Children 1st @ Newark

Inspection of Children 1st @ Newark Torridon House, Muskham Road, Newark, Nottinghamshire NG24 1DP

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding

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The provision requires improvement

Children receive a warm welcome from staff as they arrive for the day. They confidently leave their parents at the door. Babies show that they feel safe and secure, they smile and babble at staff and turn to them for cuddles and reassurance when needed. Pre-school children and toddlers know the routine and what is expected of them. Toddlers follow instructions from staff to tidy away toys and to line up to go outside. They respond well to gentle reminders from staff about taking turns. Pre-school children are friendly and sociable, they happily include each other in their play.

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The provision requires improvement

Teaching practice across the nursery is variable. Staff working with babies and toddlers are not clear about what they want their key children to learn. Staff do not build on what children know and can do and children's learning is not always promoted effectively. However, pre-school children listen to stories being read about a favourite character, 'Stick Man'. They pre-empt the end of sentences and join in with repeated refrains. Staff encourage them to talk about what they can see in the illustrations and to recall the events in the story. Children use their imaginations as they work together to create a 'Stick Man'. They search the garden to find suitable sticks to use. Staff encourage the children to use language in relation to the size of the sticks that they find. Children delight in finding sticks as tall as they are.

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need to do better?

n The deputy manager has good knowledge of the curriculum and what children should learn. The pre-school staff implement the curriculum well. They support children to build on what they already know and can do. They give children time and opportunity to practise skills that they will need for their eventual move to school. However, the deputy manager has not ensured that the curriculum has been successfully implemented throughout the nursery. This has led to weakness in teaching in the baby room and inconsistent teaching in the toddler rooms. n Staff use observations and assessments to monitor the progress that children make. However, some staff working with babies and toddlers are not clear as to what skills they want children to learn next. This reduces the opportunity for them to support children to practise the skills they need to learn. n Parents comment that their children are happy at the nursery and enjoy

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need to do better?

attending. Staff keep them well informed about their child's day, such as what they have eaten, if they have slept, and the type of activities their children have taken part in. However, children's next steps in learning are not effectively shared with parents to enable them to extend children's learning at home. n The management team follow robust recruitment procedures to ensure that the

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need to do better?

9 December 2021 staff they employ are suitable to work with children. However, the current arrangements for the induction of new staff are not robust enough to ensure that they fully understand their roles and responsibilities. n Pre-school children look at recipe cards and talk about the ingredients that are in the meals they are eating for dinner. Children notice when their friends or the staff that eat alongside them have something different to eat. Staff help children to learn that some people cannot eat certain foods, due to allergies and food intolerances, and that these foods can make them poorly. Children also learn that some people choose not to eat certain types of food, due to their individual beliefs. They are learning to respect others' similarities and differences. n Staff provide children of all ages with opportunity to play in the nursery garden and develop their physical skills. Toddlers persevere as they attempt to put on

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need to do better?

their own coats and wellington boots to go outside. Pre-school children strengthen their muscles and get lots of fresh air and exercise as they run around the garden. They confidently balance and climb on equipment. Babies have access to their own area of the garden, where they can practise crawling, cruising, and walking. n Staff work closely with parents and other professionals to put appropriate support in place for children who speak English as an additional language, and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff use sign language, alongside verbal communication, to help children understand instructions and encourage the development of their language and communication skills.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are aware of the different types of abuse and what signs to look for that may indicate a child is at risk of harm. They maintained good contact with families during the COVID -19 pandemic restrictions to ensure that all children remained safe. Staff are vigilant and supervise children well. They complete regular checks on the environment to identify and eliminate risks. Staff teach children about how to keep safe. They talk to children about the need to be careful as the ground in the garden and the play equipment may be slippery after it has rained.

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should:

n support staff in the baby room and toddler rooms to understand the curriculum intention and implement it consistently n ensure that all staff, particularly those working with babies and toddlers, understand the development needs of the individual children that they care for n improve the information shared with parents to enable them to support and

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should:

9 December 2021 encourage children's learning and development at home n improve the induction arrangements to ensure that staff that are new to the setting understand their roles and responsibilities within the setting's policies and procedures.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 253341 Local authority Nottinghamshire County Council Inspection number 10138661 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 96 Number of children on roll 98 Name of registered person Breedon House Nurseries Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01636 611 914 Date of previous inspection 16 February 2016

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Information about this early years setting

Children 1st @ Newark, located in Newark, Nottinghamshire registered in 1997. The nursery employs 14 members of childcare staff. Of these, 11 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and above. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6.30pm. 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 inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the management team and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the setting. n The inspector completed a learning walk with the deputy manager and discussed how the curriculum supports children's learning. n The inspector observed the quality of education during activities, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The inspector spoke with staff, children, and parents during the inspection. n The inspector carried out a joint observation of an activity with the deputy manager. n The inspector held discussions with the management team. She reviewed a sample of documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working at the setting.

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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

9 December 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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