Stickleberries

Stickleberries Stickleberries, Winterborne Stickland, Blandford Forum DT11 0NN

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Inspection date 8 November 2018 Previous inspection date 27 February 2018

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Previous inspection: Requires improvement Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Outcomes for children Requires improvement

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The provision is inadequate

n The management team does not ensure that staff keep children safe at all times. It does not identify all possible risks to children's safety and ensure staff follow procedures to safeguard all aspects of children's welfare. n Staff do not provide a broad range of play activities to support the youngest children's development more consistently in all areas of learning. For example, at times, there are few activities outdoors to motivate the youngest children's interests more effectively. n Although the management team has reviewed and changed the planning and assessment systems, it does not monitor the progress of different groups of children as well as possible, for example, to help identify and close any gaps in their learning more promptly, and support all children's progress further. n Staff do not gain more detailed information from parents about their children's existing abilities on entry to inform their initial planning, or consistently share ideas with

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The provision is inadequate

parents to promote children's next steps in learning further.

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It has the following strengths

n Staff liaise well with other professionals to support children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities to provide continuity for children's care and learning needs. n The management team supports staff to develop their practice further. For example, staff working with the younger children liaise with parents to get a better understanding of their children's daily care routines to help them settle more easily.

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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 ensure procedures for the safe use of mobile phones are implemented effectively at all times, with particular regard to outings and taking children to and from school 08/01/2019

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

improve risk assessment systems to enable staff to identify all potential hazards to children indoors and outdoors, and remove or minimise any risk, to ensure children can play and explore safely. 08/01/2019

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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 improve the variety of play opportunities provided to engage and motivate the younger children's learning more consistently, with particular regard to their outdoor play n improve the systems for monitoring children's progress, to identify how different groups of children learn and develop best, to close gaps in their learning more effectively n strengthen the arrangements for obtaining information from parents about their children's existing abilities on entry, and share ideas to support children's next steps of development to support parents to extend children's learning at home.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

Inspection activities n The inspector observed children's interactions indoors and outdoors, and discussed children's learning and development with staff. n The inspector viewed documentation, such as operational policies, procedures and required records for suitability, including qualification and insurance certificates. n The inspector took into account the spoken views of parents. n The inspector undertook a joint observation of an activity with the manager and discussed the quality of teaching. n The inspector held discussions with the manager, including about risk assessment procedures, the self-evaluation process and how this helps them make improvements.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

Safeguarding arrangements are not effective. Although staff have completed training and understand possible indicators that may give concern about children's well-being and the procedures to follow, the management team does not support staff to implement the nursery's mobile phone policy effectively. At times, staff work alone, driving children to and from school, and they take their personal mobile phones with them. In addition, risk assessment processes are ineffective. The management team and staff do not identify all possible risks within the play areas to ensure children's safety. This significantly compromises children's welfare. The management team maintains required staff-to-child ratios and staff supervise children well, overall. For instance, they check sleeping babies regularly. The management team and staff have made some changes since the last inspection to make improvements. For example, there is a named deputy and the more

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

experienced staff work as room leaders to support other staff, to help improve consistency. However, although some improvement is evident, these changes are not effective enough to improve outcomes for all children.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Teaching is not consistently good. The management team has recently changed the planning systems to help staff support children's more immediate ideas in play. For example, toddlers show an interest in painting and enjoy squeezing paint onto paper from colourful pipettes. Staff reflect on their practice and introduce some new ideas, such as a singing session using toys and pictures to help babies choose songs. However, the activities do not always engage and motivate the younger children's participation well enough. For example, they listen to staff singing, but show little response. In addition, children go to play in a sand pit outdoors, but there is little sand in there for them to use and they wander off, disinterested. This does not support children's curiosity to explore and investigate more actively. However, staff promote children's exploration of colour and texture well. For example, younger children explore slime or a corn flour

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

mixture with interest. Older children become engrossed mixing mud, rice, sand and water together to make their 'chocolate rice cakes'. They carefully spoon the mixture into cake tins and say, 'We must count to 25 and then they will be cooked.' Staff track children's progress and identify their individual next steps of learning, but management does not use the assessment systems as fully as possible, for instance, to help identify how different groups of children learn and make progress best. Staff form positive relationships with parents, but do not share as much information as possible about their children's abilities, for example, to help staff focus more precisely on children's existing development on entry, or to help parents extend children's next steps of learning at home consistently.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

Significant weaknesses in leadership and management do not protect children's welfare. The management team does not ensure staff follow robust safeguarding procedures at all times, especially when on outings. Staff complete risk assessments, but management does not ensure staff identify or recognise all possible risks within the nursery. For instance, plastic nappy bags are stored at a low level and cables and wires, such as from a compact-disc player and night light, hang within easy reach of young children. Staff do not check the outdoor play areas fully to ensure they are free of nettles and stagnant water, to enable children to play and explore safely. This does not support children's safety. Staff encourage children's physical development effectively overall. For example, older children laugh happily as they swing themselves round on a rotating see-saw. They say, 'We are going to the stars and sky for a year.' Younger babies gain confidence with

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

their mobility and start to pull themselves up to standing. Staff recognise children's dietary needs and encourage their awareness of healthy eating. For instance, older children help staff to chop up vegetables and use an electric blender to make soup.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Children make steady progress overall and older children gain the independence and confidence to support their future learning. However, younger children do not always benefit from a broad range of more stimulating play activities to help them make the progress of which they are capable. For example, they explore baskets of sensory toys, such as bells or spoons with interest, but other activities and staff support do not help all children make the best possible progress, especially to encourage their curiosity and engagement, particularly outdoors. Older children begin to recognise the letters of their names and confidently sound these out. Children behave well and interact positively with their friends. For instance, babies and toddlers learn to share toys, and older children are quick to help a friend who they see is struggling to turn on a tap to wash their hands.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY493669 Local authority Dorset Inspection number 10080426 Type of provision Full day care

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Childcare on non-domestic premises Age range of children 0 - 7 Total number of places 52 Number of children on roll 76 Name of registered person Dunbury Day Nursery Ltd

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 27 February 2018 Telephone number 01258 880417

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Stickleberries registered in 2015. It is located in the village of Winterborne Stickland, Dorset. The nursery is open all year round from 7.45am to 6pm, except bank holidays. It receives funding for the provision of free early years education for children aged two, three and four years. The nursery employs eight members of staff. Six staff hold early years qualifications at level 3.

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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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