Cradley Play Nursery

Inspection of Cradley Play Nursery 12-18 Lyde Green, Halesowen, West Midlands B63 2PG

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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 Outstanding

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The provision is inadequate

Children are not safeguarded because staff and managers lack knowledge and understanding in their roles and responsibilities. They do not have a good enough understanding of child protection procedures to help keep children safe.

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The provision is inadequate

Although children have access to an array of resources, staff do not use these to plan purposeful activities effectively that build on children's learning. Staff mostly take a supervisory role, particularly when working with older children, and do not engage with children frequently enough to extend their learning. When staff do provide activities to help children make progress, they do not ensure that they include children that this is planned for. Therefore, while other children do participate, the learning intentions are not targeted enough to help them make progress in their development. Staff's expectations of children vary. For example, children have some opportunities to be independent by putting on their own aprons. However, at mealtimes, staff carry their plates for them, cut up their food, pour their drinks and clear away after them. This means that children are not provided with enough challenging opportunities to enable them to develop skills in

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The provision is inadequate

preparation for the next stage in their learning.

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The provision is inadequate

Nevertheless, children show confidence in the nursery and older children form friendships with their peers. They select resources they would like to play with. Older children use role-play materials to pretend to make cups of tea and feed babies with a spoon. Younger children explore how to make marks with chalks or by using an 'aqua mat' that changes colour when water is applied.

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need to do better?

n Although leaders and managers are committed to the nursery, they have a poor oversight of the quality of provision. Managers fail to use self-evaluation effectively to identify weaknesses in staff's knowledge and teaching in order to address this and bring around necessary improvement. Consequently, the overall quality of provision has significantly declined since the last inspection. n Managers do not have a good enough understanding of their responsibilities to safeguard children. They do not understand child protection procedures, including local guidance. Managers are therefore unable to identify where staff have poor knowledge of these procedures in order to provide support to help them improve. Managers have failed to follow safer recruitment procedures to ensure that all persons having regular contact with children are suitable. This means that children are not safeguarded. n The organisation of the curriculum is poor. Managers do not have a clear

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need to do better?

enough understanding of what they want children to learn. Staff do not provide children with meaningful educational experiences that support all areas of their

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need to do better?

18 August 2021 development. For example, although staff sing with children and read stories, they do not encourage children to remove their dummies while trying to talk to them or other children. Therefore, some children cannot communicate easily and be understood by others. This impacts on the knowledge and skills children develop. n Although staff complete regular assessments of children and know them well, they do not use information they gather from their assessments purposefully. Staff do not consistently plan and provide challenging and enjoyable activities and experiences to help children achieve what they need to learn next. At times, children become bored because they lack engagement in the activities on offer. Consequently, children are not supported to make good enough progress in their learning and development. n Children generally behave well. Where children demonstrate more challenging behaviours, staff manage this in a consistent and appropriate way that helps

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need to do better?

children to understand their expectations. Managers have initiated partnership working with parents to further embed consistency in managing children's behaviour. n Children form positive relationships with staff and other children. Older children know who their key person is. Children comment that they enjoy coming to nursery and like to play with their peers. Parents spoken to during the inspection also commented positively about their experience and state that the nursery has worked flexibly to accommodate the emotional support their children need, particularly during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. n The arrangements for the supervision of staff are not focused on helping staff to improve their personal effectiveness. Managers do not identify areas where staff need to further improve their knowledge or teaching skills in order to drive improvement. As a result, the quality of teaching is weak and staff do not fully

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need to do better?

understand their roles and responsibilities, with particular regard to safeguarding children. n Managers have failed to implement effective systems to ensure that information and records are organised appropriately. Some information and records are not available as the provider has removed these from the premises. Furthermore, staff do not maintain accurate records of children's hours of attendance. This impacts on the safeguarding of children. n Staff and managers carry out risk assessments to help ensure the safety of all children. They understand the risks associated with resources and equipment within the nursery. Younger children are provided with mattresses and beds for when they need to sleep and rest, which promotes their good health.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

The designated lead practitioner for safeguarding has not attended an appropriate training course in line with requirements. Although managers and staff are able to identify signs that may indicate a child could be at risk of abuse, they do not have a clear enough understanding of the procedures to follow to report this to other

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Safeguarding

18 August 2021 professionals, in line with local guidance. Managers lack knowledge and understanding of the procedures to follow in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff in order to keep children safe. Managers have not ensured that they follow safer recruitment procedures. Although they have maintained a record of the Disclosure and Barring Service checks undertaken for staff, other recruitment and vetting evidence has not been maintained to ensure all staff are suitable. However, an effective mobile phone and camera policy is implemented to prevent the unauthorised use of equipment around children.

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Due date

improve the knowledge and understanding of all staff and managers of the local guidance and safeguarding procedures, so that they are able to respond to any issues of concern in a child's life at home or elsewhere in a timely manner 08/09/2021

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Due date

ensure that the named lead practitioner for safeguarding has completed an appropriate training course that enables them to identify, understand and respond to information of a safeguarding nature 08/09/2021

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Due date

improve the knowledge and understanding of the designated lead practitioner for safeguarding of the procedures to follow in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff 08/09/2021

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Due date

improve the arrangements for the supervision of all staff so that they are supported to undertake appropriate training and professional development opportunities that promote the interests of all children 08/09/2021

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Due date

18 August 2021 implement effective procedures to ensure that practitioners, and any other person who is likely to have regular contact with children, are suitable 08/09/2021

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Due date

maintain an accurate record of the names of children being cared for and their hours of attendance 08/09/2021

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Due date

ensure that information and records are easily accessible and available upon request. 08/09/2021

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Due date

improve planning so that children are provided with high-quality, challenging and enjoyable experiences that take account of their interests and individual stage of development, to build on what they know and can do and help them make progress in their learning and development 24/09/2021

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Due date

improve leaders' and managers' oversight of the educational programmes so that children benefit from quality learning experiences and meaningful activities that support all areas of their learning and development. 24/09/2021

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY500022 Local authority Dudley Inspection number 10204631 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 38 Number of children on roll 78 Name of registered person Ann Richards And David Richards

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reference number

Telephone number 01384 567398 Date of previous inspection 27 April 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Cradley Play Nursery registered in 2016. The nursery is located in the Cradley area of Dudley. The nursery operates Monday to Friday from 7.45am to 6pm, all year round. There are 24 members of childcare staff employed. Of these, 20 hold appropriate qualifications at level 3 or above, including five who hold appropriate qualifications at level 6. 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 setting received since the 2020-21 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 manager, deputy manager and inspector completed a learning walk to gather information about how the provision and curriculum are organised. n The manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation of an activity to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching. n Parents and children spoke to the inspector and gave their views of the nursery. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching indoors and outdoors to assess the impact of this on children's learning. n The inspector held a meeting with the manager and deputy manager, and looked at relevant documentation and evidence of staff suitability.

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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 August 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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