The Academy Early Years Childcare Ltd

Inspection of The Academy Early Years Childcare Ltd Celcon House, Power Station Road, Rugeley WS15 2HS

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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

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The provision is inadequate

Children's safety is not assured at the nursery. This is because leaders do not check that all staff are suitable to work with children. In addition, leaders have not ensured that staff fully understand their role in keeping children safe. For example, staff fail to complete effective risk assessments. This does not ensure that all potential hazards in the environment are identified and removed. Staff also demonstrate weak knowledge of what may indicate a child is at risk of harm.

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The provision is inadequate

Leaders do not assign a key person to children when they first start attending the nursery. This does not ensure that all children receive the right level of support and care they require while they are settling in. Staff do not take into consideration what they know about the children to help plan stimulating and meaningful learning experiences for them. Consequently, during free play, children spend periods of time disengaged. Staff also do not tailor adult-led activities to ensure tasks are suitable and achievable for every child. As a result of this, activities are often too challenging and difficult for children to achieve. These failures do not ensure that all children thrive in their development.

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The provision is inadequate

That said, staff are consistent in their approach to managing children's behaviour. They remind children of the rules where required. Children behave well. Children smile and laugh as they make a range of movements to music.

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need to do better?

n Leaders do not have adequate oversight of the nursery. They have failed to ensure that the nursery meets the requirements of the early years foundation stage at all times. These failures have led to a significant decline in the overall quality of the provision since its last inspection. n Induction processes are inadequate. Consequently, staff do not have a clear enough understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Staff also demonstrate poor knowledge of the nursery's safeguarding procedures. This impacts negatively on staff's overall effectiveness to keep children safe. n Leaders do not use supervisions well enough to provide staff with the targeted and specific support they require. Consequently, the quality of teaching that children receive is very poor. Staff do not adapt their teaching practice to meet children's current level of understanding. This results in times where children do not fully understand what is being asked of them.

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need to do better?

n Leaders understanding of the key person requirement is poor. They do not ensure that all children are assigned a key person when they first start attending the nursery. This weak practice does not ensure that all children will have their individual needs met, particularly when they are new to the nursery. n Leaders do not ensure that at least half of all staff who work with babies have

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need to do better?

16 November 2023 received training that specifically addresses the care of babies. They also do not deploy staff who work with babies well enough to ensure that the correct staffing qualification requirements are followed at all times. This has an impact on the level of care and the quality of teaching babies receive. n Leaders have failed to ensure that staff understand their curriculum. Staff often plan activities without thinking carefully enough about the different ages and stages of children's development. Consequently, children are not able to achieve the learning outcome. In addition, the use of planning is poor. Staff fail to ensure that children have enough opportunities to engage in purposeful and enjoyable learning experiences. These weaknesses do not ensure that all children make good enough progress in their development. n The recently appointed manager has started to set an action plan to bring about

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need to do better?

improvement. However, this is not yet prioritised well enough. That said, the manager has sound knowledge of her role as a special educational needs coordinator. She speaks passionately about how she will work in partnership with parents and other professionals to ensure children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive early intervention. Staff also speak positively about how the manager supports their own well-being. n Parents share that their children are happy and like to come to the nursery. They add that staff provide them with daily feedback about their child's day. Staff keep parents informed about their child's development. This helps parents to know how they can continue their child's learning at home. Staff also inform parents when their child is getting ready to move rooms within the nursery and involve them in the transition process. n Staff find out and follow children's dietary requirements. Children are provided

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need to do better?

with a range of balanced meals throughout the day. Staff also offer the children alternatives when they do not like the food offered, to ensure all children have something to eat. Children have access to fresh drinking water. Staff also provide the children with opportunities to get physical in their play. This helps children start to understand how they can live healthy lifestyles. n Children's personal care needs are adhered to. Staff notice when children require nappy changing. They use lots of praise to encourage the children as they begin to potty train. Staff are responsive to the children during this time and ensure their privacy is maintained.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Recruitment procedures are inadequate. Leaders do not have effective procedures in place to ensure that all staff who work with children have their suitability checked. They also do not place enough focus on checking staff's ongoing suitability once they are employed. In addition, staff demonstrate a weak knowledge of the different types of abuse. Consequently, they are not clear on what may indicate a child is at risk of harm. Leaders have not trained staff well enough on their safeguarding procedures. This means that staff do not know what action they must take if they become concerned about a child's welfare, or the

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Safeguarding

16 November 2023 suitability of a member of staff. Risk assessments are not robust. Staff and leaders do not take adequate action to check that the environment is safe for children at all times. These multiple failures seriously compromise children's safety. Furthermore, leaders fail to consistently maintain effective records. Safeguarding records and other records requested, such as complaints and incidents, cannot be located. This does not ensure the safe and efficient management of the nursery. That said, the nursery is secure. It is clean throughout. Staff's knowledge of the action to take if a child suffers an accident is sound. They complete the relevant accident records and inform parents. Staff's knowledge of safer sleeping practice is sound.

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Due date

improve the use of risk assessments to ensure staff identify and remove all potential hazards in the environment 09/01/2024

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Due date

improve staff's knowledge of the different types of abuse, and train staff in your safeguarding procedures, to ensure they know the action to take if concerned about a child's welfare or the suitability of a member of staff 09/01/2024

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Due date

ensure all children are given a key person when they first start attending the nursery, so that they have their individual needs met while they are settling in 09/01/2024

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Due date

implement effective induction procedures to ensure all staff have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities, with an aim to improve their overall effectiveness 09/01/2024

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Due date

ensure all staff who work with children have their suitability checked, and implement effective systems to check their ongoing suitability 09/01/2024

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Due date

16 November 2023 maintain all records to ensure the safe and efficient management of the nursery 09/01/2024

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Due date

improve arrangements for supervisions and monitoring of staff practice, to provide staff with the specific and targeted support they require, with an aim to improve outcomes for children 09/01/2024

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Due date

ensure at least half of all staff who work with babies have undertaken training that specifically addresses the care of babies 09/01/2024

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Due date

deploy staff to meet the correct staffing qualification requirements at all times, specifically for those staff who work with babies. 09/01/2024

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Due date

improve staff's knowledge of the curriculum, and ensure they tailor adult- led activities, so tasks set out are suitable and achievable for every child 09/01/2024

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Due date

ensure staff adapt their teaching practice to suit the different ages and stages of child development 09/01/2024

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Due date

improve the use of planning, to ensure all children consistently have access to stimulating and meaningful learning experiences that allow them to maintain high levels of engagement. 09/01/2024

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY476230 Local authority Staffordshire Inspection number 10317785 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 40 Number of children on roll 32 Name of registered person The Academy Early Years Childcare Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 07973117968 Date of previous inspection 3 September 2018

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Information about this early years setting

The Academy Early Years Childcare Ltd registered in 2014 and is located in Rugeley. The nursery employs nine members of childcare staff. Of these, eight hold an appropriate early years qualification at level 2 or above. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. 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 provider. n We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. n The inspector viewed the provision and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. n The inspector spoke to children, staff and parents and took account of their views. 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 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

16 November 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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