Munns Farm Day Nursery

Munns Farm Day Nursery Munns Farm Day Nursery, Munns Farm, Cole Green, HERTFORD, SG14 2NL

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 29 May 2018 17 May 2017

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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:

 Since the last inspection there have been significant staff changes. This has had a negative impact on the overall quality of the provision.  Weaknesses in the key-person system and the deployment of staff result in inconsistencies in the quality of teaching and learning.  Arrangements for staff supervision and professional development do not focus sufficiently on improving the quality of teaching.  Systems for self-evaluation are not rigorous enough to identify weaknesses and drive improvements at the setting.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff have sound understanding of safeguarding. They are able to implement effective procedures to help ensure children are well protected.  Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are identified quickly. Staff work closely with parents and external agencies to help these children get the support they need.  Children benefit from a colourful and welcoming environment, indoors and outside, which keeps them motivated and interested in a broad range of activities.  Children enjoy a suitable range of freshly prepared, nutritious meals and snacks.

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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

 improve the key-person system to offer a settled relationship for each child and ensure that their learning and care are consistently tailored to meet their individual needs, and seek to engage and support parents and/or carers in guiding their child's development at home, to promote continuity in experiences for the child 29/06/2018

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Due Date

 ensure that staff are deployed effectively to respond to children's individual needs and enhance their learning and development, to improve the outcomes for all children 29/06/2018

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Due Date

 ensure the programme of staff professional development provides effective coaching, support and training for all staff, to improve the quality of teaching and drive continuous improvement. 29/06/2018

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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

 implement a rigorous process of self-evaluation that uses challenging criteria to improve the quality of the provision.

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Inspection activities

 The inspectors observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspectors completed two joint observations with the manager.  The inspectors held meetings with the manager and the deputy manager.  The inspectors checked evidence of the suitability of adults working in the setting, looked at relevant documentation and discussed the setting's self-evaluation and plans for improvement.  The inspectors spoke to and took account of the views of staff, children and parents during the inspection.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

Systems to monitor the quality of the provision are not rigorous enough. There has been a very high turnover of staff and significant reorganisation within the nursery. The new manager is keen to drive improvement and is committed to addressing recent issues. She uses staff meetings well to promote team building, and this is beginning to improve staff morale. However, issues with staff deployment remain. Although ratio requirements are met, constant changes in staffing at the setting are particularly unsettling for children and their parents. Some staff are qualified and model good-quality teaching. However, coaching and development opportunities for mainly long-term agency staff are not effective as they have not been offered support. The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff know whom to contact to report concerns about a child's welfare. Routine risk assessments are reviewed regularly and staff know how to minimise risks. For

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

example, staff currently place chains and stoppers on large windows within the setting to avoid any accidents, and staff now monitor the temperatures of the rooms to help ensure that children are comfortable.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Weaknesses in the organisation and deployment of staff have a negative impact on the quality of teaching and learning. The quality of staff's knowledge and their ability to deliver good teaching are variable. Some staff engage and extend children's learning well as they play. For example, children excitedly experiment with paints to create new colours. In contrast, some agency staff struggle to sustain children's initial interest during play, in particular when working with pre-school-aged children. Overall, staff generally know individual children well. They complete regular assessments of children's learning and broadly plan for their next steps. Monitoring of children's progress is ongoing and the new manager has begun to identify gaps in learning and implement plans to address these.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

In the main, staff work closely with parents to ensure children's individual routines are followed. Despite key-person changes, children throughout the nursery are happy. They move around confidently and enjoy their time in the setting. Staff nurture children's self- help skills and personal independence. All children benefit from daily outdoor play. Older children enjoy trips to the open fields where they excitedly explore the wildlife. Staff are positive role models who support children well as they learn to manage their behaviour.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Not all children make enough progress. However, despite weaknesses identified, some children progress well. Babies learn to communicate in different ways. For example, they join in with singing and play musical instruments together. Older children who are due to start school have developed the basic key skills they need. They communicate confidently and are able to write letters in their names. Toddlers carefully use safety knives to spread soft cheese on bread to make sandwiches, and show they are learning how to be safe.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY342102 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 1136862 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 172 Number of children on roll 156 Name of registered person L & D Childcare Ltd

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 17 May 2017 Telephone number 01707 392999 or 07939 409574

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reference number

Munns Farm Day Nursery registered in 2007. The nursery employs 36 members of childcare staff. Of these, 23 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and above, including one with qualified teacher status. The nursery opens Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 6.30pm throughout the year. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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

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