Sky High Achievers Blacon

Sky High Achievers Blacon Blacon Children's Centre, Carlisle Road, Chester, CH1 5DB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 25 April 2018 23 March 2017

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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

 Leadership and management are inadequate. The nursery does not have a manager and there is no lead person for safeguarding for part of the week.  Leaders do not undertake effective supervisions of staff. In turn staff do not have the required knowledge to teach children well. They do not accurately assess children's capabilities, which affects their learning and progress.  Children's safety is significantly compromised due to hazards in the outdoor play areas. Numerous parts of the outdoor area are unsafe. Leaders have failed to take action to remove or reduce these risks. Additionally the nursery's mobile phone policy is not adhered to.  Staff do not tell parents how their children are progressing in their learning. Leaders have failed to ensure that staff make referrals for children who require additional support.  Areas of the nursery are unhygienic, particularly the carpet in the baby room, which

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This provision is inadequate

compromises children's health and well-being.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff are caring and nurturing to the children in their care, which helps children feel settled.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

The provision is inadequate and Ofsted intends to take enforcement action

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

We will issue a Welfare Requirements Notice requiring the provider to:

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Due Date

 ensure that an appropriately qualified and experienced manager is in place to take responsibility for the day-to-day running of the nursery 31/05/2018

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Due Date

 ensure that a lead person for safeguarding is available at all times 31/05/2018  improve the quality of teaching, for example, by supporting staff to develop the skills they need to help children make the best possible progress 31/05/2018

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Due Date

 ensure that effective supervisions of staff are in place, which supports staff and promotes the interests of children 31/05/2018

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Due Date

 ensure that the premises are adequately clean and do not pose a risk to children's health 31/05/2018

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Due Date

 ensure that action is taken to repair the damaged parts of the outdoor area so that they do not pose a risk of harm to children 31/05/2018

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Due Date

 ensure that the setting's policy regarding the use of mobile phones is enforced at all times, and that any non-compliance is challenged. 31/05/2018

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Due Date

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

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Due Date

 ensure that staff seek support from external agencies for those children that require additional help 31/05/2018

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Due Date

 ensure that assessments of what children can do are accurate 31/05/2018  ensure that staff share information with parents about how children are progressing in their learning. 31/05/2018

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Inspection activities

 The inspection was carried out following concerns raised about the provider's ability to meet the requirements of registration and provide a quality provision for all children.  The inspector spoke with parents.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the deputy manager.  The inspector held a leadership and management discussion with the deputy manager.  The inspector spoke to staff at appropriate times.  The inspector observed the quality of teaching.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

Leadership of the nursery is inadequate. The nursery does not have a manager. Leaders have failed to ensure that all areas of the nursery are clean, which compromises children's health and safety. Leaders have not undertaken effective supervisions with the previous manager or the current deputy. There is insufficient direction and leadership, which has resulted in a significant decline in practice since the previous inspection. Poor leadership has also contributed to a lack of focus on the progress children make. The quality of teaching has plummeted. Leaders have failed to adequately invest in resources to support children's learning and progress. Since the previous inspection, a high proportion of children are now failing to meet expected levels in mathematics, and many have fallen further behind. Safeguarding is not effective. The nursery's mobile phone policy is not enforced because parents use their mobile phones in the nursery. The designated lead for

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

safeguarding is not available at all times. These weaknesses put children at risk.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

The deputy manager has identified that staff need additional training to help them improve the quality of teaching. However, leaders have not taken action to address this weakness. Staff do not have an accurate understanding of how well children are doing. Therefore, they do not plan activities that appropriately challenge children. As a result, children are falling further behind in most areas of their learning and development, particularly mathematical development. Children's learning is further hindered because staff have not taken prompt action to seek support from outside agencies for children who need additional help. Much of the vast outdoor area has fallen into disrepair, which puts children at significant risk. These risks have been reported to leaders who have taken no action to put things right.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

Partnership with parents is inadequate. Staff do not tell parents how their children are progressing in their learning. They also fail to share information with parents to extend children's learning at home. Staff provide children with adequate meals but the amount is limited in quantity. As a result, some children are at risk of being left hungry. The deputy manager is working hard to challenge existing negative gender stereotypes already evident in children's behaviour. However, it is too early to see the impact of this change. Children in the nursery are confident and independent. However, they are not adequately prepared for their transition to school due to the weaknesses in teaching and learning.

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Outcomes for children are inadequate

Children at this nursery are making insufficient progress in most areas of learning, most notably in mathematics. Assessments of what children know and can do are inaccurate. Leaders have failed to adequately monitor the education delivered to children. This has resulted in a high proportion of children failing to meet expected levels in their learning. There is no evidence of the impact of funding on outcomes for children or how educational funding has been spent.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY456012 Local authority Cheshire West and Chester Inspection number 1134362 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 90 Number of children on roll 58 Name of registered person Tinies Childcare North West Ltd

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 23 March 2017 Telephone number 01244976085

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reference number

Sky High Achievers Blacon was registered in 2012 and is one of six settings currently owned by the provider. The nursery is open for 51 weeks of the year from 8am to 6pm. The nursery employs 10 members of childcare staff, including the deputy manager. Of these, nine hold appropriate early years qualifications. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds.

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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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