Partou Magic Tree Day Nursery & Pre-School

Inspection of Magic Tree Private Day Nursery and Pre-school St Paul's Catholic Primary School, Sundridge Park, Yate, BRISTOL BS37 4EP

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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 Requires improvement

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The provision is inadequate

The provider has not met the actions set at the last inspection, and has, therefore, not done enough to improve the quality of education. The nursery has a new senior leadership team and new managers. However, there are still several breaches in the early years foundation stage requirements that continue to compromise children's learning and development, and their well-being.

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The provision is inadequate

The new managers have a secure understanding of the curriculum and what they want children to learn. However, this is not implemented adequately by staff to help children make good progress across the early years foundation stage. Staff do not support the individual learning of all children sufficiently, including those with delays in their development and those who speak English as an additional language. Staff deployment in the baby room is poor. Although staff are kind and caring, they fail to supervise babies sufficiently to promote their safety and welfare. Staff do not notice things that put babies at risk of harm.

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The provision is inadequate

Children show they are settled and confident to explore resources. Staff sit and chat with toddlers and pre-school children during mealtimes about the healthy food to support their social skills. They role model please and thank you. Staff praise the children when they serve themselves food and drinks to support their self-esteem.

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need to do better?

n The leaders and managers have high aspirations for children and have identified that improvements are needed. However, the new managers have only been in place for a month and have not had sufficient time to address all areas of weakness across the nursery. Their plans for improvements accurately identify weaknesses in the provision. They have reviewed settling-in procedures throughout the nursery and have re-organised the key-person system to help provide consistency for children. They check that staff in the baby room now follow suitable hygiene routines, such as ensuring babies wash their hands prior to eating. However, they have not focused enough on ensuring babies are sufficiently supervised or on improving the quality of education for all children, including those with any developmental delays. n The managers do not ensure that staff in the baby room deploy themselves effectively or supervise babies adequately to support their safety and well-being.

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need to do better?

For example, experienced staff hand babies their bottle of milk and let them wander around unsupervised. Babies crawl around the room drinking milk out of their bottles. Staff are distracted by other tasks or do not position themselves well enough to ensure they see what these babies are doing. They are unable to ensure that babies do not choke or give their bottles of milk to others who may have allergies. In addition, poor supervision of these youngest children by

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need to do better?

2 May 2023 experienced staff puts them at risk of harm. For example, staff do not notice when young babies put small puzzle pieces inside their mouths and totter around, or when babies climb on a pile of soft-play equipment near a wall and play with switches on an electrical wall socket. n Staff fail to meet babies' individual learning needs. Some babies spend long periods with no interactions from staff to support their engagement, communication skills and enjoyment. They sit alone or move around the room exploring resources by themselves. Babies do not receive the support they need to develop their communication and language skills. For example, some staff do not model the correct words to support babies' language skills. n Staff across the nursery do not identify delays in children's development quickly enough and fail to put in place swift enough support to help children catch up. The new special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) has only been working

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need to do better?

at the nursery for three weeks. She has started to liaise with staff and role model how to deliver activities to help children to develop their communication, listening and attention skills. However, she has not yet had the time needed to ensure all staff understand and use effective assessment to identify and target any developmental gaps. n The implementation of the curriculum does not take into account children's individual learning needs or build on what they already know and can do. Not all staff know what children need to learn next and do not use opportunities to extend their learning sufficiently. Children do not receive the challenge they need to help prepare them for their move on to school. For example, pre-school children use pens to draw on whiteboards and stamp paint pens onto paper. Staff simply say 'wow' and ask these older children to name the colours they have used, which they can do with ease. Staff then move away and do not

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need to do better?

provide children with the help they need to further their learning. n Children in the toddler and pre-school room enjoy some activities. For example, toddlers giggle with delight as the SENCo puts on 'pink, striped, flashing glasses' and winds up the 'jumping teeth'. They learn to understand changes in routines using sand timers. Pre-school children take turns to use pipettes and staff explain how to suck up and squeeze water onto the toy chameleons to make them change colour. n Parents speak positively about the welcoming atmosphere, friendly staff and the new management team. They state that their children are happy to attend the nursery and feel well informed about their children's care routines. However, they report that they do not receive information about their children's next steps in learning and do not feel well informed about their children's learning and development. n The new managers have started staff supervision meetings and observations of

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need to do better?

staff practice to help them to provide staff with individualised training, support and coaching to improve their skills. However, as this is in the early stages it has not yet had a positive impact on children.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

2 May 2023 The weaknesses in staff deployment and supervision of babies does not ensure their welfare and puts their safety at risk. The managers implement stringent recruitment and vetting processes to help ensure staff are suitable to work with children. Staff have a suitable knowledge and understanding of signs and symptoms that may mean a child is at risk of harm. They know the correct procedures to follow if they have any concerns about a child or adult. Staff encourage toddlers and pre-school children to help tidy away toys and resources to help maintain a safe play environment.

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Due date

ensure staff deploy themselves effectively and supervise babies adequately at all times to promote their safety and well-being. 04/05/2023

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Due date

improve the delivery of the curriculum, so that all children, including those who speak English as an additional language, make the best possible progress 30/06/2023

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Due date

monitor the delivery of the curriculum to identify and target areas for improvement, and provide staff with effective support and coaching, to raise the quality of teaching to a consistently good level 30/06/2023

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Due date

identify any possible delays in children's development and put in place swift support to help close gaps in their learning 30/06/2023

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Due date

2 May 2023 ensure staff engage in high-quality interactions with babies to support their communication and language skills 30/06/2023

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Due date

improve information sharing with parents to keep them informed about their children's next steps in learning and their development. 30/06/2023

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY477249 Local authority South Gloucestershire Inspection number 10283707 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 61 Number of children on roll 122 Name of registered person Little Acorns (South West) Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01454 329582 Date of previous inspection 12 October 2022

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Information about this early years setting

Magic Tree Private Day Nursery and Pre-school registered in 2014. It is one of several nurseries owned by Little Acorns (South West) Ltd. It operates from a building on the site of St Paul's Catholic Primary School in Yate, South Gloucestershire. The nursery opens from 7.30am until 6pm each weekday throughout the year, apart from bank holidays and the days between Christmas and New Year. The nursery receives funding for free early years education for children aged two, three and four years. There are 22 childcare staff employed, including the two joint managers, one of whom holds early years professional status and the other an appropriate qualification at level 3. Of the remaining staff, four hold appropriate qualifications at level 3, five at level 2 and 10 staff are unqualified although some are currently on or due to begin relevant training programmes. The nursery also employs a chef and a cleaner.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. n One of the managers and the inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. 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 One of the managers carried out a joint observation with the inspector in the baby room. n The inspector talked to staff and parents at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector spoke to children to find out about their time at nursery. n The managers and senior leadership team talked to the inspector about the

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Inspection activities

leadership and management of the nursery and their plans for the future. 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

2 May 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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