1st Step Pre-school Ltd (Seaton Delaval)

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is inadequate

Children's safety is not assured at this setting due to several safeguarding failings.

There is a lack of oversight of child protection matters. Those with safeguarding responsibilities do not ensure safeguarding concerns are recorded and reported to the relevant authorities in a timely manner to promote children's safety and well-being. This means that safeguarding procedures are not effective.

However, leaders and staff ensure the setting is secure and have appropriate risk assessments in place. Leaders identify what they want children to learn. There is an emphasis on supporting children's social development.<...br/>
Staff use group times on the carpet to remind children of expected behaviours, such as 'kind hands', and the rules that they expect them to follow. Children respond positively and behave well. They follow staff instructions and are polite and kind to one another.

Staff build on this by providing activities and experiences that help children to make progress across all areas of learning. Plans for learning are based on children's interests. This helps staff to ignite children's curiosity and motivates them to take part.

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

Safeguarding procedures are not robust. Leaders and staff do not recognise the significance of signs that may indicate that a child's welfare is at risk. Documents used to record incidents and related concerns are disorganised and are not effective.

Some are incomplete and some incidents, such as injuries that children sustain outside of the setting, have not been recorded. Furthermore, these records are not collated or reviewed. This means the pre-school is not able to recognise patterns of behaviour that could indicate that a child is at risk from harm.

There is a lack of clarity about who is responsible for recording and reporting concerns about children's welfare, and about how and when these concerns should be reported. Consequently, some significant information relating to children's welfare has not been shared with the relevant agencies and professionals to help to safeguard children.Overall, staff support children's learning very well.

Children are keen to join in activities and games, showing a positive attitude to learning. However, at times, they do not give children enough time to understand and remember what has been taught before moving on to new learning. For example, children throughout the pre-school are taught about a new letter each week, despite not having understood the letter from the previous week.

Children who are tasked with cutting a line with scissors do not yet have the physical skills to manage this.Babies enjoy a range of activities that support their sensory development. For example, they enjoy exploring the texture of crushed cereal and trace marks through it with their fingers.

There are plenty of opportunities for children to build on their physical abilities. For example, staff encourage younger babies to spend time on their tummies to help strengthen some of their muscles in preparation for sitting up and crawling.Most children achieve well across all areas of learning.

Staff are aware of those children who need extra support with their communication and language skills. Targeted teaching, such as the use of simple hand signs, has helped children to make better progress. Partnerships with other professionals, such as speech therapists, help to provide the appropriate support that children need to catch up in their learning.

Leaders have a good oversight of learning and development. They reflect on this aspect of their provision, and include the views of parents. For example, following feedback from questionnaires, they have taken steps to improve the amount and quality of information that they provide about children's learning.

Staff help children to understand and manage their feelings. They provide plenty of praise and encouragement that helps children to develop a positive sense of themselves and good levels of self-esteem. Staff encourage children to keep trying during activities, which helps them to develop resilience.

Staff's interactions are warm and caring, which reassures children and helps them to build positive relationships.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.There is not an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

The provision is inadequate and Ofsted intends to take enforcement action.

We will issue a Welfare Requirements Notice requiring the provider to: Due date improve and implement safeguarding procedures so they align with the guidance from local safeguarding partners (LSP), specifically about how to record and respond to concerns about children's welfare 23/07/2024 ensure that a designated practitioner takes lead responsibility for safeguarding children 23/07/2024 train all staff to be alert to signs of potential abuse and neglect 23/07/2024 ensure that information is shared swiftly with local statutory children's services agencies and safeguarding partners when there are concerns about children's welfare.23/07/2024 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: help children to secure the necessary prior knowledge and skills before moving them on to new learning.