Apple Tree Day Nursery & Kidz Club

Inspection of Apple Tree Day Nursery & Kidz Club 27 Church Drive, Markfield, Leicestershire LE67 9UH

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

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

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The provision is inadequate

Leaders still do not demonstrate sufficient oversight to meet all of the requirements of the 'Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage'. They cannot fully assure children's safety. For example, despite having processes in place for staff to monitor sleeping children they are not consistently followed. This means that leaders and managers are unable to confirm that sleeping children are regularly checked for their safety.

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The provision is inadequate

Despite staff receiving training and supervision, the quality of education remains poor. Although staff know the small number of children who attend the nursery, they do not use what they know to support children to achieve sufficiently well. Staff are frequently disorganised with resources and distracted with other tasks during activities when they should be interacting with children. As a result, children are not fully involved or supported during activities and this has a significant impact on children's engagement and learning.

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The provision is inadequate

The premises continue to be tired and uninviting. There are areas which are grubby and worn, and in places the decor is damaged and unkempt. This does not create a suitable environment for children where they are encouraged to play and learn and make the most of their early years experience.

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The provision is inadequate

The key-person system has improved. Staff speak confidently about the children in their care, their interactions with children are warm and welcoming and they manage any minor discrepancies in children's behaviour sensitively. Children happily speak to visiting adults. Those children who are unable to communicate verbally, take visitors by the hand to show them the toys they enjoy playing with.

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need to do better?

n Leaders do not provide sufficient support to staff to help them improve the quality of their teaching, even though supervision arrangements are in place. Furthermore, they do not recognise when the nursery's policies and procedures are not being followed. n Staff are poorly prepared for the delivery of activities, which disrupts children's levels of engagement. This means that children wait for lengthy periods while staff find all of the resources they need for the activity. Therefore, the initial interest children show in the activity is quickly lost and they find something of their own choosing to play with, where they display stronger levels of engagement. n Although staff provide children with instructions and talk to them regularly, they do not promote children's communication and language skills effectively. For example, staff tell children that their food is 'yummy' as they eat their healthy,

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need to do better?

7 December 2023 freshly cooked meal. However, they do not engage children in further conversation, to encourage them to share their thoughts, opinions and ideas. This lack of meaningful interaction happens frequently throughout the day. Some children complete activities with limited communication from staff and this has a negative impact on their learning. n Adult-led activities are too prescriptive. Children are expected to create Christmas crafts in a certain way and are not offered choices or encouraged to follow their own ideas to make their work unique. Despite staff providing children with a range of different coloured paints, children are guided to use the 'expected' colour when creating specific Christmas crafts. This limits children's experiences and has an impact on their levels of focus and enjoyment. n Not all staff understand how to adapt their teaching in response to children's emerging interests. For instance, children keenly speak about the birds they see

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need to do better?

as they play in the garden. However, staff fail to respond to children's observations and instead encourage them to join in with a counting activity. Children quickly lose interest and find something else to play with. n Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) has improved. Communication between parents, managers, and the staff team benefits the children. For instance, parents share information from other professionals with staff during the doorstep handover when children arrive for the day. Staff use appropriate strategies to help children with SEND to understand what will happen next. This helps children to transition at key points in the day, such as when they need their nappy changing.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Children's safety cannot be fully assured due to ineffective procedures for staff to follow to monitor sleeping children. Staff have a firm understanding of issues relating to child protection and whistle-blowing. They complete relevant training and managers check their understanding. Leaders and managers understand how to raise concerns with other agencies regarding child protection issues. Staff speak to children about how to maintain their privacy when using the toilet. The provider has not taken timely action to provide information which would allow Ofsted to ensure that all adults connected to the registration of this setting are suitable for their roles.

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Due date

7 December 2023 ensure that procedures to monitor sleeping children are consistently and properly implemented by all staff and that leaders and managers oversee this to identify and address any inconsistencies and issues 05/01/2024

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Due date

ensure leaders take all required action, and have clear and consistent oversight of staff practice and the provision on offer, to be able to meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage 05/01/2024

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Due date

ensure that the premises are in a suitable condition that encourages the children to make the most of their learning. 05/01/2024

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Due date

ensure that learning opportunities are organised and arranged appropriately so that staff can fully promote children's learning and build on children's levels of concentration and enjoyment 23/02/2024

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Due date

ensure that staff interactions with children are consistently purposeful and allow children the opportunity to make choices during their play, building on what children already know and can do for themselves. 23/02/2024

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Setting details

Unique reference number 223186 Local authority Leicestershire Inspection number 10303659 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 45 Number of children on roll 20

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Name of registered person

Steven Chadwick and Yazmin Chadwick Partnership

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reference number

Telephone number 01530249872 Date of previous inspection 23 June 2023

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Information about this early years setting

Apple Tree Day Nursery & Kidz Club registered in 1998 and is located in Markfield, Leicestershire. The nursery employs nine members of childcare staff, seven of whom hold an appropriate early years qualification. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, from 7am until 6pm.

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Inspection activities

n The inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the provider and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The deputy manager joined the lead inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want the children to learn. n The inspectors spoke with the nominated individual and deputy manager about the leadership and management of the setting. n The inspectors observed the interactions between staff and children. These observations were discussed with the deputy manager and nominated individual. n The inspectors spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n Documentation was viewed by the inspectors, including sleep records and staff suitability documents.

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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

7 December 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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