Building Blocks Nursery School

Inspection of Building Blocks Nursery School 184b Kingston Road, London SW19 3NU

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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

Children demonstrate that they feel happy, safe and secure. They are warmly greeted by staff and quickly settle into their chosen activities before moving to their different rooms. The manager is clear about what children need to learn and why. However, not all staff always understand the learning intentions behind each activity, therefore the quality of teaching is variable. Staff working with children overlook opportunities to challenge children's thinking and understanding during activities. That said, children are becoming independent learners. For example, children confidently develop ideas and play in the garden as they fill bottles to squirt water or use different-sized pots to make music. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well with specific targets to make progress.

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The provision requires improvement

Children make friends and develop some worthwhile skills. For example, they use their physical skills to throw bean bags in tyres and balance eggs on spoons through an obstacle course. Children enjoy taking turns and playing games, as they count four discs in a row to see who is the winner. However, staff are unclear about what children need to learn to make good progress, so do not shape activities to support children's next steps in learning. Some intentions for learning are too broad and not focused to secure knowledge of each child's individual needs.

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need to do better?

n A change in manager has seen improvements within the nursery. She carries out regular supervision and checks in sessions with staff. This gives her and staff the opportunity to reflect on practice and make clear improvements to benefit the children attending. Staff discuss their professional development and receive feedback, and this enables the manager to check on their well-being. Staff have regular professional development opportunities online and face to face. For example, some staff are completing training to support children with SEND and English as an additional language further. n The manager and staff team work closely with outside professionals, to ensure that children with SEND receive the support that they need. Individual plans are devised and regularly reviewed, with clearly identified targets to help children make good progress. Staff also work closely with the parents of children with

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need to do better?

SEND. n The manager implements a curriculum that supports all children to make progress. However, although staff interact well with the children, they are not clear on what they want children to learn during activities, particularly at children's chosen activities. For example, children playing in the garden were not challenged in their learning.

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need to do better?

27 April 2023 n Children behave well most of the time. They play alongside each other, and staff encourage them to take turns and use good manners. However, staff expectations for children's behaviour are not consistent. For example, staff do not always address incidents of unwanted behaviour, such as when children break a structure other children are making. To this end, children do not have a positive attitude to their learning or know what is expected of their behaviour. n Parents are happy with the communication with the nursery. They comment that recent changes with the new manager had a positive impact, as they know what their children are learning at nursery and how to support this learning at home. n Staff support children to develop healthy lifestyles. Children enjoy regular outdoor play as they develop their physical skills and work together rolling each other in the tunnel. Children enjoy regular dance activities as they learn to move

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need to do better?

in time with music, eagerly copying actions. n Staff promote children's communication skills. Children have opportunities to build on their language skills or learn new words. Children enjoy regular music sessions as they practice using musical instruments and join in singing songs. However, at times during the day, staff do not communicate effectively to each other to ensure they are where they need to be in order to support children's learning more effectively. n Early mathematical language is emerging through children's play. Children count and talk about different sizes as they build structures or make shapes in clay, others learn about things being 'whole' and 'half', as they chop chives for their play-dough pizzas.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager and staff have a secure level of knowledge of child protection. They are able to recognise signs of abuse and neglect, and they know what to do in the event of a disclosure. They know the procedures to follow if they have a concern about a child, and the referral process to outside agencies. Staff understand wider safeguarding issues, such as exploitation and the risks to children of hearing extremist views. Staff demonstrate a thorough understanding of the setting's whistle-blowing procedures. Staff receive regular training in safeguarding. The management team checks the suitability of staff and have a sound staff recruitment process in place. Risk assessments are completed regularly to ensure all areas are safe for children to use.

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should:

n develop staff understanding of curriculum intentions to enable them to focus specifically on what children need to learn next, to ensure that all activities and

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should:

27 April 2023 staff interactions challenge children's learning n improve staff's understanding of behaviour management strategies so that they have a consistent approach to better support children's understanding of positive behaviour n support staff to communicate more effectively to ensure they are positioned more effectively to support children.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY273089 Local authority Merton Inspection number 10279579 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 32 Number of children on roll 30 Name of registered person Building Blocks Child Care Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 020 8417 1157 Date of previous inspection 12 September 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Building Blocks Nursery School is part of Building Blocks Child Care Ltd. It registered in 2004. The setting is located in the London Borough of Merton. It operates from 7.30am to 6.30pm, for 51 weeks of the year. There are 10 members of staff. One member of staff holds a level 7 qualification, two staff hold early years professional status at level 6, four staff hold level 3 qualifications and three staff are unqualified. The nursery offers funding for children aged three and four years.

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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 setting. n The manager and inspector completed a learning walk together of environment and discussed the early years curriculum. n Children communicated with the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager. n The inspector spoke to several parents 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

27 April 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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