Partou Curiosity Corner Day Nursery & Pre-School

Inspection of The Big Picture Private Day Nursery And Pre-School 63a Scarisbrick New Road, Southport PR8 6PA

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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 Good

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The provision is inadequate

Weaknesses in staffing impact on the quality of children's learning. Despite a recruitment campaign, there is a high number of staff vacancies. An acting manager is in post and agency staff are employed to meet the required staff-to- child ratios. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, to limit the number of people entering the building, children have left their parents at the front door. Children have adapted well to this change and enter happily. Parents continue to drop children off at the door. However, they say that they are pleased that they are now able to collect their children from their rooms.

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The provision is inadequate

The curriculum is designed to help children to develop skills that enable them to move up to the next room and on to school. However, this curriculum is not consistently followed. While children access a broad and interesting range of activities, they mainly occupy themselves. Staff interact pleasantly with individual children. For example, staff read books well to children, who listen attentively. However, children are mainly supervised for safety. What each child needs to learn next or how they will learn are not sufficiently considered when organising activities. Some incidental learning takes place. For example, two-year-old children pinch sprinkles and place them on a biscuit that has been iced by a staff member. They manipulate dough and make marks in it using the toy dinosaurs' feet. These activities help children to develop the finger muscles needed for later writing.

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The provision is inadequate

The quality of education is better in the baby room, where staff use their natural ability to interact with babies and support their progress. However, in the toddler room, some two-year-old children are not effectively engaged or challenged and are not making good enough progress. For example, staff do not interact with children who are waiting for their turn to decorate a biscuit or with those who occupy themselves, for instance, playing with dolls. Staff are slow to notice when children are becoming upset and need reassurance or when they need support to behave appropriately. The education of three- and four-year-old children has been disrupted when their room has been closed due to staffing shortages.

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need to do better?

n The quality of education is inadequate, and some welfare and safeguarding requirements are not met. Some of the company procedures, such as handling complaints, have not been followed consistently. Some of the records, such as evidence about qualifications and identity checks that have been completed for agency staff, are not clear. This compromises the safeguarding of children. However, senior leaders in the company have an accurate view of the nursery and are taking steps to improve. n The key-person system is not effective. Leaders do not ensure that staff working

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need to do better?

17 December 2021 with the children know them well enough to provide appropriate challenge through activities. Some children are not effectively engaged or challenged and are not making good enough progress. n Children play in many well-resourced areas, offering a broad range of activities. However, staff are slow to identify when children need help and encouragement to take part in activities. Children are not supported sufficiently to develop a positive attitude to learning. n Children's physical health is promoted well. Staff follow the routines of babies for sleep and nappy changing as advised by parents. Babies have plenty of space to crawl and pull themselves to stand at sturdy furniture. Covered outdoor areas and the provision of appropriate coats enable children to experience learning outdoors in most weathers. Walking up and down sloped walkways helps toddlers to develop coordination and balance.

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need to do better?

n Babies enjoy a wide range of sensory experiences, which staff use to promote learning. For example, babies make marks with their fingers in desiccated coconut, which helps to promote early writing skills. Babies repeat animal noises as they move plastic animals through the coconut, which helps to promote the early stages of speech. n Parents comment that they have been kept informed about staffing difficulties and, on some days, they have been asked to keep their children at home. They exchange information with staff as they drop off and collect their children. However, parents say that they are not as frequently informed about their children's learning and development. Also, they are not always aware of who is caring for their children. This has an impact on the continuity and consistency of children's learning. n The clearly defined induction procedures for new agency staff and arrangements for the supervision, coaching and mentoring of staff have lapsed. The acting

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need to do better?

manager and the few remaining permanently employed staff focus on working directly with the children. They are not able to monitor the practice of new or less-experienced staff or provide feedback to help them improve.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Children's safety and well-being are compromised due to weaknesses in staffing. The company provides safeguarding guidance and procedures, which are in line with the local statutory children's services agencies. Staff demonstrate a basic knowledge of child protection and wider safeguarding issues. They have access to the appropriate contact details and telephone numbers to call if concerned about a child. However, they do not know the children well enough to be able to swiftly identify and report concerns. That said, the nursery is secure and well maintained. Assessments of all areas are completed regularly to minimise risk to children.

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Due date

ensure the management and staffing arrangements meet the needs of the children 14/01/2022

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Due date

ensure the induction and supervision of staff are effective, and provide support, coaching and training for staff to ensure they promote the learning and development of children 14/01/2022

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Due date

provide each child with a key person who can offer a settled relationship for the child and build a relationship with parents 14/01/2022

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Due date

keep clear records about qualifications, identity checks and vetting processes that have been completed for agency staff 14/01/2022

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Due date

ensure that all staff are aware of children's abilities and what children are to learn, and can effectively teach children so they make good progress. 14/01/2022

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY551363 Local authority Sefton Inspection number 10217446 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 78 Number of children on roll 90 Name of registered person Just Childcare Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01704 884088 Date of previous inspection 19 March 2018

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Information about this early years setting

The Big Picture Private Day Nursery And Pre-School registered in 2017. The nursery employs 10 members of childcare staff. Of these, one holds an appropriate early years qualification at level 2, five at level 3, and two at level 6, of which one has qualified teacher status. The nursery opens Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 6pm for 51 weeks a year. 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 provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about this provider. n The acting manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together. n A joint observation was carried out by the inspector and one of the company's managers. n The inspector held discussions with staff, children and parents at appropriate times during the inspection. n The inspector held meetings with some of the senior leaders. n The inspector looked at a sample of the nursery's documents. This included evidence about staff suitability and training. n The inspector viewed the provision taking place in the baby room and toddler room. At the time of inspection, the pre-school room was closed due to staff

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Inspection activities

shortages so the provision for three- and four-year-old children was not viewed.

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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

17 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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