Ever After Day Nursery

Inspection of Ever After Day Nursery Lower Street, Cleobury, Mortimer, Kidderminster DY14 8AF

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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

Teaching is not consistent throughout the nursery. Additionally, the curriculum is not differentiated to meet the individual needs of the children. Therefore, some children do not make the best possible progress. That being said, children arrive at nursery excited to play with their friends. They spend a lot of their day outdoors. Children show confidence to investigate and explore the wide range of resources available to them. For example, they make marks in flour, sand and mud. Children work together and problem-solve as they work out how to join drain pipes together to roll balls down. They show a 'can-do' attitude and jump with excitement as the ball reaches the bottom of the pipes.

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The provision requires improvement

In some activities, the teaching is good. For example, children measure out water, mix together ingredients and knead dough to make bread. Staff give them autonomy to make what they want with their dough. Children make footballs, snowmen and hedgehogs, carefully decorating them with chocolate buttons and sultanas. However, on other occasions, teaching does not support children well enough for them to meet their best possible outcomes.

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The provision requires improvement

Staff promote children's independence throughout the day. They support children to change into waterproofs as they play outdoors. Older children help to pour drinks at snack time and carefully carry them to their friends. Children listen and follow instructions, and understand the rules well. For example, they tidy up toys and line up carefully when asked.

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need to do better?

n Managers and staff work well together. Managers have recently introduced a peer observation scheme. The aim is to develop and enhance teaching skills among the staff. However, this has not yet had an impact on improving teaching skills so they are consistently good throughout the nursery. This is especially true for creative play. Some of the children's artwork is what staff want, rather than allowing children to explore and express themselves. This impacts on children's creativity and expression. n The curriculum has recently undergone some changes. It focuses on children's independence and helping them to become confident learners. However, it does not give enough focus on children's individual learning and their next stages of development. For example, in circle times, the group is large and of differing ages and abilities. The teaching is too advanced for the younger and less-able children. They do not engage in learning and they fidget and become bored.

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need to do better?

n As the nursery has one room for all age ranges, the children do all activities together. While this works well outdoors, indoors the children spend long periods of time waiting for others. The transition from one activity to another is

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need to do better?

11 January 2023 not well thought out. Children start to play 'smacking' each other, as they get restless and lose interest. n Children spend much of their day outdoors, where they are able to access all areas of the curriculum. They use their imagination well as the serve food in the 'café'. They dress up as firefighters and put out an imaginary fire. Children use their physical skills as they negotiate the obstacle course and balancing beams. The mud area is a particular favourite and children have great fun digging and splashing in puddles. They show excitement as they find worms and slugs under the wooden tree trunks. Children show staff what they have found, and together they study how the creatures look and move. n Partnerships with parents are good. Parents say how pleased they are with the nursery. They feel well supported and get information daily through an online system. Staff send regular pictures to parents of their children engaging in

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need to do better?

activities during the day. Parents know who their child's key person is and are comfortable discussing things with them. n Staff use the local community to help build on children's interests. They have many visitors to the nursery, including police, a midwife, the forestry commission and even a horse from the equestrian centre. This enables children to expand their knowledge of the world around them. n Parents provide their children's snacks and lunch. Managers work with parents to encourage healthy eating. Mealtimes are social events. Staff and children sit together and discuss their day. However, sometimes, the noise level during this, and other times in the day, means it is hard to hear. Therefore, children lose the potential to hear language and words during this valuable time.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Managers and staff have a good understanding of how to protect a child if they think they are at risk of harm. They know the signs and symptoms of suspected abuse and the procedures to raise a concern, if needed. Staff undertake regular safeguarding training and maintain their paediatric first-aid qualification to ensure they have an up-to-date knowledge. There is a strong recruitment and induction procedure for new staff. This ensures the safety of the children in their care. The setting is clean and resources are well maintained. Staff complete daily risk assessments to ensure the nursery is safe and secure for the children to attend.

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Due date

11 January 2023 strengthen staff's understanding of what they want individual children to learn and how to implement this effectively into the curriculum 21/04/2023

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Due date

implement effective procedures to ensure staff consistently offer quality learning and development experiences for children that continually improve. 21/04/2023

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should:

n develop transition times, particularly for younger children, to lessen the waiting times between activities n reduce the background noise and voice levels to ensure these do not impact on the development of children's communication and language.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY436114 Local authority Shropshire Inspection number 10263079 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 60 Number of children on roll 50 Name of registered person Ever After Day Nursery Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 07855477573 Date of previous inspection 19 April 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Ever After Day Nursery registered in 2011 and is situated in Cleobury Mortimer. The nursery employs 10 members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at levels 2 to 6. The manager also holds early years professional status. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education 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 provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector spoke with the nominated individual/registered individual 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 The inspector carried out joint observations of group activities with the manager. 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

11 January 2023 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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