Whitegate Early Years Care

Inspection of Whitegate Early Years Care Whitegate Nursery School, Victoria Road, Burnley, Lancashire BB12 8TG

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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The provision requires improvement

Leaders have a clear understanding of what they want babies and young children to learn, including how to achieve this. However, not all staff have the required skills to implement this in practice. Staff do not consistently provide the quantity and quality of interactions that children need to build their knowledge and skills to a good level. Leaders have ensured that staff understand the importance of children hearing lots of words to support the development of their communication and language skills. Staff sing songs, read stories, and talk to babies and young children. However, staff provide fewer opportunities for children to practise and extend their developing language through, for example, high-quality back-and-forth interactions.

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The provision requires improvement

Staff support children's personal, social and emotional development well. They take time to develop strong and trusting relationships with babies and young children, providing reassurance, comfort and cuddles when needed. When calmed, children return to their play and exploration with confidence. Staff ensure that children learn what is expected of them. Children are well behaved and enjoy taking part in activities that interest them. Staff support children well during their transition from room to room and into the nursery school provision. They make sure that key information is shared so that children's care needs can be supported by all those who care for them. This helps children to quickly settle in.

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need to do better?

n Two of the directors associated with the registration have not provided Ofsted with the information needed to determine their suitability. This was immediately actioned at the inspection. In addition, the directors do not play an active role in the nursery or have unsupervised access to children, minimising any risk. n Staff understand the need to provide activities that promote children's development across the prime areas of learning. However, leaders have not ensured that staff are able to precisely identify what individual children need to learn. This means that when they interact with children, staff do not always know how to support their good progress. n Staff provide a range of activities that interest and engage children, and sometimes they have a clear intent for what they want children to learn. For example, staff know that they want to support children to be able to hold a pencil correctly, in readiness for later writing. However, they do not consistently

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need to do better?

implement their intentions in practice, so children's learning is not secured. n Staff do not always seize unplanned learning opportunities as they arise. For example, young children show their love of books and stories by bringing books to staff. However, staff put the books aside and do not take the opportunity to use this interaction to reinforce children's positive attitudes to learning.

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need to do better?

2 October 2023 n Leaders have an accurate understanding of their strengths and areas they wish to develop. They know what good-quality care and education looks like. Leaders are providing support and enabling staff to attend training. This is helping secure improvements, but more needs to be done to raise the quality to a consistently good standard across the whole team. n Staff value leaders' commitment to their professional development and support for their well-being. They access training that is helping to develop their knowledge and skills. Staff attend regular staff meetings and briefings. This helps them to keep up to date with any changes in policies and procedures and keeps them in line with the headteacher's vision for children. n Leaders and staff work hard to build relationships with parents, to engage them in the setting and their child's learning and development. Regular newsletters and updates on social media and the family app ensure that key information is

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need to do better?

shared and achievements celebrated. Leaders understand the needs of the families who attend and consider this when developing the curriculum. n Leaders have a clear focus on extending the curriculum to provide learning opportunities for babies and children that they may not get at home. For example, leaders provide children with lots of walks and trips out in the local environment. This helps to develop children's understanding of the world, as well as providing opportunities for physical exercise in the fresh air. Leaders raised money to purchase a 'buggy bus', which has enabled even more children to benefit from these experiences.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that appropriate policies, procedures and training are in place to help staff to safeguard children. Staff know what to do if they have a concern about a child. They know how to identify and act on incidents that may put a child at risk of harm. Staff are deployed effectively to meet the needs of children. Leaders ensure that the premises are safe and secure and that risks are assessed and minimised appropriately to help prevent accidents and injuries. Children learn how to behave and keep themselves safe.

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Due date

provide Ofsted with the information required about the new directors to help to determine their suitability for the role 20/10/2023

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Due date

2 October 2023 support and train staff to understand the curriculum and what they need each child to learn to make good progress. 10/11/2023

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should:

n develop high-quality interactions between adults and children across the staff team to help deliver the curriculum, particularly for communication and language.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY334266 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 10301997 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 84 Number of children on roll 56 Name of registered person Whitegate Early Years Care

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reference number

Telephone number 01282 772283 Date of previous inspection 20 August 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Whitegate Early Years Care registered in 2006. It is independently run and situated on the premises of Whitegate Nursery School. The setting employs 20 members of childcare staff. Of these, 12 hold appropriate early years qualifications to at least level 3, including two who hold level 6 qualifications. The setting opens Monday to Friday, from 7.30am until 6pm. Care is provided for babies up to two-years-old, all year round. The holiday club and term time wraparound provision provide additional care for children up to four-years-old.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the setting received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the setting and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the setting. n The manager and nominated individual joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want their children to learn. n The inspector spoke to children, to find out about their time at the setting. 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 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 observed the interactions between staff and children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector carried out joint observations of group activities with the manager. n The inspector viewed the provision and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises.

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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 October 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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