Little Bear's 3

Inspection of Little Bear's 3 Ltd 30 Cheering Lane, East Village, LONDON E20 1BD

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Inspection date: 18 January 2024 - 30 January 2024

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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

Staff care about the children at this nursery. However, some staff do not meet children's individual needs well enough. For example, staff in the pre-school room do not support children to blow their noses when necessary. In addition, on occasion, staff do not comfort pre-school children quickly enough when they get upset. This means that not all children are happy at this setting. Nevertheless, staff in the baby and toddler rooms form strong bonds with their named key children, and children are comfortable and happy in these environments.

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The provision is inadequate

Some staff do not have high enough expectations for what they would like children to achieve. Where practice is stronger, staff get down to the children's level and use engaging and enthusiastic tones to support children to access an interesting range of learning opportunities. For example, younger children enthusiastically retell the story of 'The Three Little Pigs' or enjoy mixing potions with staff. However, other staff do not yet have the necessary skills to support children to make progress. For example, some staff do not use a wide range of vocabulary when interacting with older children, in order to support them to develop in their communication and language skills. Some children do not make enough progress in their learning and development and are not prepared well enough for school.

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The provision is inadequate

Leaders do not ensure that children are kept safe at all times. They have not consistently followed child protection processes when a concern of a safeguarding nature has been raised. This does not demonstrate that children's safety is assured.

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need to do better?

n Leaders support staff to understand child protection processes and procedures through regular training and by displaying key information for staff. However, these processes have not been consistently followed by the previous designated safeguarding lead. This impacts on children's safety. n Leaders do not ensure that the key-person system is effective at meeting all children's learning and care needs. Key persons for younger children have a good understanding of the progress their key children are making and the next steps in their individual learning journeys. Staff in the pre-school room know what activities their key children enjoy doing. However, they do not clearly understand the progress that the children have made in their individual learning journeys and what they need to learn next. Key persons do not always know important information about older children, such as additional languages that

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need to do better?

they speak at home. Therefore, they cannot use this information to support children's learning. This impacts on the progress that these children make in their learning. n Parents do not receive enough information about the progress their children are

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need to do better?

18 January 2024 making or what they are learning during their time at nursery. This impacts on parent partnerships, and it means that parents do not always have enough information to support children's learning at home. n Leaders have not provided effective targeted support to address gaps in some staff's teaching skills and to improve their overall practice. This impacts on the quality of learning and care for children. Staff in the pre-school room do not ensure effectively enough that their interactions with children are of a high quality. Too often, quieter children in the room receive limited interactions from adults, and this does not support them to develop their communication and language skills. n Leaders do not ensure that staff carry out the progress check at age two for all children and share their findings with parents as required. This is a breach of requirements. n Children have access to the outdoor play space. They climb, run and develop

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need to do better?

their large-muscle skills. Babies enjoy being out in the fresh air, and staff help them to access the activities provided outside. n Staff encourage children to be independent. At mealtimes, children serve themselves and help staff to clear away their plates and cutlery. Children go to the toilet and wash their hands without prompting from staff. The development of self-care skills such as these helps children to grow in confidence. n Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. They identify when children need extra support to catch up with their peers, and they put specific targets in place to help children with SEND to achieve their targets. Staff work with external professionals to make referrals, where necessary, and use strategies suggested by these external professionals to support individual children. n A new interim manager has recently taken over the nursery. They and other

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need to do better?

leaders have an accurate understanding of the areas of improvement that are needed. They have begun to put arrangements in place to address these weaknesses. These agreements have not yet had an impact on staff practice, although leaders have a good understanding of how to bring about improvements in the setting.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

There is not an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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Due date

18 January 2024 put processes in place to ensure that the safeguarding policy is understood and followed consistently at all times by the designated safeguarding leads 15/02/2024

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Due date

implement an effective key-person system that meets the learning and care needs of all children 27/02/2024

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Due date

ensure that there is an effective two-way flow of information between parents and the setting to help ensure continuity and consistency for children's care and learning 15/02/2024

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Due date

ensure that training and supervision arrangements support staff to lead high- quality interactions with children consistently 27/02/2024

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Due date

ensure that the progress check at age two is completed effectively and communicated with parents in a timely manner. 27/02/2024

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY464872 Local authority Newham Inspection number 10312191 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 72 Number of children on roll 77 Name of registered person Little Bear's 3 Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 0208 534 7701 Date of previous inspection 23 April 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Little Bear's 3 Ltd registered in August 2013. It operates from premises within Chobham Academy, The Olympic Park, Stratford, in the London Borough of Newham. The nursery is open each weekday, from 7.30am to 6.30pm, for 51 weeks of the year. It receives funding to provide free early education to children aged two, three and four years. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery currently employs 16 members of staff, 14 of whom hold appropriate qualifications at level 3 and higher.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The manager 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 talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection 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 observed the interactions between staff and children. n The inspector carried out joint observations of group activities with the manager. n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The manager showed the inspector documentation to demonstrate the suitability

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Inspection activities

of staff. n The special educational needs coordinator spoke to the inspector about how they support children with SEND. n This inspection was carried out following Ofsted's risk assessment process.

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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 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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