Learning Steps Day Nursery

Learning Steps Day Nursery Hockley, Birmingham, West Midlands B19 1AY

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Inspection date 21 September 2018 Previous inspection date Not applicable

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3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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3

Outcomes for children Requires improvement

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The provision requires improvement. It is not yet good because:

n Staff do not consider all potential risks on the premises effectively, to ensure children are safe. This is with specific regard to hazards in the outdoor play area. n The manager has not monitored the implementation of the medication policy effectively. She does not gain written, prior consent from parents to administer medication to children. n Arrangements for the support and supervision of staff are not yet embedded. The manager does not review staff performance or identify and act on training and development needs. n The manager and staff do not make effective use of systems to monitor children's progress. As a result, they do not address any identified gaps in children's progress swiftly enough.

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It has the following strengths

n Staff provide children with daily opportunities for fresh air outdoors and for exercise. n Children behave well, are polite and build strong friendships with their peers. Staff use consistent daily routines, encouragement and praise effectively, to help children gain good self-esteem. n Partnerships with parents are strong and staff make effective links between the home and the nursery. Parents speak favourably about the staff care of the children.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must: Due date review risk assessments to ensure they clearly identify all aspects of the premises that need to be checked, and how the risks to children will be removed or minimised 05/10/2018

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

obtain written permission from parents to administer each new medication to children, to ensure children's welfare is maintained 05/10/2018

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

review staff performance, and identify and act on training and development needs. 05/10/2018

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

n make effective use of systems to monitor children's progress, to address any identified gaps in children's progress swiftly.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

Inspection activities n The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The inspector completed a joint observation with the provider/manager. n The inspector held discussions with the provider/manager, staff and children. n The inspector held a meeting with the provider/manager and looked at relevant documentation, such as a sample of policies and procedures, planning and development records, and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the setting. n The inspector spoke to parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

Safeguarding is effective. Managers and staff have a clear understanding of child protection procedures to help keep children safe. The safeguarding policy and procedures are thorough. Staff are deployed well to ensure children are supervised and ratios maintained effectively. Suitability checks are carried out on all staff before they are employed to safeguard children. However, the provider does not ensure prior written parental consent is in place before children are administered new medicine. Furthermore, management and staff are not consistently vigilant to minimise potential risks to children. For example, although staff check the garden daily, they fail to recognise stagnant water accumulated in outdoor play equipment which may pose a risk of infection. The manager states that she will take prompt action to attend to these risks. The manager ensures information about children and their parents is accurate and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

each child is assigned a key person. All staff hold a relevant qualification. However, the manager has not implemented effective support and supervision of staff in order to identify and act on weaknesses in the assessment of children's learning.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Staff know how children learn through play and generally plan appropriate experiences for children in all areas of learning. Staff encourage children to develop their language skills as they talk to them and ask questions throughout the day. Children enjoy choosing activities that follow their interests. For example, they play with vehicles, such as cars and trains, and use their imaginations in role play. Children enjoy water play as they use straws to blow bubbles and learn how to use syringes to suck up and squirt water. As children use the dough, staff discuss the shapes they make and the textures. Children explore the feel of wet sand and talk about going to the beach and building sandcastles. However, systems have not been established for tracking the progress of children to highlight their differing learning needs. This means that gaps in learning are not consistently identified or addressed quickly enough.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

Children know how to behave and are able to take small risks in their play. They take turns on the slide and, in doing so, are learning how to keep themselves and peers safe. Staff provide clear explanations to help children learn about safety, for example, why they should use the climbing equipment safely to prevent them falling off. Children are supported to settle in when they start attending. Staff invite parents for visits and to leave their child gradually, until the child is happy to stay and is settled.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Weaknesses in the assessments mean that children are not consistently supported to reach their full potential. However, children are gaining some basic skills to help prepare them for the next stage of their education. Children's confidence and social skills develop effectively. They learn to share and take turns with resources.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY557229 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 10078601 Type of provision Full day care

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register

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Day care type

Age range of children 1 - 4 Total number of places 32 Number of children on roll 22 Name of registered person Learning Steps Day Nursery Ltd

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 0121 5230088

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reference number

Learning Steps Day Nursery registered in 2018 and is located in the Hockley area of Birmingham. The nursery employs six members of childcare staff. Of these, five hold appropriate qualifications at level 3 and one holds a level 6 qualification. The nursery is open all year round, on Monday to Friday from 7.30pm to 6pm. It 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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procedures set out in the guidance Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, 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.ofsted.gov.uk

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