Mama Bear's Day Nursery

Inspection of Mama Bear's Day Nursery 4 Midvale Road, Paignton, Devon TQ4 5BD

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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's safety is compromised. Staff do not risk assess the areas used by children effectively. For example, younger children have access to resources, even though there is clear signage on the container to keep them from children. In addition, staff do not supervise children sufficiently to make sure children are always safe. Staff also fail to follow their own medication policy, which compromises children's safety. For example, medication is left in children's bags which are stored on their coat pegs in a corridor used by children. Therefore, it would be possible for children to access this medication without staff's knowledge.

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The provision is inadequate

Staff are caring and generally know children's interests. They provide some activities for children; however, they do not ensure that these meet children's individual learning needs. As a result, some children, particularly the younger children, fail to make the progress they are capable of. For example, staff plan a water activity and provide nets which do not fit into the container provided. This leads to children becoming frustrated and wandering around the room putting the nets in their mouth. Although staff assess what children know and can do, they do not always use this information well enough to swiftly identify any specific learning needs a child may have. As a result, they are not providing appropriate support swiftly enough to help narrow gaps in children's learning.

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The provision is inadequate

Staff develop positive relationships with parents. Parents report that their children are happy and that they are kept informed of the progress children make. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the setting took the decision not to allow parents into the nursery to minimise the risk of cross infection. Staff meet the parents at the nursery door to exchange relevant information and use an online system to keep them up to date.

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need to do better?

n Not all staff are clear about children's stage of development and individual learning needs. They fail to plan and provide activities that support children to make good enough progress. Managers do not ensure that staff understand how to monitor children's development and do not ensure that they plan well enough for what children need to learn next. This means not all children are supported well in their learning and development. n Children are not always supervised closely enough by staff at mealtimes to ensure they are safe. For example, staff fail to notice when younger children take food from each other's plates, to ensure children do not consume items that may not be suitable for them. n Managers are supporting staff to manage children's behaviour effectively. Staff working with younger children now manage behaviour well. Strategies are less

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need to do better?

2 November 2021 effective with older children as staff do not always act swiftly enough when children demonstrate unwanted behaviour. Staff do not clearly explain boundaries and expectations, to ensure children understand these. Consequently, this results in their behaviour deteriorating, and they then fail to engage in meaningful activities. n Children in the preschool are gaining confidence and they independently select resources and develop their own learning. For example, children choose to play with cars and trains. They use their imagination to create the track. They concentrate well as a member of staff talks to them about the different types of vehicles. However, staff working with younger children do not have a good enough understanding of how to support children's learning effectively. Although they have some understanding of what a child needs to learn next, they fail to deliver activities that help children to take the next steps. As a result, younger

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need to do better?

children are not always engaged in purposeful play and do not make the progress they are capable of. n Procedures to recruit new staff ensure that they are suitable to care for children. New staff have an induction, and there are regular meetings between managers and staff to help their continued professional development. However, the management team does not monitor the effectiveness of the curriculum for children effectively. They have failed to identify the weaknesses in the quality of teaching for the younger children. n Staff working with younger children do not have a good enough awareness of child development. This means they do not always identify when a child may need some additional support to reach the next stage in their development. Although the nursery employs a special educational needs coordinator, they are not always alerted to any concerns about children's development, to ensure effective support can be sought.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Managers fail to ensure that effective risk assessments are completed by staff. This means that some hazards to children fail to be identified and removed to keep children safe. For example, nylon play tunnels with ties are tucked down the side of a cot which is used by young children to sleep in, and staff do not adequately supervise them to ensure they are not at risk. Leaders ensure that staff's understanding of child protection procedures are up to date through regular training and discussions in staff meetings. Staff are clear on what they need to be alert to and the appropriate procedures to follow in the event of a concern about a child's welfare.

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Due date

ensure that staff supervise children at all times to quickly identify and address behaviour and safety issues 15/11/2021

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Due date

increase staff's understanding of how to carry out effective risk assessments to ensure the environment and the resources used by children are safe and suitable 15/11/2021

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Due date

improve staff's understanding of child development to enable them to identify any gaps in children's learning to enable effective support to be put in place 29/11/2021

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Due date

ensure that all staff follow appropriate medication policies and procedures, which includes storing medication appropriately 15/11/2021

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Due date

develop systems to monitor the effectiveness of the curriculum to ensure it is targeting what each child needs to learn next to help them make progress. 29/11/2021

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY457215 Local authority Torbay Inspection number 10212808 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 65 Number of children on roll 30 Name of registered person Mama Bear's Day Nursery Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01803 520 620 Date of previous inspection 25 July 2013

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Information about this early years setting

Mama Bear's Day Nursery registered in 2012. It is one of a group of 18 privately owned nurseries located in the south west of England. The nursery is situated in Paignton in Devon. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6pm, for 51 weeks of the year. There are 10 members of staff, of these eight hold appropriate childcare qualifications. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors Lorraine Sparey Samantha Powis

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Inspection activities

n The inspection was undertaken by two inspectors who completed a learning walk with the manager. They viewed all areas of the nursery, and the manager discussed the early years curriculum. n The lead inspector spoke to parents to gain their views. n An inspector completed a joint observation of the younger children with the manager and discussed their findings. n Both inspectors completed observations in the room and spoke with staff and children at appropriate times. n The inspectors held a meeting with senior management and discussed how they monitor and evaluate the nursery provision. n The lead inspector scrutinised relevant documentation, including evidence of staff's suitability to work 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

2 November 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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