Your Co-op Little Pioneers Nursery & Pre-School Maida Vale

Inspection of The Co-operative Childcare Maida Vale The Annex, Essendine Road, London W9 2LR

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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The provision requires improvement

Children enjoy the time they spend at the setting and demonstrate that they feel confident. For example, children happily approach staff and the inspectors and have meaningful discussions to show what they do at the setting.

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The provision requires improvement

The quality of education is variable. Staff provide children with enjoyable activities that are based on their interests or current themes and events, such as Mother's Day. However, some staff do not plan appropriate learning experiences for children based on their individual needs and stages of development. Some experiences staff provide do not impact on children's learning as much as they could.

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The provision requires improvement

All children have opportunities to play and learn both inside and outside. Young children find play resources enjoyable and stimulating. Older children develop independence. They put on their own coats when they want to play outside and serve their food at lunchtime. Staff also support those children who are learning to use the toilet.

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The provision requires improvement

Some children behave well at the setting. However, staff do not manage all children's behaviour in a consistently appropriate way. Children do not always understand behavioural expectations in the setting. For example, staff do not explain to children why they should not do certain things and what is expected in situations, such as when they climb on furniture or take toys from others.

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need to do better?

n Members of the management team evaluate the provision. They have an action plan in place and ensure staff undertake continuous professional development. However, this is not fully effective, as weaknesses in practice have not been identified and addressed. n Children enjoy the activities on offer and staff are flexible and allow them to experiment. For example, when children make cards for Mother's Day, staff allow younger children to explore mark-making activities and follow their own interests. They provide a variety of resources to use, comment on what children do and ask questions to help them think for themselves. Experiences help younger children to use their imagination, extend their vocabulary and learn new words, such as 'squishy', 'soft' and 'mixing'. n Children enjoy regular play outside. This allows them to have daily physical exercise and fresh air. Pre-school age children participate in choosing some of

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need to do better?

the activities they use outside and, at times, choose where the resources will be located. This allows children to talk and follow their own interests and needs. n Staff gather detailed information about the children when they start their journey at the setting. For children whose home language is not English, staff

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need to do better?

24 March 2022 find out basic words in their home language and use them when children start. However, as children's communication skills develop, staff do not provide regular opportunities for them to use their home language in play and learning, to support their learning even further. n Some staff do not know and understand how to plan an ambitious curriculum based on children's individual learning needs. They do not use assessment precisely enough to enable them to plan activities that challenge children in the appropriate areas of learning, to help them improve and close any potential gaps. n Each child has an allocated key person, who is known to parents. However, the key-person system is not fully effective, particularly when new children are settling in. For example, on occasion, staff cover absences in other rooms, which leaves new children without a familiar adult. This does not fully offer an emotional and settled relationship for the child.

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need to do better?

n The management team has appropriate arrangements in place to help children transition to school, when the time comes. However, since the pandemic began, it will be the first year when they will go back to usual procedures in working in partnerships with schools, to support children even further. n Overall, parents provide very positive feedback about services they receive. They report that staff regularly share what their children have been doing and learning at the setting.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The provider ensures that they follow safer recruitment procedures. All staff have a full induction when they start their work at the setting. They know how to identify potential child protection concerns and what correct procedures to follow. In addition, they have regular supervision meetings with the management team. However, these are not fully effective, as staff still have gaps in understanding of their roles and responsibilities and performing their all duties. For example, they do not always identify all potential risks in the rooms during their morning checks and do not remove them, as required. Some staff do not always clean children's noses to prevent mucus from getting in their mouths. This does not promote children's health and well-being. The provider takes appropriate action when concerns are reported, including for pest control.

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Due date

24 March 2022 make sure that all staff have a clear knowledge and understanding of their roles and responsibilities and follow the nursery's policies and procedures, including risk assessment and meeting children's individual care needs effectively 29/04/2022

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Due date

ensure all staff consistently manage children's behaviour in an appropriate way which supports their understanding of age-related expectations and boundaries 29/04/2022

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Due date

improve the quality of teaching across the nursery and ensure that all staff have a good knowledge of the early years foundation stage, understand how to identify and plan next steps and activities that meet each child's learning needs based on their age and stage of development, to help them make the best progress possible. 29/04/2022

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should:

n strengthen the key-person system to fully support the emotional needs of new children who are settling into the setting n provide regular opportunities for children who speak English as an additional language to develop and use their home language as they play and learn n make better use of self-evaluation arrangements to help identify and address promptly any weaknesses in practice.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 135099 Local authority Westminster Inspection number 10213122 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 109 Number of children on roll 110 Name of registered person Buffer Bear Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 0207 121 0077 Date of previous inspection 11 August 2016

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Information about this early years setting

The Co-operative Childcare Maida Vale registered in 2000. The nursery is located in the Maida Vale area of the City of Westminster. It is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6.30pm and operates all year round, except on bank holidays. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The provider employs 47 staff, most of whom hold relevant childcare qualifications at level 2 or above.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors Nataliia Moroz Anne-Marie Giffts-Walker

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n This inspection was conducted following Ofsted's risk assessment process. n The manager and the inspectors conducted a learning walk together. The manager shared the intent of their curriculum in rooms upstairs. n The inspectors carried out joint observations with the manager in the room and in the garden. n Children and parents talked to the inspectors about their experiences at the nursery. n The inspectors observed activities and assessed the impact of these on children's learning and their progress.

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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

24 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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