Bear's House Nursery

Inspection of Bear's House Nursery 19 Grantham Road, BRIGHTON BN1 6EE

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

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

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The provision is inadequate

Leaders and staff have not followed safeguarding procedures effectively. For example, there have been delays in concerns about children being shared with those responsible for safeguarding. Additionally, concerns raised by staff have not been followed up in a timely way and records have not been sufficiently maintained. Consequently, safeguarding is ineffective, and children's safety and well-being are compromised. This is a breach to requirements.

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The provision is inadequate

Despite these weaknesses, the arrangements to promote children's learning are strong. Children are happy at the nursery and engage in a range of activities. For example, staff support older children to recognise different letters of the alphabet as they concentrate and read out some of their friend's names. Staff help them to sound out words they find difficult to read. Children demonstrate perseverance and motivation to learn. Babies are supported to feel settled. Staff take time to comfort children when they are upset and provide reassurance to help them feel at ease.

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The provision is inadequate

Staff provide targeted support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They liaise with other agencies to ensure strategies are consistently implemented and funding is used effectively. Staff know the children well and plan activities based on the things they are interested in. For example, staff prepare activities using small-world dinosaurs and focus on the different sounds they make. This helps to support young children's early communication skills.

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need to do better?

n Safeguarding procedures have not been implemented effectively. There have been delays in concerns about children being shared with leaders. In addition, when concerns have been raised these have not been acted on in a timely manner. For example, leaders have failed to liaise with local safeguarding partners when they have been made aware of concerns about children. This means insufficient action has been taken when safeguarding concerns have been brought to their attention. n Required records have not been effectively maintained and are incomplete. For example, information about children and their families is missing. In addition, safeguarding concerns have not been sufficiently recorded and concerns are not being clearly monitored. This means leaders are not safely and efficiently managing records to ensure the needs of all children are met. n Leaders have made improvements to the quality of education since their last

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need to do better?

inspection. They have a clear understanding of the curriculum intent and are supporting staff to embed new knowledge into practice. Leaders provide regular meetings with the team to support them. They have introduced new assessment

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need to do better?

20 February 2025 tools to support staff to monitor the progress children make. Staff demonstrate they understand what skills they are teaching children. n Staff know the children well and support their emotional well-being. For example, babies who are settling in are given comfort and reassurance as they explore the environment. Staff remain close by as babies post balls through the gaps in a gate. Staff use language, such as 'whoosh' and 'more', as they comment on what children do. n Staff build on children's language development as they move through the nursery. For example, young children are developing early language skills as they explore small-world play. Staff introduce words, such as 'diplodocus' and 'stegosaurs'. Children are encouraged to share the dinosaurs and take turns making dinosaur footprints in dough. This helps children to develop their social skills. n Older children are encouraged to make independent choices. Staff allow children

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need to do better?

the opportunity to choose the direction of their learning while building on their skills. For example, children choose how to explore the play dough. For instance, some children make letters out of the dough, while others use fine motor skills to squeeze the dough, and concentrate on making tiny creations. Children proudly show others their creations and comment on how delicate they are. n Mealtimes are sociable occasions and staff support children to develop useful skills. They serve themselves their food, pour their own drinks and scrape their plates when they have finished. Babies independently give out bibs to each other. Staff sing to babies to help soothe them while they wait for their meals to be served. n There are good arrangements to promote children's physical skills. For example, children enjoy a range of activities to promote their physical development and social skills. For example, they ride on scooters and bikes around a path they

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need to do better?

have made with bricks. Staff hold up red and green coloured bats and children shout out if they can 'go' or if they have to 'stop'. n Staff provide targeted support to children with SEND. They work with external agencies to ensure they are focusing on the skills children need to learn next and that they are using consistent strategies. Staff use basic sign language to help children to communicate their needs. This helps staff to be able to accurately assess their level of understanding. Parents of children with SEND are aware of the targets staff are focusing on and the progress their children are making. n Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents express how happy they are with the nursery. They know who their child's key person is and the activities they have been involved in. Staff use an online application to share children's progress with parents and provide a daily verbal handover. Leaders take account

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need to do better?

of parent's views and are in the process of reviewing the menus in response to parent feedback.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

20 February 2025 There is not an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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Due date

ensure safeguarding policies and procedures are in line with local authority safeguarding processes, are understood and are implemented when concerns arise about the welfare of any child 13/03/2025

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Due date

maintain records and information effectively to ensure the safe and efficient management of the setting, and ensure children's safety. 13/03/2025

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY552028 Local authority Brighton and Hove Inspection number 10389987 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 49 Name of registered person Early Beginnings Nurseries Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01273 561100 Date of previous inspection 22 July 2024

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Information about this early years setting

Bear's House Nursery registered in 2017 and is situated in Brighton, East Sussex. It is open from 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, for 51 weeks of the year. The nursery employs nine members of staff, seven of whom hold appropriate childcare qualifications at level 2 or above. The nursery is in receipt of early education funding.

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Inspection activities

n The manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want the children to learn. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector spoke with the nominated individual about the leadership and management of the setting. 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 spoke to several parents during the inspection and sampled written feedback, and took account of their views. n The inspector sampled key documentation on request.

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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

20 February 2025 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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