Puddleduck Nursery

Puddleduck Nursery Howbery Park, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BA

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Inspection date 2 October 2018 Previous inspection date 11 April 2018

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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 The leadership team does not ensure that they maintain the required ratios for qualified staff in the rooms at all times, to ensure they meet children's needs well. n Although the leadership team carries out staff supervision and appraisals, these are not effective to ensure that all staff receive the support and professional development they need to provide children with good-quality learning experiences. n At times, staff do not help children understand why rules are in place, to help them fully understand the boundaries within the nursery. n Leaders' reflection processes do not sharply focus enough on identifying and targeting all weaknesses effectively.

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It has the following strengths

n Staff provide a suitable and clean environment for children to play and rest. n Partnerships with parents are strong. For example, staff ensure parents receive verbal and written feedback about their children's day, to support continuity in their care. n The leadership team implements robust recruitment procedures. They carry out the required checks for new staff and regularly review all staff's ongoing suitability, to ensure they are suitable to work with 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 maintain the correct qualified staff ratio for each room, including having staff with a full and relevant level 3 qualification 02/11/2018

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

improve the monitoring of teaching to identify and support staffs' professional development needs, to help raise the quality of staff practice, in particular, to enable staff to recognise and respond to children's needs and to provide good-quality learning experiences that support them to make good progress. 02/11/2018

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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 help children to understand why rules are in place to develop a greater understanding of how their actions may affect others n develop reflection processes to clearly identify all areas for development, to improve the quality of provision for children.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

Inspection activities n The inspector viewed the premises to ensure this was safe and secure, and looked at planning and activities available to children. n The inspector observed interactions between children and staff. n The inspector spoke to the manager, asked staff questions about their work and observed practice with the manager. n The inspector observed feedback between parents and staff and took account of the information available to them. n The inspector sampled documentation, including risk assessments, and policies and procedures.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

Overall, the leadership team has appropriate qualified staff within the nursery. However, they do not organise the staff well enough to ensure that they maintain the required qualified staff ratio for each room. Although the children are happy and settled overall, staff do not meet their needs as well as they could. Staff have opportunities for team meetings and training to develop some of their skills, such as observation and assessment training. However, weaknesses to staff supervision and support means that not all staff show a secure understanding how to support children's learning, which affects their overall professional development. Safeguarding is effective. The leadership team and staff have a sound understanding of their duties to protect children's welfare. For example, staff undertake daily risk assessments to ensure the nursery is safe and hygienic.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

At times, staff lack an awareness of what children are doing. For instance, staff miss opportunities to respond with suitable support during children's play. Some staff's teaching does not help children make the best possible progress. For example, some staff sit beside children as they play and do not join in, encourage or ask questions to ignite their interests and learning. Staff's interactions with children are variable, as not all staff actively engage and talk with the children. For instance, in the baby room, staff consistently miss opportunities to mimic sounds the children make and offer a narrative for their play. Staff regularly observe and track children's development. The manager reviews each child's individual learning to help make sure they are as accurate as possible.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

Weaknesses to the leadership means that staff do not always consistently provide children with the input they need to be motivated and fully engaged at all times. Staff offer appropriate praise to the children to support their emotional development. The children behave well and staff manage any minor discrepancies well. However, on occasions, some staff do not offer explanations to help children develop a full understanding of the consequences of their actions. Staff provide healthy meals for the children and support their health and hygiene well. For example, children wash their hands prior to eating and they enjoy daily experiences for fresh air and exercise.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Although children are making typical progress in their learning from their starting points, the weaknesses in teaching limits the amount of progress they make and the rate at which they make it. For example, not all children are encouraged to make the best possible progress in their speaking and listening skills in readiness for school. Despite this, children develop some positive skills needed for their next stages of learning. For example, older children participate in literacy activities, which aids their development in recognition of letters and sounds. Toddlers develop their imagination as they sing songs linked to items they pick out of a box.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY308572 Local authority Oxfordshire Inspection number 10080533 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 0 - 4 Total number of places 62 Number of children on roll 63 Name of registered person Hayden Associates Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 11 April 2018 Telephone number 01491 839 815

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reference number

Puddleduck Nursery registered at its current location in 2005. It is run by Hayden Associates Ltd. The nursery is located in a business park in Crowmarsh Gifford, near Wallingford in Oxfordshire. It is open Monday to Friday from 7.30am until 6pm throughout the year. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged three and four years. It employs 18 staff, of whom 10 hold relevant qualifications at levels 2, 3, 6 or qualified teacher 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.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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