ABC Castle Nursery

Inspection of ABC Castle Nursery 95 Church Street, Leigh WN7 1AZ

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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

The manager is passionate and has a clear vision for the setting. However, current pressures mean that she is often undertaking many different roles. This negatively impacts on her time to support her team and develop their quality of education practice.

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The provision requires improvement

The manager and staff clearly understand what they want babies and young children to learn, including how to achieve this. However, not all staff have the skills to implement this in practice. Staff do not consistently provide the quantity and quality of interactions children need to build their knowledge and skills to a good level. The manager has 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 children as they play. However, staff provide fewer opportunities for children to practise and extend their developing language through high-quality back-and-forth interactions.

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The provision requires improvement

Overall, staff support children's personal, social and emotional development well. Settling-in sessions are used well to help staff get to know children and their families. Staff ensure that key information is shared so that children's care needs can be met by all those who care for them. This helps children to quickly settle in. Staff provide reassurance, comfort and cuddles when needed and give consistent messages that help children learn what is expected of them. However, staff are sometimes too quick to step in and do things for children they are capable of doing themselves. For example, staff do not encourage children to wipe their noses, hang up their belongings, or serve themselves at the table. For older children, this hinders the skills they need to be ready for school.

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need to do better?

n Despite receiving limited support from the provider, the manager has an accurate understanding of the strengths and areas she wishes to develop. She knows what good-quality care and education looks like. The manager does, where possible, provide support and provides some opportunities for the staff to attend training. This is helping secure improvements. However, more needs to be done to raise the quality to a consistently good standard across the whole team. n Staff are extremely kind, and caring and are good role models for children. They provide consistent messages that help children understand right and wrong. Staff help children to develop patience and understanding. For example, they use a sand timer to help children understand the need to wait for their turn. Due to the staff's consistent approaches, children are considerate and have good manners.

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need to do better?

2 May 2024 n Staff do not always focus their attention on those children who may need support to join in. In addition, staff often move children on from activities too quickly and do not consistently encourage children to do more for themselves. This means there are periods when children wander around with no purpose. During these times, children's learning is not fully extended. This, at times, has a negative impact on their behaviour. For example, children fall out and squabble over toys and resources. n Staff value the manager's commitment to their professional development and support for their well-being. They access training that is helping to develop their knowledge and skills. For example, sign language training is used well with toddlers to help reinforce their understanding of language. This, in turn, is supporting their ability to make their needs known and, as such, limit frustrations. Staff attend regular staff meetings. This helps them to keep up to

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need to do better?

date with any changes in policies and procedures and keeps them in line with the manager's vision for children. n The manager and staff build very good relationships with parents. From the outset, they engage them in the setting and their child's learning and development. Regular newsletters, assessment sheets and updates on social media ensure that key information is shared, and achievements celebrated. The manager and staff understand the needs of the families who attend and consider this when developing the curriculum. n Staff support children to undertake safe risk and challenge and develop their large physical skills, for example they encourage and support children to be able to climb to the top of the climbing frame. Additionally, toddlers use large brushes and water to make marks on the outdoor wall. Pre-school children use a variety of different-sized pens and pencils to draw and make meaningful marks, such as

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need to do better?

the letters of their names. These experiences help to develop the skills needed for later writing. n Staff weave mathematical concepts through children's play and during routines. For example, older children are challenged to count out how many skittles they knock over and identify different shapes in the environment. Babies and toddlers sing and take part in number rhymes with the staff. As a result, children develop particularly well in this area of their development. n All staff have a robust understanding of safeguarding and child protection. The premises are clean, safe and secure. Staff implement effective hygiene procedures. These further ensure children's safety and well-being.

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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 support and train staff to implement all aspects of the curriculum to ensure children make good progress. 06/06/2024

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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 n provide more opportunities for children to have a go and do even more for themselves and develop their independence even further.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY476302 Local authority Wigan Inspection number 10341104 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 48 Number of children on roll 71 Name of registered person Blakeley, Kathryn

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reference number

Telephone number 01942 707767 Date of previous inspection 30 August 2018

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Information about this early years setting

ABC Castle Nursery registered in 2014. The nursery employs 14 members of staff, including the manager. One member of childcare staff holds an early years qualification at level 2, eleven staff hold a level 3, and one member of staff holds a level 4. The manager holds an early years qualification at level 5. The nursery opens Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 6pm for 51 weeks of the year, and is closed for bank holidays. It receives funding for the provision of free early years education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider 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 The inspector viewed the premises and discussed the safety and suitability of these. n The manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want children to learn. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoor and outdoors, and assessed the impact this had on children's learning. n The manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation together. n The inspector spoke to the manager about the leadership and management of the setting. n Staff spoke to the inspector throughout the inspection. n Children spoke to the inspector about their friends and what they like to do while

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Inspection activities

at the setting. n The inspector spoke to parents and read parents written feedback about the setting.

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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 May 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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