Activ8 Nursery Henfield

Inspection of Activ8 Nursery Henfield Henfield Youth Centre, Deer Park, Henfield, Sussex BN5 9JQ

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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

Children are happy and enjoy their time at the nursery. They have fun playing together and with staff and feel safe and secure. Children behave well and develop positive social skills and early friendships. They actively include others in their play and enjoy talking to staff about their lives and interests. Children learn to share and take turns with support, for example when working together to build towers and playing group parachute games.

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The provision requires improvement

Although children enjoy their play and engage well with activities overall, staff do not have high enough expectations for what they can achieve. Activities are sometimes not challenging enough, and children do not have consistent opportunities to think, problem-solve and answer open questions.

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The provision requires improvement

Children form trusting bonds with staff and enjoy cuddling into them when listening to stories. Babies are cared for well and settle quickly into their warm and cosy environment. They confidently explore, learn to walk, and use their first words. However, older children are not reaching their full potential, and their motivation to learn is not fully supported. Despite this, they enjoy imaginary play and act out storylines, such as cooking the dinner. Children speak well, use speech to guide their play and confidently express themselves.

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need to do better?

n Leaders and staff are attentive to children's care needs and create a positive and nurturing environment. Children are confident to ask for help, seek reassuring affection and enjoy including staff in their play. They listen to staff and follow their instructions and guidance well. Parents feel supported by staff and speak positively about how happy their children are to attend. n Leaders and staff do not use their curriculum to consistently build on what children know and can do. Activities are not linked closely enough to children's development and, at times, are not challenging enough for children. For instance, when making play dough, pre-school children simply poured ingredients into a bowl and mixed it with their hands. Although they enjoyed this, it was too easy, and staff did not extend their learning sufficiently. n Although the curriculum lacks challenge, staff use children's interests well to

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need to do better?

help engage them in activities. For example, two-year-old children learn colours as they explore their favourite toys, and babies rip tissue paper and explore glue in their art. Staff successfully support children to learn about people who help them. For example, a recent visit from a police officer helped to develop children's understanding of safety, rules and society. n Leaders have found it difficult to recruit new staff during the COVID-19 pandemic and have not managed to support staff's professional development

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need to do better?

18 November 2021 effectively. Although they support staff well-being successfully, they have not focused enough on how to raise the quality of practice to a good level. Staff have not had the support needed to improve the inconsistencies in their level of practice. However, there is a new manager in place who has a good vision for the nursery and understands where improvements are needed. n Overall, staff support children's language development well and encourage plenty of conversation as children play. Staff working with babies model language clearly and all staff use songs and stories to support and introduce new language. However, staff do not question children effectively. For example, they do not give children consistent opportunities and time to think, solve problems and work out their own ideas. n The key-person system is not fully effective. Staff get to know children's personalities well and build good bonds with them, ensuring they are well cared

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need to do better?

for. However, staff do not assess children's development closely enough to precisely know what they need to learn next. This means children's next steps in learning are sometimes too general and not focused clearly on how to move children on in their development. n The nursery is inclusive and leaders use additional funding well to support children, such as accessing staff training to introduce more sign language. However, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are not supported fully effectively. Although there are good strategies in place, staff do not consistently use them, for example when supporting children during changes of routine.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding is given high priority at the nursery. Leaders and staff attend regular safeguarding training and work well as a team to keep children safe. They confidently know how to recognise the signs that a child's welfare may be at risk, including from wider safeguarding issues, such as extremism. Leaders and staff confidently know how to report and escalate any such concerns if needed. Staff's suitability to work with children is checked closely and recruitment is thorough. Leaders build strong links with local agencies and, when needed, work closely with professionals to monitor and support children's safety.

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Due date

18 November 2021 ensure curriculum planning builds on what children know and can do, to ensure it is sufficiently challenging for all children 14/01/2022

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Due date

improve the key-person system to ensure staff have a good understanding of each child's development and what they need to learn next 14/01/2022

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Due date

improve support for staff's professional development, to effectively target how to raise the quality of practice to a consistently good level 14/01/2022

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Due date

improve the use of questioning to ensure children have consistent opportunities to think, problem-solve and develop their ideas. 14/01/2022

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should:

n strengthen the support for children with SEND to ensure the good strategies in place are implemented more consistently.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2522379 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 10208131 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 44 Number of children on roll 40 Name of registered person Activ8 Nursery Henfield Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 07711387740 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Activ8 Nursery Henfield registered in 2019. It operates in Henfield, West Sussex. The nursery opens from 7.45am to 6pm Monday to Friday all year round. There are nine members of staff, six of whom hold an appropriate early years qualification, including one at level 6. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the managers and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the nursery. n The inspector was given a tour of the nursery by the managers and they carried out a learning walk to discuss the curriculum. n The managers and the inspector discussed the play activities and children's learning during the inspection and undertook a joint observation of an activity. n The views and opinions of the staff, children and parents were taken into account during the inspection. n A sample of documentation was viewed by the inspector.

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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 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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