Little Owls Nursery Swarcliffe

Inspection of Little Owls Nursery Swarcliffe Early Years Centre, Langbar Road, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS14 5ER

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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 Good

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The provision is inadequate

The management team has failed to ensure all staff have appropriate training for child protection. As a consequence, some staff do not have a clear understanding of safeguarding policies and procedures. This has an impact on children's safety overall. There are weaknesses in areas of the curriculum, specifically for children's personal, social and emotional development. However, the majority of staff meet children's care needs and know them very well. For instance, staff who work with babies help them to become more confident outdoors and provide baskets for them to transport and carry toys. Other staff know which children have dietary requirements and ensure they have the meals they need.

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The provision is inadequate

Overall, staff have high expectations for children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, some staff do not challenge or extend learning consistently. For example, older children disagree over whose turn it is and begin to show frustration. Staff do not help the children to deal with the conflict and they miss opportunities to develop their social skills. Other children ask questions during a planting activity. However, the group is too large for staff to hear them and children move on without learning any new knowledge. During the COVID-19 pandemic, staff have built on links with families and used extra funding to provide resources at home. This has helped to minimise any further delay in children's learning as much as possible.

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need to do better?

n The breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements have an impact on children's safety. Some staff are unaware of procedures for monitoring concerns about children's welfare. In addition, they do not know how to report concerns about a colleague's practice. n The quality of education for children is variable and inconsistent. For instance, some staff do not engage deeply with children and do not know how to provide effective levels of support or challenge. This has an impact on how well children participate. Some children wander from activity to activity, particularly in the pre-school room. However, other staff take older children to work in smaller groups during the day. This helps children to begin to develop their concentration and listening skills. n Staff who work with babies have a good knowledge of their curriculum plans and clear intent for their learning. They focus on helping babies develop physical

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need to do better?

skills and provide activities which help them develop confidence in their ability. Babies enjoy using balancing equipment outdoors and have plenty of space inside to practise their skills. n In contrast to this, the curriculum for children's personal, social and emotional development is weak, particularly for older children. For example, staff fail to

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need to do better?

8 March 2022 respond when older children struggle to manage conflict between themselves. This results in children becoming upset and they are unable to manage their feelings and emotions. In addition, there are times when staff's working hours are not considered to help them to build relationships with new key children. n Despite the inconsistencies in the overall curriculum, children with SEND are supported effectively. For instance, the assistant manager models strategies to key staff, which helps them to provide one-to-one activities for children. This helps to close gaps in children's learning and enables children to make good progress. n Staff teach children about the importance of being healthy and independent. They encourage children to eat a range of vegetables at lunchtime, and toddlers learn how to brush their teeth. Children benefit from the large outdoor spaces and enjoy running up and down hills and singing songs on the large logs.

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need to do better?

n Partnerships with other professionals are positive. For instance, staff work alongside speech and language therapists to create targeted plans for children. Teachers from local schools attend outdoor storytelling sessions to meet the children. This helps to prepare children for the next stage in their learning. n Staff have developed good partnerships with families. They share information about how parents can help children to learn through play at home and promote early reading. Parents share photos of book corners they have created at home, and some children develop a love of stories from an early age. Parents leave positive feedback for the nursery and are happy with the support they receive. n Staff say that they feel supported and valued by managers. They have regular supervision meetings and the manager promotes their positive mental well- being. The manager has an ambitious, clear vision for the nursery and has

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need to do better?

already made action plans for each of the rooms. She is committed to making the improvements needed with the staff team.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Regular agency staff who frequently work in the setting are not aware of policies for whistle-blowing. They are unsure of the local safeguarding partnership procedures for reporting concerns. In addition, they do not have an up-to-date knowledge of some safeguarding issues, including county lines and sexual exploitation. However, the manager is alert to a wide range of safeguarding concerns, such as the impact of domestic violence and neglect. She has plans for staff training in these particular areas. Staff who have key children are aware of the procedures to monitor concerns about their welfare. They complete regular risk assessments to keep inside and outside areas safe for children to use. The management team recruits new staff safely and carries out checks to verify their suitability to work with children. For instance, managers complete Disclosure and Barring Service checks and obtain references from previous employers.

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Due date

ensure all staff, including regular agency staff, receive appropriate training to enable them to understand child protection procedures, including allegation management and whistle- blowing 11/04/2022

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Due date

raise the quality of all staff's teaching in order to provide high-quality interactions and purposeful experiences for children 11/05/2022

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Due date

develop staff's understanding of how to provide a consistent curriculum for children's personal, social and emotional development, specifically in relation to helping children manage their own emotions and build positive relationships. 11/05/2022

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should:

n reflect on the way staffing arrangements are organised to try and provide even more consistency for children.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 512403 Local authority Leeds Inspection number 10230133 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 64 Number of children on roll 88 Name of registered person Leeds City Council

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reference number

Telephone number 0113 3781816 Date of previous inspection 4 August 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Little Owls Nursery at Swarcliffe registered in 1993. The nursery employs 16 members of childcare staff. Of these, 10 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and four have relevant qualifications at level 6, including the day-care manager. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round, with the exception of bank holidays and a week at Christmas. Sessions are from 7.45am until 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four- year-old children. Children with SEND attend.

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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 her evaluation of the provider. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n A joint observation was completed by the manager and the inspector, outdoors during a planned activity. n The inspector held a discussion with the day-care manager, the centre manager and the assistant manager in relation to the leadership and management of the nursery. She looked at relevant documentation, including evidence of recruitment, staff's qualifications and their suitability to work with children. She discussed children's learning and development with the staff team and the nursery manager. n The inspector spoke to parents and obtained feedback for the inspection.

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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

8 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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