The Lawns Children's Nursery @ Chard School

Inspection of The Lawns Children's Nursery @ Chard School CHARD SCHOOL, Monmouth House, Fore Street, Chard, Somerset TA20 1QA

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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 Good

p.1

The provision is inadequate

Managers and leaders have failed to design a curriculum that meets the needs of children in the toddler and pre-school rooms. As a result, these children follow an uninspiring curriculum that does not help them to make progress or develop positive attitudes to learning. Children quickly lose focus during the adult-led activities, which do not interest or engage them. Consequently, children do not concentrate for sustained periods or make the progress of which they are capable.

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The provision is inadequate

The key-person system is not effective in the pre-school and toddler rooms. Some staff do not know their key children well enough to plan for their learning effectively. They fail to provide meaningful interactions with children to support and develop their knowledge and understanding. This leads to children doing nothing for long periods. This is detrimental to their learning.

p.2

The provision is inadequate

Staff do not receive effective supervision. Managers and leaders have not ensured that staff have the support and coaching they need to fulfil their roles. Managers and leaders have not identified the weaknesses in the quality of staff interactions with children and the impact this is having on children's learning.

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The provision is inadequate

Although parents do not currently enter the nursery, children demonstrate they feel safe and secure when they arrive. Babies are settled and share warm and close relationships with the staff caring for them. These staff know the babies well and provide effective support to help them make progress.

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need to do better?

n The curriculum for toddlers and pre-school children is ineffective. Managers, leaders and staff do not understand what they want children to learn to help them make progress. Staff do not capture the children's interests because they do not make children's learning interactive. They talk at the children rather than encouraging them to get involved. For example, staff show children written numerals and place finger puppets on their own hand to represent the written number while children sit and watch. As a result, children lack engagement and lay their head on the table, or turn their attention away from the activity. n Some staff do not support children's communication and language. For example, staff sit children in front of an electronic tablet to listen to a story. They do not provide children with the opportunity to ask questions, join in with familiar phrases or identify rhyming words to build on their vocabulary. Staff do not

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need to do better?

interact with children during this time except to take each child one by one to use the bathroom. n Managers and leaders fail to ensure that staff are able to fulfil their role. They do not provide adequate support to staff, leaving inexperienced staff and

p.2

need to do better?

18 May 2023 trainees to lead activities. Staff do not engage children in singing songs and rhymes. This is because staff do not know the words to the songs that children ask to sing. This leaves children confused, and they sit doing nothing while they wait for other staff to lead the activity instead. Managers and leaders are unaware of this poor practice because they do not monitor the delivery of the curriculum to provide staff with targeted coaching and training. n Staff do not know what they want toddlers to learn next. For example, they provide pencils and paper plates for the children to draw pictures. However, staff are not clear on the intent of the activity and fail to provide support or extend children's learning. For example, staff write the numbers one to five on the plates but do not have any discussion with children about the numerals or why they have written them. Children scribble with pencils over the numbers

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need to do better?

then look for something else to do. n Weaknesses in the key-person system means that staff do not know the children well. They do not have sufficient knowledge about what children can do and need to learn next. For example, during phonics sessions, staff fail to notice when the pre-school children become bored and talk among themselves. This means that staff do not provide children with the support they need to gain the necessary skills for their next stage of development. n Children in the toddler and pre-school rooms enjoy some activities which develop their imagination in their free-flow play when they choose what they want to do. They build towers from bricks and cook meals in the pretend kitchen. n Children benefit from a range of home-cooked meals. They learn about different foods and herbs grown in the organic kitchen garden. They enjoy cooking experiences with the resident chef. This helps them to learn about the

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need to do better?

importance of healthy eating and living a healthy lifestyle. n Staff working with the babies understand what babies need to learn next and how to help them achieve this. Staff plan some stimulating activities and set out enjoyable resources for babies to explore. For example, they explore animal figures, learning their names and the noises they make. They investigate a range of materials and giggle excitedly as staff playfully hide items out of sight. n Parents and grandparents spoken to on the day of the inspection report that their children/grandchildren are happy and settled. They say that they find out about the activities their children have taken part in that day. They report that they have regular communication from the staff about any changes, for example, when parents drop off and collect their children from the gate. This is a recent change at the nursery.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Staff have a good understanding of child protection and safeguarding. They can recognise the signs or symptoms that may be a cause for concern and know the reporting procedures to follow. Managers and leaders carry out thorough risk assessments and ensure that they maintain correct ratios. Staff supervise children

p.3

Safeguarding

18 May 2023 well to help keep them safe. They ensure that the premises are safe and secure so that children cannot leave unsupervised. There are appropriate vetting and recruitment procedures in place to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children.

p.3

Due date

improve the key-person system for toddlers and pre-school aged children, so that all children's individual needs are met 05/06/2023

p.4

Due date

monitor staff practices to help provide the coaching and training needed to improve their delivery of the curriculum 05/06/2023

p.4

Due date

ensure that all staff plan and implement an ambitious curriculum for children over the age of two years, to build on what they already know and can do and help them develop a positive attitude to learning. 19/06/2023

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY479736 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 10291327 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 30 Number of children on roll 62 Name of registered person The Lawns Childrens Nursery Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01460 73444 Date of previous inspection 12 March 2018

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Information about this early years setting

The Lawns Children's Nursery at Chard School registered in 2014. It operates from the grounds of Chard Independent School, in Chard, Somerset. The nursery is open all year round, Monday to Friday, from 7.30am to 6pm. There are 15 members of staff. Of these, the nursery owner holds early years professional status, one member of staff holds an early years qualification at level 6, one holds a qualification at level 5, and four members of staff hold qualifications at level 3. Two members of staff hold qualifications at level 2 and one member of staff holds a Montessori qualification.

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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 manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together. They discussed the curriculum and the intention for children's learning. n The inspector talked to staff, parents and children during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector completed joint observations with the provider/manager and the deputy manager and held a follow-up discussion afterwards. n The inspector and the provider held discussions about the leadership and management of the setting throughout the inspection. n The inspector sampled a range of documentation.

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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

18 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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