Mountlands Day Nursery

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

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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 Inadequate

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The provision requires improvement

The manager and staff provide a welcoming learning environment for children. They use effective settling-in procedures to help them feel safe and secure. As a result, children are happy and eager to access resources. Staff are positive role models and have high expectations for children's behaviour. Children play cooperatively, share and take turns. Staff support them well to respect individual differences, cultural backgrounds and languages, to prepare them for life in modern Britain.

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The provision requires improvement

While the quality of the provision has improved since the last inspection, staff are not implementing the curriculum consistently to help all children make the best possible progress. Nevertheless, staff support all children, including those who are learning English as an additional language and those with additional needs, to develop their communication and language skills. Staff repeat words and phrases back to children to help them learn the correct pronunciation. Staff engage children in conversations to deepen their learning. For example, they encourage children to talk about the different environments in which humans and fish live and why humans cannot breathe underwater without wearing a snorkel mask.

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The provision requires improvement

Children develop their self-care and independence skills in readiness for their next stage in education. Staff teach the youngest children to drink out of open-top cups and successfully support children to use metal cutlery to feed themselves. Staff sit with children during snack times and mealtimes and chat to them to promote language and social skills. Older children learn to put on their shoes before they go outside to play. Staff teach children about the importance of brushing their teeth and drinking plenty of water in warm weather to promote their good health.

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need to do better?

n Since the last inspection, the manager and staff have worked with the local authority to make improvements. However, good practice has not yet been consistently embedded across all areas of the curriculum to promote children's learning as well as possible. Nonetheless, the manager uses additional funding appropriately to benefit children. For example, she has purchased dual-language books and shares these with children and their parents to support those children who are learning English as an additional language. n All children have plenty of opportunities to play outdoors. They follow instructions, behave well and develop their physical skills. Younger children climb up steps competently and strengthen the muscles in their legs as they scoot along on ride-on toys. Staff encourage children to persevere and achieve, for example when older children pedal tricycles around the garden path. However, staff do not consistently deploy themselves well enough, to increase children's

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need to do better?

7 June 2022 enjoyment and learning. For example, some children spend long periods with little or no interaction from staff and play alone. This does not fully support their learning. n Children develop a love of books. Staff encourage children to make decisions, such as to vote for which book to read. Overall, children focus and listen well as staff read stories. However, staff do not make the most of opportunities to extend children's thinking and make links in prior learning, for example by asking children to recall what might happen next. Children learn to recognise their names. Some older children are beginning to form letters with support from staff. Staff weave mathematical language, such as 'few', into activities and check children's understanding. Older children learn to count accurately and some recognise written numerals up to 10. n Staff plan and provide a variety of craft activities, although these are not always

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need to do better?

planned well enough to challenge children to develop their creative skills. For example, when children make celebration cards for parents, staff ask them to draw around a pre-prepared shape and use four paint colours to fill in the outline. This limits opportunities for children to explore and experiment with a wide range of media and materials. n Most children enjoy singing and music activities. Staff encourage older children to make up words to familiar songs, and children giggle as they pretend to eat their imaginary lunch 'on the bus'. During movement sessions with younger children, staff give them some good explanations of how to stretch and move their bodies in a variety of ways. However, some children lose interest and become disengaged, and staff do not respond to engage them in learning. n Parents speak positively about the nursery. They appreciate the support they receive, such as with toilet training. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, parents drop

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need to do better?

off and collect children from the door. Staff share some information with parents on collection. However, not all parents feel well informed about their child's key person or next steps in learning. Staff work with other professionals, such as speech and language therapists, to help children catch up.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager and staff have recently completed safeguarding training to refresh their knowledge and understanding of when a child may be at risk of harm. They are confident about child protection and safeguarding matters and know what to do should they have any concerns about a child or adult. The manager and deputy manager now follow safer recruitment procedures to ensure new staff are suitable to work with children. New staff receive appropriate inductions to help them understand their role and responsibilities.

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Safeguarding

Staff supervise children well and teach them how to keep themselves safe. For example, they remind children not to walk behind the swing when other children are using it so that they do not get hurt.

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Due date

improve planning and staff's skills further to ensure staff implement all areas of the curriculum effectively, to help all children make good progress in their learning and deployment 01/09/2022

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Due date

improve staff deployment, to ensure staff engage with all children effectively to increase their enjoyment and extend their learning 01/07/2022

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Due date

strengthen the key-person system and information-sharing with parents to ensure all parents know their children's key person and their children's next steps in learning. 01/07/2022

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY549276 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 10231517 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 34 Name of registered person Sparkling Angels Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01452 506880 Date of previous inspection 22 February 2022

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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 work with the children, 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. The nursery also employs a cook.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together to discuss the early years curriculum. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation of a group activity. 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 suitability of staff working in the nursery.

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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

7 June 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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