Victoria House Neighbourhood Nursery

Inspection of Victoria House Neighbourhood Nursery Corbett Street, Smethwick, West Midlands B66 3PX

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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

The provider does not ensure that the manager and staff keep children safe. Children's safety and welfare are significantly compromised. Some staff roughly handle children and pull them by their arms. This puts children at risk of injury. Staff fail to identify and minimise risks to children at mealtimes. This puts children at the risk of choking. Babies' safety is not always assured when they play outdoors.

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The provision is inadequate

Teaching is variable. Although younger children receive better educational opportunities, older children have a very poor learning experience. This significantly hinders the progress they make. Furthermore, staff do not support them to learn how to manage their own feelings and behaviour. This significantly impacts on children's emotional security and hinders them from forming trusting bonds with staff. Some staff have a poor knowledge of how children learn and fail to build on what they know and can do. During large group times, children show patience and sit with staff for twenty minutes. However, teaching is repetitive and staff do not help children to gain new knowledge.

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The provision is inadequate

Younger children enjoy sharing books with staff. They confidently role play the scenes from familiar stories, such as pretending they are a wolf and blowing down the pig's houses. They are curious and keen to explore. For example, they ask questions to deepen their understanding about a pine cone and notice that they have a shadow. Babies are well motivated to build their physical strength and confidently pull themselves up to stand.

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need to do better?

n The provider fails to ensure that the manager and staff have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. The manager has been unsuccessful in sustaining improvements which were made, following actions that were previously raised. This has had a significantly negative impact on children's experiences at the nursery regarding their welfare and learning. n The manager has failed to identify and address weaknesses in staff practice, particularly relating to children's educational experiences and emotional security. The manager does not support staff to provide an effective curriculum that positively helps children to manage their feelings and behaviour. Staff do not appropriately help children to learn what is expected and how to successfully adjust their behaviour. Staff are not positive role models and resort to manually handling children when they do not comply with a request, such as to wash their

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need to do better?

hands or to sit down on the carpet. Staff grab children by the arms and move them to where they want them to be. This puts children at risk of injury and emotional harm.

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need to do better?

22 March 2022 n The manager and staff have completed some training. However, insufficient focus has been placed on improving staff knowledge and the quality of teaching. The manager fails to provide new staff with an effective induction to ensure they understand the nursery policies, such as the use of physical intervention. n Staff observe children and assess the progress they make. Staff working with younger children, suitably use this information to plan for their learning. This includes providing effective targeted support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, staff working with older children do not use their knowledge of children's achievements to plan activities that consistently meet their learning needs. During large-group activities, staff do not match their teaching to children's various stages of development. For example, they tell older children who have limited language, the letters from their names and ask

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need to do better?

them to repeat these back. This does not support their learning well and puts them under unnecessary pressure. n Staff fail to promote the health and welfare of children. They give young children food that is not safe for them to eat and can present a choking risk. This compromises children's safety. n An effective key-person system is in place. The manager and staff have a sound working partnership with parents. They have daily communication with parents to keep them informed about their child's day. n Staff support younger children's communication and language skills effectively. For example, babies and young children without language, respond well to visual prompts and signs. They know that a ball means it is time to get ready to go outdoors.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

The provider fails to ensure that the manager and staff identify and eliminate hazards to children. Risk assessment at the nursery is poor. Staff take babies to play in gravelled areas and allow them to play with small stones. This puts them at risk of choking and serious harm. Staff do not know how to safely prepare food for children. They do not recognise that whole dried apricots and circles of carrots are a potential choking hazard for young children. The manager and staff know some signs that may indicate that a child is at risk of abuse or neglect and how to report any concerns. However, they have failed to identify inappropriate behaviour displayed by some members of staff relating to the use of physical intervention and rough handling of children.

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Due date

ensure children's behaviour is managed in an appropriate and positive way 23/03/2022

p.4

Due date

implement effective risk assessment to keep babies safe when they play outdoors, with specific regard to choking hazards 23/03/2022

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Due date

improve all staff's knowledge of the safe preparation of food to minimise the risk of choking 23/03/2022

p.4

Due date

improve induction arrangements for new staff to ensure they understand their role, responsibilities and the setting's policies, and procedures, with particular regard to the use of physical intervention 01/04/2022

p.4

Due date

ensure all staff are able to identify if inappropriate behaviour is displayed by other members of staff and understand that they have a duty to immediately report this 01/04/2022

p.4

Due date

improve arrangements to monitor staff practice, to swiftly identify and address weaknesses 01/04/2022

p.4

Due date

ensure supervision arrangements and training for all staff are effective to raise their knowledge and skills and improve the experiences offered to all children, particularly relating to managing children's behaviour. 01/04/2022

p.4

Due date

improve the use of children's assessment information to consistently plan purposeful learning experiences that meet the needs of all children. 22/06/2022

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY276595 Local authority Sandwell Inspection number 10218639 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 73 Number of children on roll 85 Name of registered person Rare Wood Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 0121 555 6361 Date of previous inspection 10 July 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Victoria House Neighbourhood Nursery registered in 2004. It operates in Smethwick, West Midlands. The nursery employs 21 members of childcare staff. Of these, 19 hold early years qualifications from level 3 to level 6. The nursery is open Monday to Friday, from 7.30am to 6.15pm all year round, except for bank holidays. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education to two-, three- and four-years-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspection was completed following a risk assessment of concerns received. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together. The inspector observed teaching practices and considered the impact these have on children's learning. n The inspector held discussions with the manager, staff, children and parents. n The inspector sampled some of the setting's documentation, including policies, accidents and serious-incident logs.

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Inspection activities

22 March 2022 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 March 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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