Aj's Little Cherubs Day Nursery

Inspection of Aj's Little Cherubs Day Nursery Common Barn Farm, Tamworth Road, Lichfield, Staffordshire WS14 9PX

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Inadequate Behaviour and attitudes Inadequate Personal development Inadequate Leadership and management Inadequate Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not applicable

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The provision is inadequate

There are numerous breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements. Leaders do not ensure that staff have the necessary safeguarding knowledge required to keep children safe at the setting. Staff have a poor understanding of how to implement effective risk assessment and do not supervise children well enough. This means the safety of children cared for is not assured. Staff do not adequately assess and report on children's accidents that happen during the day. As a result, parents are unaware of some accidents their child may have.

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The provision is inadequate

Children overall do not behave well. Younger children are not being supported in their behaviour to fully understand right and wrong and how their behaviour might affect others. This often leads to toddlers being disengaged, running around and throwing toys. In addition, babies at times become very unsettled. They often cry and look for support from their key persons. Despite this, older children are well supported in their behaviour and generally behave well. They engage in their self- directed play and enjoy interactions with staff.

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The provision is inadequate

The quality of education across the setting is variable. Staff caring for younger children do not always provide enough challenging activities to engage them and extend their learning. The quality of education is poor, and this leads to young children becoming disengaged, disturbing groups times and interrupting other children's play. Other children flit from activity to activity, hoping to engage with an adult. That said, pre-school children have an array of resources to choose from in a stimulating environment. Staff provide exciting activities that children fully engage in.

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need to do better?

n Leaders provide sufficient and up-to-date training to their staff. However, they do not ensure staff fully understand their learning, such as safeguarding and risk assessment. This compromises children's health and well-being. Although risk assessments are in place throughout the setting, staff fail to act on these to reduce risks and minimise harm to children. Staff do not remove hazards in the way of babies learning to walk. Babies often fall and trip over their toys. When children become more independent in their play and at mealtimes, staff do not adequately supervise them to remove potential choking hazards. Children's safety and well-being are compromised. n Leaders have devised a sequenced and coherent curriculum. However, the quality of teaching among staff within the setting is too variable. Some staff are aware of how to teach early education, while others do not support children to extend and build on previous learning. Staff do not know their children well

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need to do better?

enough to plan tailored and focused next steps for each individual. This means

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need to do better?

25 October 2022 children do not receive strong teaching and interactions from staff that help them to make good progress in all areas of learning. n Although leaders are knowledgeable about how staff should promote positive behaviours, staff's implementation of behaviour management is variable. Some staff are aware of how to support children in learning why a behaviour is not acceptable. Other staff fail to support children in learning right from wrong. As a result, children continue to repeat unfavourable behaviours, such as throwing toys or running indoors. n Strategies are in place to share information with parents. Staff provide detailed information about individual children's daily routine. Parents are welcomed into the setting for settling-in sessions, stay and play, and numerous family days. However, staff do not always share required paperwork with parents if their child has had an incident or accident. This means parents are not aware of a

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need to do better?

potential injury and children's safety is not assured. n Staff promote a healthy lifestyle well. Children have access to fruit for snack and nutritiously balanced lunches and dinners. They begin to learn the ground-to- plate lifecycle, where they have opportunity to grow their own vegetables, harvest them and eat them for dinner. They also have plenty of opportunities to be physically active, such as obstacle courses, yoga, stretches and a variety of social games. Children learn how to move in different ways.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff's knowledge of safeguarding is too variable. They do not have sufficient understanding to be able to identify when children may be at risk of harm. Some staff do not know the correct procedures to follow in the event of concerns about children in their care. This means children's safety is not assured. Staff do not carry out effective risk assessments to ensure any hazards are identified. They do not remove risks in the environment to minimise harm to a child. Young children and babies often trip over toys, which are left on the floor. When a child has an accident, staff do not complete appropriate written forms. This results in parents being unaware of a child's incident or injury.

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Due date

25 October 2022 improve the use of risk assessment to ensure that all risks to children's health and safety are identified and swift action is taken to remove or minimise risks and hazards to keep children safe 25/11/2022

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Due date

ensure that all incidents, accidents and injuries are recorded and parents are notified on the same day or as soon as reasonably practical 25/11/2022

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Due date

ensure that children are adequately supervised, including while eating, to identify and reduce potential choking hazards 25/11/2022

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Due date

improve staff's knowledge and understanding of child protection to enable them to identify signs of possible abuse and neglect at the earliest opportunity and to respond in a timely and appropriate way 25/11/2022

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Due date

ensure staff implement appropriate behaviour management strategies to promote positive behaviours and support children to learn what is expected of them. 25/11/2022

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Due date

provide children with a range of challenging and enjoyable experiences that support their learning and help them to make the best possible progress. 25/01/2023

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2576597 Local authority Staffordshire Inspection number 10249085 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 72 Number of children on roll 68 Name of registered person Allen, Julie

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reference number

Telephone number 07970287174 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Aj's Little Cherubs Day Nursery registered in 2020 and is situated in the Tamworth area of Staffordshire. The setting operates all year round from 7.30am until 6pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and a week at Christmas. They have 14 members of staff, seven of whom hold a relevant qualification at level 3 and above. The setting provides early education funding 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 manager and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The deputy manager, manager and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n The inspector spoke with the manager and deputy manager about the leadership and management of the setting. 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 Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector. 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

25 October 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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