Mountlands Day Nursery

Inspection of Mountlands Day Nursery 36 Vicarage Road, Gloucester GL1 4LD

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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

Children's safety is put at risk. Although there are procedures in place to safeguard children, these are not followed by the manager and staff. The manager does not ensure that she follows procedures that assure the suitability of the adults employed to work with children. The manager and the designated safeguarding lead do not ensure that they work with other professionals to gather important information about children to help to keep them safe.

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The provision is inadequate

The quality of education is poor. The curriculum is poorly designed and implemented. It lacks ambition and fails to ensure children make the necessary progress. Children are not challenged or supported to learn. Staff do not identify when children have delays in their development. While children arrive happy and keen to play, they quickly become bored and lose interest in activities. This is because resources and activities lack interest and do not meet children's learning needs. Staff take too long to implement routines such as handwashing and snack time, failing to recognise where children are capable of managing their own needs. During story times, children fidget and are unable to concentrate as staff try to get them to undertake tasks that are pitched too high. Consequently, children do not understand what is being asked of them.

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The provision is inadequate

Children are not independent or prepared well for the next stage of their learning and for starting school. However, staff set clear boundaries and children behave well. Children tidy up the resources and listen when staff talk to them.

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need to do better?

n Weak recruitment procedures put children's safety at risk. This is because the manager does not do enough to ensure that those she employs are suitable to work with children. In addition, she does not maintain the required record of information from identity checks and vetting procedures. n The manager and the designated safeguarding lead do not act on information that they receive and do not monitor children's safety and well-being. The manager fails to work in partnership with other professionals who are working with families, to ensure she is aware of children's needs and is able to keep children safe. n The manager and staff do not have a secure understanding of some of the wider aspects of child protection and safeguarding matters. Although they can recognise some indicators that may suggest that a child has been harmed, they do not understand how to identify when a child may be at risk. n The manager and staff do not ensure that they keep an accurate record of the

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need to do better?

times that children arrive and leave the nursery. This does not ensure that staff can account for the children in their care and compromises children's safety.

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need to do better?

22 February 2022 n The manager and staff have a weak knowledge of child development. Staff's interactions with children are weak and do not support children to develop their communication and language skills. The manager has failed to identify weaknesses in practice or to take action to raise the quality of education that children receive. Staff are not provided with the training and support they need to be able to fulfil their roles. n Although there is a named special educational needs coordinator in place, they do not receive the support and training that they need to enable them to carry out their role and responsibilities. Staff do not accurately assess what children can do. Children with delays in their learning and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities are not given the support that they need. n Due to the inaccuracies in assessments, parents are not made aware of children's developmental delays. While parents say that they are happy with the

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need to do better?

care their children receive, staff do not work well enough with them to ensure that children get the help they need. n The manager and staff do not consider the individual needs, interests and development of all children to plan and provide a curriculum that encourages and supports children to learn. Children are not motivated to be involved in activities, and the resources provided do not offer challenge. Staff do not consider what children need to learn next. As a result, children do not make good enough progress in their learning.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager and staff do not ensure that the children attending the nursery are safe. They do not recognise how to identify when children may be at risk of harm. The manager and staff fail to work with other professionals to ensure that children who are already identified as at risk are protected. The manager does not carry out the required checks to ensure that staff are safe and suitable for their roles in the nursery.

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Due date

22 February 2022 ensure that safeguarding procedures are implemented effectively so that the manager and those with additional safeguarding responsibilities are alert to situations in children's home life 11/03/2022

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Due date

ensure that effective systems are used to check the suitability of the adults working with children 11/03/2022

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Due date

ensure that all staff have a clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities of their positions in the nursery 11/03/2022

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Due date

provide staff with supervision, support and coaching to raise the standard of the provision 11/03/2022

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Due date

obtain and share information with the other professionals who are working with the children and their families 11/03/2022

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Due date

maintain an accurate record of the times that children attend the nursery 11/03/2022

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Due date

ensure that all staff are confident with child protection matters and can recognise when a child may be at risk of harm. 11/03/2022

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Due date

ensure that assessments of children's progress are accurate and that the information is used effectively to provide children with appropriate support 11/03/2022

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Due date

make sure that parents have an accurate understanding of how their children are progressing and what support is needed 11/03/2022

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Due date

22 February 2022 implement a curriculum that offers children challenge to help them to make better progress in their learning. 11/03/2022

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY549276 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 10225570 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 20 Number of children on roll 29 Name of registered person Sparkling Angels Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01452 506880 Date of previous inspection 16 October 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Mountlands Day Nursery registered in 2018 and is situated in Gloucester. It is open from 8.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, all year round, except for one week over Christmas and Easter. The nursery has four members of staff, who all hold qualifications at level 3. The nursery receives funding for the provision of 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 begun. 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 the provider. n The manager took the inspector on a learning walk and discussed how she delivers her curriculum. n The inspector spoke to parents and took their views into consideration. n The inspector carried out a joint observation of a group activity with the manager. n Staff and children were spoken to throughout the inspection, and the inspector considered their views. n The inspector held a meeting with the manager and sampled documentation.

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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

22 February 2022 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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