice within the setting and has a clear plan to prioritise improvements. This is in the early stages of implementation  Staff develop positive relationships with parents and share information about children’s learning. Staff know their key children well and monitor the progress they are making.  Staff make use of everyday opportunities to support children’s personal, social and emotional development and physical development. Children are happy and confident to learn.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage the provider must:

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Due Date

 ensure staff are deployed effectively to meet children's individual needs fully 02/06/2018

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Due Date

 provide opportunities for staff to improve their knowledge and understanding of how to deal with challenging behaviour. 02/06/2018

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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

 continue to evaluate the practice in the setting to improve further the outcomes for children  make more-effective use of the information held on children's progress, to ensure differences in attainment are swiftly identified and addressed.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children's activities indoors and outdoors.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector had discussions with the children, staff and the manager.  The inspector took account of views of parents on the day of inspection, through discussions and written feedback.  The inspector looked at a range of relevant documentation relating to safeguarding, staff suitability, policies, procedures and children's progress records.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

There are currently staffing issues within the setting but the manager ensures adult-to- child ratio requirements are met by the use of agency staff. However, leaders do not always deploy experienced staff appropriately throughout the nursery to support agency staff to meet the needs of all the children. The induction process for temporary staff is not fully effective and opportunities for experienced staff to extend their knowledge are not always available. The manager has been unable to have the time to accurately monitor the progress of different children. Therefore, any gaps in children's learning are not quickly recognised. Safeguarding is effective. There are robust recruitment processes in place to ensure all staff are suitable to work with children. Staff have a suitable understanding of the correct procedures to follow if they have a concern about a child's welfare.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

The inconsistent quality of teaching means children have variable learning experiences. However, where teaching is better, staff provide the children with a range of interesting and engaging activities. For example, children used their imagination to cut up fresh vegetables and wrapped them in sweet papers to make their own box of chocolates. They took great pleasure in sharing their chocolates. Children of all ages enjoy looking at books with staff and sharing ideas about what happens next. Although employed staff know the individual interests of the children they care for and the next steps in their learning, this information is not fully shared with agency staff. Children are not always challenged to make progress in their learning.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

At times, agency staff do not engage fully with children or support the permanent staff with the routine of the day or in activities. Sometimes, children are not fully engaged in activities and play becomes a little chaotic. However, children are happy, confident and motivated to learn. They show pleasure in sharing activities with their friends and enjoy the outdoor area despite the weather. Parents comment that the staff are friendly and provide a warm and welcoming environment. Staff promote positive hygiene practices and children are offered healthy snacks and meals.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Children make steady progress towards what is typical for their age range. They develop some of the skills required for school readiness, such as independence. For example, babies learn to feed themselves and older children dress themselves for outdoor play. Children are developing their physical skills. For example, outside there is opportunity for children to climb, balance and ride bicycles.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 141798 Local authority Milton Keynes Inspection number 1127132 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 54 Number of children on roll 63 Name of registered person Mulberry Bear Day Nursery and Pre-School

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 22 September 2015 Telephone number 01908 653 867

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reference number

Mulberry Bear Day Nursery registered in 1988. The provision is open from 8am until 6pm on Monday to Thursday, and from 8am until 5.30pm on Friday, for 50 weeks of the year. It is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are 17 members of staff. The manager holds early years professional status and, of the remaining staff, 14 hold qualifications between 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

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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