Little Cherubs Day Nursery and Preschool

Inspection of Little Cherubs Day Nursery and Preschool St. Stephens Methodist Church, Ruskin Road, Crewe, Cheshire CW2 7JX

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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

The provider does not fully understood her responsibility to ensure that the nursery operates in a safe and efficient way. Furthermore, the provider and the nursery manager do not know the requirements of the early years foundation stage well enough. This combination of factors means that children's safety is not assured and the curriculum does not meet their needs. Children, including those with special educational needs (SEND) and those who speak English as an additional language, do not make good progress.

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The provision is inadequate

Children in the pre-school room experience long periods during which there is nothing interesting or purposeful planned for them to do. Some children occupy themselves by devising their own games. For example, they sometimes chase and throw things at each other and climb on furniture. Some children, including some with SEND, wander about. At times, they appear stressed and insecure in the disorganised environment.

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The provision is inadequate

The manager and staff in the pre-school room demonstrate poor understanding of how to promote children's positive behaviour. They do not implement strategies suggested by specialist professionals to aid communication with children with identified language delay. Some staff tell children off without considering the reasons for their behaviour. This does not promote children's self-control and confidence.

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need to do better?

n The provider has not informed Ofsted of a significant event and the action taken. This is a breach of legal requirements. n It is not in doubt that the provider wants staff and children to succeed. However, she delegates responsibility to the nursery manager without overseeing the manager's performance effectively. One reason for this is that much of the provider's time is taken up with duties elsewhere. In addition, the provider has not fully appreciated that she is directly accountable for the quality of practice in the nursery. As a result, weaknesses in practice are not addressed effectively. This means that the capacity for the nursery to improve is weak. n Required records are not organised well enough and some information is missing. For example, some emergency contact numbers are not recorded and readily accessible. This has the potential to compromise children's welfare. n There are instances when the deployment of staff does not meet minimum

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need to do better?

statutory requirements. For example, unqualified staff work alone in the baby room. This puts children's safety at risk. n Staff do not identify and manage risks to children's safety effectively enough. This is demonstrated when staff descend the staircase carrying one pre-school

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need to do better?

31 March 2023 child and leading another by the hand. This puts staff and children at risk of injury. There are occasions when children's actions put others at risk. For example, staff fail to act when children swing a large toy about near other children seated on the carpet. n The provider obtains enhanced criminal records checks for new staff who she recruits. However, she sometimes bypasses further vetting procedures for individuals who are known to her. This compromises children's safety. n The key-person system is not effective. The manager does not know which members of staff are the named key persons for every child who is present. The impact, combined with weaknesses in the curriculum, is that children's care and education are not supported effectively. n Staff supervision and performance management are not effective. When the provider is present at the nursery, she demonstrates that she can model and

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need to do better?

direct effective practice. However, the provider does not work here. She does not ensure that the quality of practice she expects is maintained in her absence. Managers and staff do not know what to do to improve their professional skills and knowledge. n Children's midday meal is prepared and cooked in the provider's home kitchen. This means that the suitability of the cooking and food storage arrangements cannot be checked as part of the inspection. n The provider demonstrates a clear intention to admit and support children with SEND and additional needs. A proportion of the children on roll are subject to multi-agency support and assessment. However, weaknesses in the curriculum mean that children do not receive the support and teaching that they need. For example, specialist professionals state precisely which gestures and words they want staff to teach to children whose communication is delayed. However, staff

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need to do better?

fail to do this. One outcome is that children become angry and frustrated and are told off. A further outcome is that children's capacity to make 'progress over time' and to benefit from the next phase of education is not measured. n Managers and staff in the pre-school room do not promote children's positive behaviour effectively. Children have too little of interest to do and staff's expectations of their behaviour are not clear. Routines, such as snack time and singing time, are not consistent. One impact is that learning is often interrupted. For example, staff start to read to children but have to break off to stop other children chasing and fighting each other. This does not promote children's self- control. Some children appear anxious. n Managers and staff do not know what individual children are intended to learn next. This results in activities that occupy children but do not stimulate their

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need to do better?

thinking and promote their progress. For example, two-year-old children apply glue to paper and stick scraps of tissue on it. Some incidental learning takes place, but children's level of involvement in the mundane task is low. This does not help children to develop a positive attitude to learning. n Staff do not demonstrate the skills that they need to promote children's language development. For example, at mealtimes, staff give food to children but do not interact with them. This limits children's opportunities to hear and learn common vocabulary in a meaningful context. Children, including those who speak English as an additional language, do not make good progress in learning

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need to do better?

31 March 2023 to communicate. n Parents say that they trust the well-established provider to do her best for them and their children. They feel helped and supported by the provider and the staff team at the nursery. Parents say that children enjoy the food here and look forward to attending.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Breaches to safeguarding and welfare requirements mean that children's health and safety is not assured. That said, some risks are managed safely. For example, when staff take children downstairs to the toilet, they fasten the gate and door between the childcare room and the landing. This prevents children from leaving the room unsupervised. The provider, managers and staff know the procedures to follow if they have concerns that children are at risk of harm. They know what to do if they see colleagues behaving inappropriately towards children. Managers gather information about children's dietary needs and share this with staff. This helps to ensure that children are catered for safely.

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Due date

identify and manage risks to staff and children's safety 28/04/2023

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Due date

keep a written record of emergency contact details for every child on roll 28/04/2023

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Due date

ensure that staff deployment is in line with legal requirements for staff qualifications 28/04/2023

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Due date

ensure that details are recorded of identity checks and vetting processes that have been completed for all staff 28/04/2023

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Due date

implement effective arrangements for the supervision of managers and staff, that promotes continuous improvement in the quality of their practice 28/04/2023

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Due date

31 March 2023 establish an effective key-person system 28/04/2023

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Due date

train managers and staff to manage children's behaviour in a consistent and positive way 28/04/2023

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Due date

ensure that facilities used for the preparation of food meet legal requirements. 28/04/2023

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Due date

improve manager's and staff's knowledge and understanding of the learning and development requirements and provide children with challenging and engaging activities that promote their good progress 28/04/2023

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Due date

support staff to meet the unique needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, so that they make the best possible progress 28/04/2023

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Due date

improve the quality of staff's interactions with children, so that all children, including those who speak English as an additional language, make good progress in learning to communicate. 28/04/2023

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2684037 Local authority Cheshire East Inspection number 10284442 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 46 Number of children on roll 44 Name of registered person Wood, Ligia

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reference number

Telephone number 07817232149 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Little Cherubs Day Nursery and Preschool registered in 2022. The nursery employs six members of childcare staff. Of these, four hold qualifications at level 3. One member of staff holds early years teacher status. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6.30pm. 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 nursery 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 nursery. n We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. n The parents of five children were spoken with by the inspector. She took account of their views. n The inspector spoke with the provider and the manager as appropriate during the inspection. The provider and the inspector held a leadership and management meeting. n The inspector spoke and interacted with staff and children during routines and activities. n Examples of documents were sampled and reviewed by the inspector. She checked 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

31 March 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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