The Right Track Children's Nursery

Inspection of The Right Track Children's Nursery National Express, Hertford East Railway Station, Mill Road, HERTFORD SG14 1SB

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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The provision requires improvement

Children are not consistently provided with a curriculum that challenges and extends their learning and development. The quality of interactions between staff and children is variable. On occasion, staff overlook opportunities to extend children's interests and to build on what they already know and can do. This does not help all children to make good progress. Nevertheless, children are warmly welcomed on arrival by staff, and they settle happily at the nursery.

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The provision requires improvement

Children behave well and develop close attachments with staff. Staff use suitable strategies to support children's understanding of appropriate behaviours. Staff help to develop children's communication skills. Young babies hear nursery rhymes and demonstrate their understanding and enjoyment of these as they join in with the corresponding actions. Older children hear new language. For example, during a game, staff introduce new words, such as 'walrus' and 'tusks'. They explain to children the differences they see in the animals. This supports children's language development and their understanding of the wider world.

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The provision requires improvement

Staff encourage and support children's personal, social and emotional development. Young babies are given appropriate cuddles and support, such as when they are tired or in need of comfort. Children make friends with their peers. They negotiate and take turns well, such as when children decide on the order that pieces will be placed in the puzzle they do together.

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need to do better?

n The provider ensures that staff recruitment and induction procedures are implemented appropriately. Suitable checks are carried out to ensure that children are not left with unchecked adults. This helps to keep children safe. The provider and deputy manager have undertaken appropriate safeguarding training, enabling them to identify, understand and be able to respond appropriately to signs of possible abuse and neglect. This enables them to support staff effectively if concerns arise, and it promotes children's welfare. n Older children explore a range of activities and experiences in the outdoor area. Staff engage them in games, and children happily enjoy the interactions. However, not all children are given daily opportunities for physical exercise. Children in the room for under twos do not have daily opportunities for outdoor activities. Nor do they have regular opportunities to develop their larger motor

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need to do better?

skills indoors. This does not help to promote young children's physical development or the skills they need to progress. n Partnerships between staff and other professionals are effective. For example, staff communicate with school teaching staff. This helps to support effective transitions for children moving on to school. Staff's relationships with parents are

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need to do better?

5 January 2024 strong. Parents speak warmly and positively about their children's key person, and they are consistently updated about what their children are doing at nursery. For example, staff communicate with them regularly when they drop off and collect their children, as well as through an online system. This supports parents to extend their children's learning at home. n On occasion, children engage well. For example, staff help children to think imaginatively to create ramps for their cars. Staff encourage children to share their thoughts and ideas about how they can improve the ramps they make. However, the quality of staff's teaching is not consistent. For example, during a painting activity, children dip tubes in paint and make pictures. Staff do not extend this. There is no discussion or teaching to enhance children's learning. As a result, children move on to something else. This variable teaching means

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need to do better?

children's engagement and opportunities to make good progress are not consistently supported. n The on-site nursery chef ensures that children eat a suitable range of healthy and nutritious meals and snacks, made freshly each day. Children's individual dietary needs are known to staff, and staff take appropriate safety measures when serving and handling food. Mealtimes are a sociable time for children, with appropriate staff supervision. In the room for under twos staff encourage young babies to try to feed themselves. Older children talk with staff about the food they eat and are supported to cut up their own fruit. This helps to promote children's independence. n The provider has taken action to ensure that children are not exposed to risks and hazards. Regular risk assessments are completed, which enables the provider to attend to hazards and resolve issues swiftly. The required information and records are maintained. However, staff do not always record children's

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need to do better?

accidents and injuries in a timely way. Staff do not inform parents at their earliest convenience. This does not support children's good health. n The provider supports staff's continuous professional development. Regular supervisions and staff meetings are held to help staff look at and reflect on their own learning, training and development. Appropriate support is given to ensure that staff are able to carry out their roles and responsibilities sufficiently. The provider reviews staff rotas to ensure that required staff-to-child ratios are adhered to, and she ensures that sufficient numbers of qualified staff are working daily. This helps to promote children's safety.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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Due date

provide daily opportunities for all children to enjoy physically active play, both indoors and outdoors 19/01/2024

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Due date

ensure that accidents and injuries are recorded and shared with parents in a timely manner 19/01/2024

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Due date

improve the quality of staff's teaching and implementation of an ambitious curriculum, to help all children make good progress in their learning. 16/02/2024

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY407680 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 10322122 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 30 Number of children on roll 30 Name of registered person Byrne, Alexandra Marina

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reference number

Telephone number 01992 500455 Date of previous inspection 8 December 2022

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Information about this early years setting

The Right Track Children's Nursery registered in 2010 and is privately owned. It currently employs seven members of childcare staff and a cook. Five childcare staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The nursery is open Monday to Friday, from 7.30am to 6.30pm, all year round, except for one week at Christmas. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three-, and four- year-old children.

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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 The provider and the inspector held a learning discussion together to understand how the curriculum is organised. n The inspector spoke with children throughout the inspection. Children told the inspector about the activities they enjoy taking part in. n The inspector observed staff interaction with children during an adult-led activity and reviewed this with the provider. n The inspector spoke to a number of parents during the inspection and took parents' feedback into account. n The inspector reviewed a sample of the provider's documentation, including staff suitability.

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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

5 January 2024 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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