Alcester Nursery Studio Limited

Inspection of Alcester Nursery Studio Limited Our Ladys Catholic Primary School, St. Faiths Road, ALCESTER, Warwickshire B49 6AG

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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 Inadequate

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The provision requires improvement

Children are settled and they easily separate from those dropping them off on entry. The key-person approach helps staff to build positive relationships with children and their families. Children are confident and they clearly feel secure. Overall, they are generally happy and content attending.

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The provision requires improvement

The activities provided are generally broad. Young children benefit from good- quality educational experiences. They enjoy exploring sensory materials outside, completing puzzles and investigating colours using a light box. There is good focus on promoting the key skills they need to move on to pre-school. Children attending before and after school have fun and enjoy dancing, cutting activities and cooking.

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The provision requires improvement

Pre-school children like building with bricks, playing in the role-play area and making patterns with natural materials in play dough. However, pre-school children do not consistently benefit from high-quality staff interactions. Occasionally, pre- school children struggle to find something to do, and staff do not always re-direct them when they are not enthused by the experiences on offer. Some pre-school children spend periods of time not as engaged as they could be. Therefore, not all children achieve their full potential.

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The provision requires improvement

Young children benefit from positive role models. They cooperate with the routines and generally behave well. However, pre-school children are not always well supported to learn about right and wrong. Occasionally, unwanted behaviours they display go unnoticed and, therefore, unchallenged.

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need to do better?

n Overall, since the last inspection, the manager has improved the quality of the provision. This specifically relates to tackling safeguarding issues. However, there remain some areas of weaknesses in relation to education and teaching, particularly in the pre-school room, that are yet to fully be addressed. n Managers and staff do not yet work as well together as possible to reflect accurately on the quality of the teaching or to monitor carefully the impact of recent changes made. This means aspects of the curriculum, education and teaching are still developing, particularly in pre-school. Therefore, consistency in practice throughout the nursery is not yet fully achieved. n All managers and staff are robustly recruited and fully vetted. The manager is supportive of staff and she has a good focus on their physical and mental well- being. However, not all staff receive high-quality coaching, mentoring and

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need to do better?

support. As a result, teaching practice is not consistently good, which is more evident in the pre-school room. n Staff know children well. They observe them and make some appropriate

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need to do better?

26 November 2021 assessments of their abilities. They identify the key next steps in their learning and provide some purposeful planned activities. However, as teaching practice in the pre-school is inconsistent, not all children remain highly engaged in the experiences on offer. This means some children do not progress as well as possible. n Communication, language and literacy are promoted in some ways. Staff talk to children continually and ask some relevant questions. Young children enjoy singing and music with their teachers, and pre-school children like reading stories and give meaning to marks they make on chalkboards. n Although in general the majority of children behave well, some pre-school children struggle to fully understand right and wrong. They do not always get the high-level support they need to learn that some behaviours are unwanted. Occasionally, inappropriate behaviour, such as swinging on or climbing up

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need to do better?

furniture, is overlooked by staff who are not always quick enough to intervene. n Healthy lifestyles are promoted. This includes eating well, good oral health and physical well-being. Staff provide children with healthy snacks and meals. They teach children about the importance of dental hygiene. Staff promote exercise as children take on physical challenges using climbing equipment outside. Staff have also recently introduced mindfulness exercises, such as yoga in the setting. n Staff share two-way information with parents about the time their children spend at nursery. Parents are very happy with the service provided and comment positively on their children's experiences at this setting. n The manager is passionate about inclusion. She ensures respect is promoted and children's diversity is valued and recognised. She has a strong understanding of the local community and area they serve. There is some appropriate targeted

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need to do better?

support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Managers ensure funding is spent with children's individual needs in mind, and they continually work with a range of external professionals.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Managers and staff have sound safeguarding knowledge of child protection issues, including being highly alert and responsive to different types of concerns. The nursery's designated safeguarding lead works well in partnership with safeguarding professionals as necessary, which helps children and families in their care. The environment is secure, safe and effectively risk assessed. There are clear strategies in place to manage and prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Children learn about keeping themselves safe as staff take opportunities to talk about possible dangers of adverse weather and the need to be careful when using physical equipment.

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Due date

improve the quality of staff's teaching interactions with children, specifically focusing on the educational activities and experiences provided in the pre-school 04/01/2022

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Due date

improve the supervision, mentoring and support that staff receive, to ensure consistency in teaching practice throughout the nursery. 04/01/2022

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should:

n support staff to teach pre-school children about the concept of right and wrong, and why some behaviours are unwanted, more effectively in practice n make better use of reflective practice to accurately review the quality of teaching and monitor the impact of any changes made.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY410723 Local authority Warwickshire Inspection number 10147505 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 50 Number of children on roll 95 Name of registered person Alcester Nursery Studio Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01789765780 Date of previous inspection 13 February 2020

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Information about this early years setting

Alcester Nursery Studio Limited was registered in July 2010. The nursery employs 14 members of childcare staff. Of these, nine hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and one holds an appropriate early years qualification at level 2. The nursery operates during term time only. Sessions are available Monday to Friday from 8am until 5.30pm. 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 provider received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The inspectors toured the nursery premises with the manager and conducted learning walk discussions to review the curriculum, educational resources and activities provided. n The inspectors observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outside. They assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The inspectors completed two joint observations with the manager of the nursery. n The inspectors spoke to staff and held a meeting with the nursery manager. n The inspectors looked at relevant documentation and checked evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery. n The inspectors spoke to children and parents during the inspection and took

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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

26 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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