Kidz Village Nursery & Pre-School

Inspection of Kidz Village Nursery & Pre-School 2a Pantop Business Park, Harelaw Industrial Estate, Stanley, County Durham DH9 8HW

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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 Good

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The provision requires improvement

The nursery has been through a difficult period with several changes to the role of manager since the COVID-19 pandemic began. This has created a decline in staff morale, and inconsistencies in the previously good quality education. The newly appointed manager is proactive and enthusiastic. She reflects on the quality of the provision constantly. She has changed the assessment process to reduce the burden of unnecessary paperwork for staff. The provider is committed to staff's ongoing professional development and has plans for a variety of training to keep staff skills up to date.

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The provision requires improvement

Staff are making positive changes to all areas where children play. For example, an exciting investigation area has been created in each room. Children look at the world through a magnifying glass and say 'Wow' and 'Look at this' as they explore.

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The provision requires improvement

Children are happy and keen to attend, for instance, a three-year-old bounds into the room and announces, 'I'm here'. Children feel secure and develop a sense of belonging. They make close relationships with the friendly staff, who effectively promote children's well-being. Children behave well. They learn how to take turns and cooperate with others. Children make confident choices from the activities staff provide and thoroughly enjoy their play. For example, during a lively 'Dinosaur Disco' children shout, 'I love this' and 'I love dinosaurs' as they energetically jump and stomp. This helps promote children's self-esteem and physical development.

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need to do better?

n The provider has not ensured that the curriculum is delivered effectively by management. This has an impact on children's progress. The current manager and staff are developing the curriculum and understand what they want children to learn. However, some staff do not fully understand how to put this into practice and sequence children's learning effectively. For example, staff working with younger children attempt to teach counting beyond ten to children who do not have a strong grounding in numbers one to three. Older children are not routinely given the time they need to think and answer questions before staff step in and help them with the answer. This means children are not consistently getting the high-quality interactions and challenge they need to help them build on the skills they already have. Nevertheless, most children make suitable progress from their starting points. n Staff support children's understanding of healthy lifestyles effectively. For

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need to do better?

instance, they discuss the benefits of healthy eating and good dental hygiene. Children copy staff saying, 'Healthy food makes us super strong'. n Staff focus on promoting children's communication and language skills. They routinely sing songs and rhymes while children play. Staff exaggerate their

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need to do better?

16 March 2022 voices to hold children's engagement in listening to stories. They help older children to hear the sounds of letters in order to prepare them for early reading. n Children engage well in imaginative play based on their own experiences, such as pretending to read a bedtime story and to cook tea. Similarly, children continue a story with a gingerbread man they have made out of dough. This helps children widen their vocabulary and increase their recall skills. n Parents express how the new manager has already made improvements and value the communication they receive, especially on how to help their children learn at home. They describe the staff as 'caring' and 'helpful'. n Staff work well with parents to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. Additional funding the nursery receives is spent effectively to ensure it has the

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need to do better?

biggest impact on children's learning and development. n The provider and manager demonstrate effective leadership. They are sensitive and respectful in supporting staff's well-being. For example, after the last manager left, they carried out immediate well-being checks with all staff. The manager now holds regular supervisions to ensure staff understand their roles and responsibilities to keep children safe and to help support children's learning. n Children's care needs are met well by kind and caring staff. However, at times, staff are too eager to help children with tasks they can do for themselves, such as putting on coats and shoes, finding their water bottle or pouring custard from a jug. This does not help children, in particular those in the room for two-year- olds, to build on their independence skills ready for school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff recruitment and selection procedures and risk assessments are effective. The manager is currently developing even tighter daily checking procedures to identify even the smallest of risks. Staff demonstrate a secure understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements. They are aware of the procedure to follow if they have a concern about a child's welfare and work with other professionals as required. They are alert to the signs and symptoms of domestic violence and the impact this can have on children's lives. Staff are aware to prevent children being drawn into situations that put them at risk.

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should:

n monitor practice and provide relevant support to staff to improve their implementation of the curriculum n expand on the opportunities to promote children's independence with their personal care skills, in particular for two-year-olds.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY468849 Local authority Durham Inspection number 10225874 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 51 Number of children on roll 53 Name of registered person Kidz Village LTD

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reference number

Telephone number 01207 232214 Date of previous inspection 11 January 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Kidz Village Nursery & Pre-School registered in 2013. The nursery employs nine members of childcare staff. Of these, five hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and three hold qualifications at level 2. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. 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 The inspector toured all areas of the nursery and spoke to the provider and manager about how they manage the nursery and keep children safe. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided and assessed the impact this was having on children's learning. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager during a period of play in the pre-school room. n The inspector spoke to staff, children and parents at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the

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Inspection activities

suitability of staff working with children.

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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

16 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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