Little Raccoons Day Nursery (Pinner)

Inspection of Little Raccoons Day Nursery (Pinner) Little Raccoons Day Nursery, Uxbridge Road, Pinner HA5 3ZD

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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The provision requires improvement

Children are happy and enjoy their time at nursery, which shows they feel safe and secure. Some of the children have returned to the nursery setting after a long period of being at home due to the pandemic. Parents are currently dropping and picking up their children at the front gate. Children have adapted to this change and they have settled back well. They happily wave goodbye to their parents when the staff come to greet them and take them indoors. The manager and staff team are unclear about their curriculum to ensure it is meeting all the children's needs as best as possible. Staff plan a different topic each week to focus the learning. However, this does not give some children enough time to practise their new skills. In addition, staff do not understand the teaching they want to deliver and rush planned learning experiences. As a result, some children do not recollect learning that has recently taken place. For example, they cannot remember the story of the

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The provision requires improvement

week. Children behave well. Staff give clear explanations and deal with any minimal disruptions sensitively. Overall, most children play well together, sharing and taking turns. Children enjoy playing in the outdoor area. This area is designed to enable children to run freely and experience different gradients as they run up and over the hills in the grass.

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need to do better?

n The arrangements for monitoring staff performance are not yet fully effective. The manager does not focus as sharply as possible on identifying weaknesses in teaching, or using training to extend staff skills. However, the provider has recently employed an area manager whose role is to support the manager. This is in the early stages and has not had a significant impact, as yet. n Staff plan activities but it is not evident that the plans are always carried through. For example, the staff in pre-school say they are teaching children about being eco-friendly, nature and caring for bugs and insects. However, when in the garden children choose to squash the ants rather than protecting them. Overall, children's behaviour and attitudes to learning are good, although this shows that the teaching is not supporting children's understanding of nature as well as possible. n Overall, staff support most children's communication and language well. Staff in

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need to do better?

the baby room talk all the time and encourage babies to sing nursery rhymes. Pre-school children take part in circle times and most enjoy singing and action songs. Staff speak with children and ask lots of questions to make children think. However, this is directed at the most able and older children. Younger children or children who speak English as an additional language do not get as much attention from staff to fully develop their language skills. Staff teach the children phonics, however, they lack some understanding of the correct pronunciation of sounds. This does not help children when they move on to school.

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need to do better?

19 May 2021 n There is a key-person system in place which, generally, works well. However, some staff have a high number of key children they are responsible for and this makes their workload at times unmanageable. This leads to the staff not fully knowing each child. For example, they are unsure of the home languages some children speak. n Children know the routines of the nursery well and show they are happy and independent. Pre-school children register their own attendance by finding their names and displaying these on the board. Most children immediately find their friends and play with the activities set out. Some children, however, play in a more solitary way and staff do not always notice this, to support them to make friendships. n Staff support children with special educational needs and/or learning disabilities, generally, well in the nursery. However, the designated person responsible for coordinating the support is not confident in this role as they have not received

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need to do better?

adequate training. Individual plans are in place to support children's development, but referral to outside agencies has been a slow process. This does not support children and their families in the best possible way, to ensure they are given the necessary support from other professionals. n Parents comment positively about the nursery. They say that staff are friendly and approachable. They share that their children enjoy going to nursery and that they get lots of information and photographs using an online application, which keeps them well informed about their child's day.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders, managers and staff have a sound understanding of child protection procedures, if they have concerns about children's welfare. They understand the procedures to follow if an allegation was made against a member of staff. Recruitment procedures are robust to ensure all staff working at the nursery are suitable. The premises are safe and secure. Staff completed daily checks in the nursery to ensure there are no hazards. The front entrance is securely locked to reduce any risk of unauthorised entry or children leaving the premises unnoticed.

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Due date

19 May 2021 improve methods of checking staff performance and identifying training needs, to raise the quality of the teaching to a consistently good standard 25/06/2021

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Due date

broaden the opportunities for staff training and development, in particular to focus on how to support all children's individual learning needs, including children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities 25/06/2021

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Due date

ensure that referrals for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are completed in a timely manner, to ensure appropriate support is provided by other professionals. 25/06/2021

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should:

n ensure that staff workloads are manageable and support the key person to fully understand each key child's individual needs.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY547285 Local authority Harrow Inspection number 10102662 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 60 Number of children on roll 27 Name of registered person Little Raccoons Day Nursery (Pinner) Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01923800711 Date of previous inspection 14 March 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Little Raccoons Day Nursery (Pinner) registered in 2017. It operates from a purpose-built building in Pinner, in the London Borough of Harrow. The nursery is open Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 6.30pm, for 51 weeks of the year. The provider is in receipt of funding for free early education for children aged three and four years. The provider employs six staff. Of these, four staff hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the setting received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the setting and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the setting. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching and assessed the impact this has on children's learning and development. n The manager and staff spoke to the inspector at convenient times during the inspection. n A joint observation was completed with the manager to assess staff's teaching practice. n The inspector viewed the nursery's indoor and outdoor environments to ensure they are safe. n A range of documents, such as recruitment documentation and policies and procedures, were looked at. n Parents' views were obtained on the service the nursery provides.

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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

19 May 2021 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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