Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Aylesbury

Inspection of Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Aylesbury Broughton House, 241 Tring Road, AYLESBURY, Buckinghamshire HP20 1PH

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Inadequate Leadership and management Inadequate Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not applicable

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The provision is inadequate

Children follow routines and procedures to keep themselves safe, such as learning how to climb stairs and how to evacuate safely in the event of an emergency. However, weak understanding and implementation of the safeguarding policy and procedures, and lack of response to potential concerns, mean that safeguarding is not effective.

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The provision is inadequate

On the whole, children have fun at nursery and they behave well. For example, they play in water and find out which items will float and sink. They listen and respond to staff when they ask them questions about what has happened. However, children do not always benefit from meaningful learning opportunities. They are not equally well prepared for their next stages of their education. For instance, staff do not effectively consider what they want children to learn and their expectations are not always realistic. At times, learning lacks purpose and children lose interest.

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The provision is inadequate

Children are happy in the nursery and they are eager to play with their friends. Children are confident and sociable. During mealtimes, they excitedly talk to visitors about toys that they enjoy playing with and things that they have made, such as paper chains.

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The provision is inadequate

Children benefit from close communications between their key person and parents. Managers review procedures throughout the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, to ensure positive two-way communications. This has enabled parents to share key information about their children's care. This helps children to settle in well.

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need to do better?

n The provider ensures that all staff receive safeguarding training to keep their knowledge up to date. Managers ensure that a safeguarding policy and procedures are in place. However, these actions are not effective. For example, managers do not use their knowledge to swiftly identify and refer all concerns regarding children's welfare. This means that they do not implement their policy and procedures effectively. Managers do not seek information from and share it with other professionals, such as the local authority, to protect children's welfare. This puts children at risk of harm. n Staff do not demonstrate a consistent understanding of what they want children to learn and why. They do not always consider the skills and knowledge that they want children to develop. This means that, at times, children do not benefit from purposeful learning. For example, older children explore bubbles in a planned group activity. Staff say that children will learn about how bubbles

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need to do better?

change. However, they do not fully consider how they will teach this concept

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need to do better?

9 September 2021 and the activity becomes a turn-taking activity with limited learning. At other times, teaching is more successful. For instance, staff skilfully ask toddlers questions to help them make predictions about what will happen in their floating and sinking experiments. n Staff do not have a consistently good understanding of the stages of development of different-aged children. This means that, at times, their expectations for children are unrealistic. For example, staff expect younger children to sit for extended periods for song time. Children lose interest quickly but, when they attempt to crawl or toddle away from the activity, they are redirected back by staff. This impacts children's enjoyment of their learning. n The staff team have made improvements to opportunities for outdoor learning and play. Staff reorganise the outdoor space and they have increased opportunities for children to learn about planting and growing. For instance,

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need to do better?

children enjoy learning how to care for fruits and vegetables, such as strawberries, peppers and tomatoes. They pick their crop and enjoy tasting them during snack time. n Staff support children's personal needs suitably well. As part of induction, they seek precise information about children's care routines, such as sleeping and potty training. Staff work with parents to support transitions for children effectively. They demonstrate this by liaising with parents when children begin to recognise their bladder urges. When children transition straight to the toilet, staff share information about the benefits of this with parents. They provide guidance about how to make adaptations at home, so that children can sit on a full-sized toilet. Parents report that partnership working to support this process has been extremely helpful. n Staff use a range of techniques to support children when they struggle to

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need to do better?

manage their feelings and emotions. For instance, they give children clear instructions. They talk to them about what is happening 'now' and 'next'. They provide positive praise and distract children with their favourite stories and songs, when they identify that they are upset. n Managers monitor staff practice. For instance, they undertake unannounced observations. They complete regular supervisions and set staff targets for improvement. However, as staff do not receive enough direction to improve their practice, this results in inconsistencies in the quality of education across different age groups. n Managers have high regard for staff well-being. For instance, the manager has recently completed training to help her promote good mental health. The manager supports her team effectively, such as by giving them allocated time to complete their duties within the working day.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Several breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements compromise children's safety. Managers are not alert to concerns in children's home lives which may indicate that they are at risk of harm. This means that they do not raise issues

p.3

Safeguarding

9 September 2021 of concern. Managers do not recognise when they need to obtain further information or refer information they do have to the local safeguarding partnership to keep children safe. Managers establish arrangements to ensure that the premises are safe for children. For example, staff assess and minimise risks each day, such as in the garden. Staff follow company procedures and cleaning regimes to minimise risks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Due date

ensure that all staff, including managers, fully understand and implement the safeguarding policy and procedures 07/10/2021

p.4

Due date

ensure that all staff have an up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding issues and are able to identify and respond to concerns regarding children's welfare 07/10/2021

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Due date

obtain and share children's records from other settings they attend and with the local safeguarding partnership to keep them safe 07/10/2021

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Due date

ensure staff understand how to plan and deliver a coherently sequenced curriculum 08/11/2021

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Due date

ensure staff understand children's stages of development so that their expectations for children in all age groups are realistic 08/11/2021

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY558216 Local authority Buckinghamshire Inspection number 10190081 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 69 Number of children on roll 58 Name of registered person Broughton House Daycare Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01296435435 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Aylesbury registered in 2018. It is located in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. It opens weekdays, from 7.30am to 6.30pm, for 51 weeks of the year. The nursery employs 16 members of staff. Of these, 14 work directly with the children; seven hold qualifications at level 3 and four hold qualifications at level 2. The nursery accepts funding for the provision of free education for children aged two, three and four years.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the setting received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the setting. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n Children spoke to the inspector about what they enjoy doing while at nursery. n The inspector spoke with the operations manager and manager about the leadership and management of the nursery. n The inspector carried out joint observations of group activities with the manager.

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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 September 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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