Little Fellows Day Nursery

Inspection of Little Fellows Day Nursery Unit 5 Fellows Square, Sanderson Building, Wilkinson Close, Cricklewood, London NW2 6GR

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Inadequate Behaviour and attitudes Inadequate Personal development Inadequate Leadership and management Inadequate Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not applicable

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The provision is inadequate

Children do not make adequate progress in their learning and development. They do not engage consistently in purposeful play and activities that challenge their learning and development fully. The nursery environment is disorganised, and resources are limited, which results in children's learning opportunities being hindered. The quality of practice among the staff team to support children with learning is variable. At times, activities for children do not support their learning and children quickly become bored and lose interest. This slows the progress children make in their learning. Not all staff are confident in their abilities to teach children and support their future learning.

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The provision is inadequate

Children have positive relationships with staff and parents are happy with the provision offered to their children, however, significant staffing difficulties have a heavy impact on the quality of care and learning for children. Furthermore, parents are not always kept informed about their child's progress and development by their key person. Children are not well prepared for starting school when they leave nursery. Weaknesses in teaching mean not all children develop good skills in listening, developing independence and following instructions. For example, the inspector noted that during some group time, such as lunchtime, children's behaviour is poor and sometimes disruptive as they lose interest quickly. Some children, including those who speak English as an additional language, are not consistently supported by staff, even when some staff speak the same language as these children. As a result, children do not progress in their speech and language

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The provision is inadequate

development as well as they could. Children have limited access to outdoor play. Suitable arrangements are not yet established so that children are able to enjoy regular opportunities to enjoy physical play outside, to support the development of their physical skills.

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need to do better?

n The provider and manager have failed to implement a well-designed curriculum that takes into account children's individual needs. They have also failed to ensure that staff observe and assess children's achievements regularly. Staff lack the knowledge and understanding of how to accurately assess children's achievements to identify gaps in their learning. n The provider understands the weaknesses in some areas of provision and is working with staff to identify areas for improvement, such as purchasing more resources for younger children. However, resources for pre-school children are extremely limited. n The manager does not have effective systems in place to monitor that staff are carrying out their roles effectively and ensuring that the quality of their teaching is improving children's progress. Arrangements for supervision and support for

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need to do better?

18 June 2021 staff practice are weak. n Leaders and managers do not reflect accurately enough on the quality of the nursery, in order to identify and address weaknesses with the provision. n Systems for observation, assessment and planning are weak, and staff do not know what children's next steps are or how to link this to the planning of activities. Staff do not have high enough expectations of children so that they can progress to their next stage of development. n Parents speak positively about the nursery and value the relationships they develop with the welcoming, friendly staff team. n Staff do not manage children's behaviour well enough; clear and consistent methods used to support children are not evident. As a result, children do not learn how to behave well. n Staff who speak the same languages as children who speak English as an additional language are a valuable asset. However, not all staff use effective

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need to do better?

ways to engage children to develop positive language skills through a range of methods, such as gestures and pictorial aids. n The role of the key person is not fully established. Staff do not gain enough information about children when they start to be able to plan for their needs and interests and monitor the progress they make. Some parents report that practitioners tell them about their child's care needs but do not update them about their child's next steps in learning and whether they are progressing in all areas of their development. This limits the opportunity for parents to support their children's learning at home. n Children who are moving on to school are not fully supported to get ready for this transition. The importance of introducing more activities to get children ready for when they start school, increasing their confidence and independence, has not been fully recognised by staff. n Opportunities for children to explore and play outside are not good enough.

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need to do better?

Children do not have ample opportunity to be outdoors and be physically active in the fresh air. n The provider's recruitment procedures for new staff are weak, which results in the manager not carrying out all required vetting processes. This compromises children's safety and welfare.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have a suitable understanding of child protection and wider safeguarding issues. They have undergone online training to help ensure they know the signs and symptoms, which could indicate a child is at risk of harm. However, there are weaknesses in the nursery systems to demonstrate the suitability of all staff; these were not clearly evident. Documents that should be held in the nursery about this process were not available for inspection. This means the suitability of some staff working with children is not assured.

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Due date

provide children with consistently challenging and enjoyable learning experiences which cover all seven areas of learning to ensure they make good progress in relation to their starting points 30/07/2021

p.4

Due date

ensure staff regularly observe children to identify children's individual level of achievements and their interests and use this information to accurately assess children's progress and plan for what they need to learn next 30/07/2021

p.4

Due date

improve the range of resources, particularly for pre-school children, to ensure that they are fully engaged and stimulated to learn 30/07/2021

p.4

Due date

ensure staff manage children's behaviour effectively and provide children with clearer messages of what is expected of them 30/07/2021

p.4

Due date

ensure relationships with parents are effective in sharing information and communicating children's progress 30/07/2021

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Due date

ensure that robust procedures are in place for recruitment, including detailed records about staff qualifications, references and vetting processes, to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children 30/07/2021

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Due date

provide opportunities for children to access fresh air and regular outdoor play 30/07/2021

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Due date

provide opportunities for more-able children and those who speak English as an additional language to be highly challenged during activities 30/07/2021

p.4

Due date

18 June 2021 improve the transition arrangements for children moving on to school so that children are well prepared 30/07/2021

p.4

Due date

ensure staff receive appropriate support, monitoring and coaching to raise the quality of teaching to at least a good level. 30/07/2021

p.5

should:

n make sure the required progress check for all children between the ages of two and three years is available, and that staff understand the purpose of this assessment.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2568538 Local authority Barnet Inspection number 10195372 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

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inspection

Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 30 Name of registered person Little Fellows Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 07484074909 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Little Fellows Day Nursery registered in September 2020. It is located on the ground floor of a block of flats within a residential housing development. It is situated in the area of Cricklewood, in the London Borough of Barnet. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the that the setting has received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of this with the provider and has taken into account in their evaluation of the provider. n This inspection was carried out as a result of a risk assessment process, following information received about the provider. n The inspector spoke with staff and children during the inspection. n The inspector sampled evidence of staff suitability and qualifications. 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

18 June 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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