Little Cheeky Monkeys

Inspection of Little Cheeky Monkeys Sterling House, St. Ives Works, Accrington Road, Blackburn, Blackburn With Darwen BB1 2FB

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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 Not applicable

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The provision requires improvement

Staff greet children and parents warmly on arrival. This supports children to feel safe and secure. Children enter the nursery happily, with big smiles on their faces. They demonstrate that they thoroughly enjoy their time at the nursery. However, children's learning experiences are limited for older children and do not challenge them to make as much progress as possible. Children wander around aimlessly and without purpose. The noise level in the room gets louder and louder as children play, increasing to a level that makes it hard for children to hear and concentrate. This is not managed by staff.

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The provision requires improvement

Children behave well and staff support children to understand boundaries and to develop an awareness and respect for each other. For instance, staff praise the children with stickers when they are kind and help others. Babies smile and show excitement as they engage with staff in playing hide and seek with tinsel pom- poms. Staff are kind and gentle with the children, providing caring role models. Children work together well and staff help them to praise each other. For example, they concentrate hard to collect sand on wooden spoons and celebrate when they accomplish this task. Children are learning to use tools and equipment for a purpose.

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The provision requires improvement

Parents do not currently enter the premises, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff who answer the door tell parents how their children have been. Parents receive daily electronic feedback on their child's individual learning and development. Staff also use social media to show parents pictures of children at the nursery, including the recent trip on a bus in the local community.

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need to do better?

n Leaders want staff to use their observations to plan according to children's next stages of development. They are passionate and expect staff to challenge children's learning in order to prepare them well for school. However, this is not happening consistently in practice and there is insufficient challenge for older children to make good progress. n Leaders provide supervision and support for staff. However, not all staff are secure in their understanding of how to maintain children's interests to engage them in extending their learning. For example, older children dig in sand and find objects, and proudly show staff. They praise the children but do not maintain their interests. Children wander from one activity to another without focus, and opportunities for learning are not maximised. n The learning environment is inviting and there are lots of exciting resources that are easily accessible to children. Staff plan enjoyable activities that children are

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need to do better?

keen to take part in. However, the noise level in the room makes it hard for

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need to do better?

13 October 2021 children to hear and concentrate. n The timings of the sessions are not organised as well as they could be. Children ending their morning sessions get confused and upset, when their peers sit for lunch and they wait to be collected by their parent. Leaders have not considered how they can ensure all children receive care and attention at this time. n The staff team have developed close relationships with parents and put in place support for children and their families. Parents speak highly of the nursery. They say that staff are very supportive and help them to understand how they can extend their children's learning at home. n Staff provide effective support for children's language and communication skills, especially for those children who speak English as an additional language. For example, staff narrate babies' play and talk to them during routines, such as nappy changing. All children enjoy books, singing and rhymes. Children have

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need to do better?

regular opportunities to use their first language and learn about each other's differences. n Children have daily opportunities to be outdoors. They enjoy the healthy snacks and meals. Babies sleep, eat and have their nappy changed according to their individual needs, meaning they feel emotionally safe and secure. For example, they cuddle into their key person and gently drift off to sleep, even though it is lunchtime. Later, they wake up happy and enjoy their lunch, while watching the other children play. n Children are confident to take responsibility for and help with daily routines. For example, older children eagerly want to clean the tables and put out the placemats and drinking beakers ready for snack. They serve their own food at mealtimes. Children develop their independence skills as they put on their own coats to go outside to play, and blow their own noses. This helps to prepare children well for the next stages of learning and their eventual move on to

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need to do better?

school. n The manager and staff work hard to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They liaise with a wide range of other professionals to put plans in place to support children to reach their full potential. n The manager evaluates the nursery well and continually drives improvement. The weaknesses found during the inspection had already been identified by the leadership team. They have started to put in place steps to address the weaknesses but it is too early to see any impact of these changes. A review on the outdoor provision means children are able to play outside more freely. Children enjoy time to develop their large-muscle skills as they run, smiling, in a larger open space.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager and staff are knowledgeable about child protection issues and have a secure understanding of the correct procedure to follow if they have concerns about a child. They have a good understanding of safeguarding issues within the community. The leadership team implements robust recruitment and vetting

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Safeguarding

13 October 2021 procedures to ensure staff are suitable to work with children. All staff attend training to help them recognise if a child may be at risk of harm. Children learn to keep themselves safe through their daily routines and activities. For example, they climb carefully up and down steps on the slide and learn to balance and use climbing equipment safely. Babies who are learning to walk, cruise around furniture under the close supervision of their key person.

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Due date

support staff to ensure that they offer a good quality of education that challenges all children, keeps them engaged and helps them make the best possible progress. 13/01/2022

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should:

n help staff to monitor the noise levels in the pre-school room and understand the impact this has on children's learning n consider how meals are planned and organised so that all children receive care and attention at this time.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2509658 Local authority Blackburn with Darwen Inspection number 10191620 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 101 Number of children on roll 97 Name of registered person Little Cheeky Monkeys Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01254 677322 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Little Cheeky Monkeys registered in 2019. The nursery employs 13 members of childcare staff. Of these, 10 hold appropriate early years qualifications ranging from level 5 to level 2. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, all year round, except for one week at Christmas. Sessions are from 7.30am to 6pm.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the setting received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the setting. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together to look at how the curriculum is planned to meet children's needs and development. n A meeting was held with the inspector and the management team to discuss the leadership and management arrangements. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and checked evidence of the suitability of the staff working in the nursery.

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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

13 October 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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