Mayfield Kindergarten

Inspection of Mayfield Kindergarten 38 St. Brannocks Road, ILFRACOMBE, Devon EX34 8EQ

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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The provision requires improvement

Although the provider has sought advice from other professionals and made some changes since the last inspection, these have not yet been effective in raising the quality of children's education. Staff do not target children's learning needs successfully and do not routinely encourage children to speak, with particular regard to the quieter children. As a result, some activities lack focus and so children do not make the progress of which they are capable.

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The provision requires improvement

Staff provide safe and secure play areas and greet children warmly at the start of the session. Children enter the nursery happily and with the confidence to separate from their parents and carers. They independently explore the good range of toys and resources that are set out for them. Children listen to and follow staff's instructions, and behave well generally. Staff remind children to use good manners, to help them learn to respect others. However, during some daily routines, children spend too long waiting without interaction or support from adults. At these times, they become distracted and over-excited, which leads to arguments.

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need to do better?

n Staff set out appropriate resources and plan activities that children enjoy. However, they do not routinely consider the children's next steps in learning, to enable them to provide appropriate support and challenge. For example, staff encourage pre-school children to glue leaves onto paper and to make marks with crayons. Babies who can walk competently are given a tunnel to crawl through to support their physical skills. The children manage these activities with ease and staff do not motivate them to develop any new skills or knowledge, to help build on what they already know and can do. n Since the last inspection, the provider has taken effective action to address a previous weakness raised by Ofsted. She now checks staff's assessments of children's learning on a regular basis to ensure their accuracy. Staff recognise what children can do and their current stage of learning. n The provider observes staff's practice routinely and carries out regular

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need to do better?

supervisory meetings. However, she does not monitor the quality of teaching and learning in enough detail, to enable her to identify and target weaknesses in practice. In particular, the teaching of communication and language is not consistently good. Although staff model language well and use appropriate vocabulary to teach children new words, they ask too many closed questions, which does not support children to think and share their ideas. Staff also do not notice when quieter and less-confident children spend long periods of time playing alone in silence, which does not help to develop their emotional well- being. n Staff are quick to notice when children are getting tired or need a nappy change,

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need to do better?

30 October 2019 and respond to their care needs quickly. Children are content around staff and comfortable in their care. For example, the more-confident babies and children initiate affectionate cuddles with staff. n During gaps in the daily routines, staff sometimes expect children to sit and wait for long periods. For example, toddlers have to wait for all of their friends to get dressed so they can play in the garden and the older children sit for a very long time before and during snack time. This causes children to become restless and noisy, which creates a hectic environment, so staff have to step in to calm the children down. n Parents receive regular updates about their children's experiences and progress, and are encouraged to contribute towards their children's learning records. n The provider does not form professional working relationships with other settings that children attend. She does not share detailed information with them

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need to do better?

from the start, to enable them to work together to provide complementary experiences. n The more-confident children are motivated to take part in activities, try new things and manage tasks independently. For example, a small group of pre- school children concentrate well when completing a jigsaw puzzle together and some toddlers listen to stories that staff read to them with rapt attention. They learn some of the key skills needed for later learning.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The provider and staff have a secure understanding of their responsibility to keep children safe. They know how to identify when a child's welfare might be at risk of harm and what action to take to report any concerns. Staff are familiar with wider safeguarding matters, including being vigilant for signs of extremist attitudes and behaviours. The provider implements robust recruitment, vetting and induction procedures to ensure staff are suitable to work with children. She shares important information with the team to prioritise children's safety. For example, they all know that new staff are not to be left alone with children until their suitability checks have been received.

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Due date

30 October 2019 improve planning to ensure activities link with individual children's next steps in learning and provide suitable challenge, to help them make the progress they are capable of 08/01/2020

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Due date

monitor the quality of teaching closely and provide more tailored support and coaching for staff, to ensure they interact with all children effectively and routinely support children to speak and share their ideas 08/01/2020

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Due date

review the organisation of daily routines to ensure children are not sat waiting without any support or interaction for long periods. 08/01/2020

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should:

n establish effective partnerships with other settings that children attend, to create a two-way flow of information about children's care and learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 106355 Local authority Devon Inspection number 10098137 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Full day care Age range of children 0 to 4 Total number of places 34 Number of children on roll 63 Name of registered person Livings, Gillian Lynn

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reference number

Telephone number (01271) 862640 Date of previous inspection 12 February 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Mayfield Kindergarten registered in 2000. It is a privately owned day nursery situated in Ilfracombe, North Devon. The nursery is open from 8am until 5.30pm Monday to Friday, all year round. There are seven members of staff working with the children. Of these, one holds a level 4 qualification, four hold level 3 and two hold level 2. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early years education for children aged two, three and four years.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector viewed the play areas and observed children during play and activities. n Joint observations were carried out by the provider and inspector, to evaluate the quality of teaching and learning during adult-led activities. n Discussions were held with staff, parents and grandparents to ascertain their views about the nursery. n The inspector and the provider held a meeting to discuss the requirements of the early years foundation stage. n Some documents were sampled during the inspection, including staff suitability, qualifications and training certificates.

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Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection 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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Inspection activities

30 October 2019 regulates and inspects to 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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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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