St John’s Playtime Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is inadequate

Leaders and managers do not take appropriate action to safeguard children. This compromises children's safety and well-being.

Although staff have completed the relevant training, the provider has failed to ensure that they understand how to report all concerns. Staff are not consistent with managing children's behaviour. While some staff intervene to stop children running around indoors, others do not.

Children climb on tables and chairs at various points throughout the day. Staff do not consistently address this in a timely manner or help to redirect them to the indoor climbing frame where they can learn to clim...b safely. This compromises children's safety and means that they are not learning the rules and boundaries that help to keep them safe.

Despite this, children are warmly greeted by staff when they arrive. They are happy to leave their parents and settle well into the session. Children are learning how to look after themselves.

Staff have set up a nose-blowing station, which children use on their own. This allows them to develop independent self-care skills.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

There is a lack of supervision during mealtimes.

Staff are not aware that children are wandering around while eating. This is a choking hazard and puts children's safety at risk. Through discussions with staff, it is clear that they understand the associated risks, but this knowledge is not implemented in practice to keep children safe.

The quality of teaching is not consistent, and children are not adequately supported in their learning and development. For example, during large-group activities, such as yoga, some children are quick to disengage. They struggle to follow instructions as they are unable to see the computer screen that it is playing on.

Younger children climb onto the bench in front of the screen and obstruct the view of others. Staff struggle to maintain the focus of all the children and deliver the intended learning outcomes.Staff do not sufficiently adapt their teaching to match the understanding and abilities of the youngest children and those who may need further support.

For example, children do not understand what staff are trying to teach them as they try to cut a slice of carrot with scissors. Staff do not demonstrate how to use a knife to cut with. Instead, they place it next to children, who disengage from the activity as they do not know what to do with it.

This has an impact on children's confidence to have a go and learn new skills.Children do not have consistent rules and boundaries to learn from. They are not learning how their behaviour has an impact on others.

Children's frequent climbing distracts other children from focusing on activities that staff are trying to teach. For example, children enjoy singing nursery rhymes with the staff, but children climbing and jumping off the sleeping mats repeatedly distracts the other children. The time it takes for staff to respond and how they respond varies.

Staff do not always meet the needs of the very youngest children, meaning that they can be exposed to unnecessary risk. There is a lack of understanding that these children may require more supervision and monitoring than the slightly older children, as it is often the younger children who are climbing and exploring.Parents speak positively about the setting, noting that staff know their children well and that their children enjoy attending.

Positive partnerships exist between the pre-school and parents. Leaders seek parental opinions to assess and improve the services provided.Support is in place to help children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to make progress.

Staff work closely with the special educational needs coordinator and parents to ensure that children have consistent routines and experiences. This supports their well-being and development.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

Breaches of the requirements compromise children's safety and well-being. Leaders and staff do not have a secure knowledge of how to safeguard children effectively. Leaders fail to work with other agencies to safeguard children.

Allegations against members of staff are not referred to the relevant agencies. Instead, leaders investigate the allegation internally. There are gaps in the safeguarding knowledge of staff.

They are not clear about how to report concerns about adults working with children. This issue is further compounded by ambiguity in their written policies.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must: Due date ensure that leaders and managers have a secure knowledge of how to appropriately manage allegations made against individuals and refer these to agencies with statutory responsibilities 01/12/2023 improve staff's understanding of child protection issues, including who to report concerns to in line with local procedures 01/12/2023 ensure that children are adequately supervised at all times, including mealtimes 01/12/2023 review safeguarding policies to ensure that they reflect the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the early years foundation stage 01/12/2023 provide staff with support and coaching to implement appropriate and consistent strategies for managing children's behaviour 22/12/2023 help staff to develop a clear understanding of how to implement the curriculum to improve teaching practice.

22/12/2023