Mama Bear's Day Nursery

Inspection of Mama Bear's Day Nursery The Exchange, Express Park, Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 4RR

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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 Requires improvement

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The provision requires improvement

Children arrive confidently and are greeted by warm, caring staff. Children are polite, and staff encourage them to be independent. For example, they pour their own drinks and help to tidy up. Staff deployment is not organised well. Staff move around the nursery frequently, which means that children are not always able to build a strong bond with their key person. Children enjoy playing with the resources provided and are able to explore freely. For example, they happily make marks on a large piece of paper together. However, a lack of routine and clear expectations sometimes leads to challenging behaviour. When disputes occur, staff do not manage this consistently to promote good emotional development. Children look at books independently and listen intently as staff read stories, which nurtures a love of reading.

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The provision requires improvement

Staff working with older children understand what children already know and what they need to learn next. They support children to develop their communication and language skills. For example, they repeat back children's speech to help them learn how to pronounce words correctly. However, staff working with younger children do not engage in meaningful conversations with children to develop their language. They do not provide well-planned activities to nurture children's interests and ensure they make good progress. Due to poor organisation, children using potties are not afforded the privacy they need to maintain their dignity.

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need to do better?

n The provider has been dealing with staffing changes and has struggled to fill vacant positions. This means that staff are frequently moved in and out of rooms each day, which disrupts teaching and negatively impacts on behaviour and development. n The curriculum is not well planned, sequenced or implemented. Staff do not plan challenging activities according to children's individual needs. They do not always consider children's interests or next steps when organising the environment. As a result, most learning is incidental, particularly with younger children. n Staff undertake termly assessments of children's progress and share this with parents. Story sacks and books are available for parents to borrow, to nurture their children's love of reading. n Due to weaknesses in organisation and staff practice, children are not learning to manage their own feelings and behaviour. They do not always respond to

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need to do better?

instructions from staff or show high levels of curiosity and exploration. For example, they run around the room haphazardly during a music activity rather than joining in with the movements. n Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well

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need to do better?

1 November 2022 supported. Staff work in partnership with other agencies and parents and put strategies in place to support their development. n Younger children do not receive the privacy they need when using potties. Other children walk around them to access the sinks from the toilets. They are also visible by staff and children in the playroom. n Children enjoy outdoor play, which helps keep them fit and healthy. Younger children also access climbing equipment in the baby room to develop their physical skills. Older children enjoy yoga, which helps them learn calming breathing techniques and teaches them how their bodies work. n Older children develop their fine motor skills, which helps them build their muscles for early writing and improves their coordination. For example, they use their hands and tools to manipulate play dough and enjoy threading and puzzle activities. n Staff work with parents to capture children's starting points during children's first

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need to do better?

settling-in session. This includes information about their likes, dislikes, routines and development. However, due to weaknesses in the deployment of staff, this information is not always used effectively to support children's emotional development. n The manager has a comprehensive improvement plan in place. This includes plans to develop the curriculum for all children, improve the key-person system and establish a more consistent staffing team. n Since the last inspection, the manager has repeated inductions for all staff and undertaken appraisals to identify their training needs. Additional training in the pre-school room has improved staff confidence and their interactions with children, to support children's learning. n Parents report that they feel well informed and that they value the healthy, well- balanced and nutritious food that their children receive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Most staff know the signs and symptoms that might indicate that a child is at risk of abuse. Some new and less-experienced staff are not as confident in this knowledge. However, training is in place to address this. All staff are aware of how to locate the safeguarding procedures to report any concerns about children or potential allegations made against a member of staff. Managers adopt safer recruitment practices to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children. Managers track accidents and incidents and make the necessary changes to ensure that the setting remains safe and secure. For example, new processes for children's arrival and departure are now in place to ensure they are safeguarded at all times.

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Due date

improve staff deployment to help establish routines, improve organisation and provide consistency for children that allows them to build strong relationships with their key person 23/12/2022

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Due date

train staff to improve their interactions with children, with particular regard to developing children's communication and language skills and managing children's behaviour 23/12/2022

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Due date

develop the curriculum to ensure that it is clear and well sequenced and that learning intentions are understood by all staff to ensure children make good progress 23/12/2022

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Due date

improve toileting arrangements for toddlers, to support their dignity and privacy. 30/11/2022

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2581792 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 10259108 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 80 Number of children on roll 56 Name of registered person Mama Bear's Day Nursery Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 07817848269 Date of previous inspection 16 May 2022

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Information about this early years setting

Mama Bear's Day Nursery registered in 2020. The nursery is situated in Bridgwater, Somerset. The nursery is open each weekday, from 7.30am to 6pm, for 51 weeks of the year. There are 11 members of staff who work directly with children. Of these, seven hold appropriate childcare qualifications at level 3 or above, two hold a level 2 qualification and two are unqualified. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years.

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Inspection activities

n The inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the provider and have taken this into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The manager joined the inspectors on a learning walk and talked to the inspectors about their curriculum and what they want their children to learn. n Children communicated with the inspectors during the inspection. n The inspectors talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspectors 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 inspectors discussed how the curriculum had been implemented and the impact that this had on children's learning. n The inspectors spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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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

1 November 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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