Kintbury Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is inadequate

Since the last inspection, the provider has experienced a period of organisational change, including challenges that have affected staffing arrangements.

In recent months this has become more stable. However, the effectiveness of the changes has not been monitored well. Breaches in requirements have not been identified or acted on.

The procedures for assuring the suitability of adults who work with children are not robustly followed. The provider fails to ensure that staff have a suitable understanding of all safeguarding policies. This has an impact on children's welfare.

Ofsted has not been informed of... changes to the committee, as required, so that suitability checks can be carried out. The provider does not monitor staff's performance, including how staff support children's learning.Despite these weaknesses, staff develop caring relationships with children.

They offer children reassurance when needed, including those who are new to the setting. Staff provide suitable levels of support for children's developing independence, such as helping children to prepare snack for their friends. Children select toys from the boxes put out each day and benefit from familiar activities, such as daily song and story times.

They behave well and play happily alongside their friends. However, the poor quality of teaching and the lack of a well-designed curriculum affects children's overall enjoyment. Consequently, children do not sustain their concentration at activities or learn to persevere when they encounter challenges in their play.

Overall, children's individual learning needs are not met well.

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

The lack of effective oversight by the provider has led to weakness in the quality of the provision. The provider does not monitor the impact of the training staff access or check on the quality of the experiences for children.

As a result, they were unaware that leaders with safeguarding responsibilities do not have a sufficient knowledge of the allegations process and that some safeguarding policies are not observed. Despite this, the provider does show some capacity to act on feedback. Action was taken on the day of the inspection to remedy an oversight in recruitment processes.

Additionally, information was supplied to Ofsted on all committee members so that checks can be completed.The provider does not provide staff with effective supervision to ensure that the staff team have the knowledge and skills they need to offer children a good-quality education. Nevertheless, some staff access online training and are supported to undertake recognised qualifications.

Staff report favourably on workload and feel well supported. However, the lack of effective leadership and management for staff means that sessions are not adequately planned and, overall, fail to meet all the needs of the children attending.Staff have a poor understanding of the areas of learning they teach.

Their interactions are not of a high enough quality to help children make good progress. Staff do not present information to children in the correct order or support children to make the links between what they know already. Planned activities are too difficult for some children to understand or too easy for others.

Children make limited gains in their learning, although do enjoy taking part.Staff equally lack confidence in supporting children in their self-chosen play. At times, staff sit complacently to one side or are overly intrusive, which disrupts children's play.

Children's efforts are not always recognised. Staff instruct children to tidy away the train tracks when children have worked hard to design the layout. Children gain little value from planned craft activities, as there is an over reliance by staff on the finished object, rather than the skills children might learn when they take part.

Children's emerging language and communication is suitably supported. Staff introduce new vocabulary at story times and occasionally during children's play. They spend time talking to children and supporting them to pronounce words they find difficult to say.

Most children sing along at song times and eagerly wave colourful ribbons in the air in time to the music. Staff introduce activities to develop children's literacy, such as naming letters or learning the sounds they make. However, these are too advanced for most of the children, who struggle to join in.

Despite weakness in teaching, staff do support children's emotional well-being to a suitable level. Staff make good use of visual prompts, such as timetables to support children's understanding of what happens next in the day. Children enjoy being outside.

They show great skill as they race each other on bicycles. However, staff do not support children's learning well outside. Their interactions are limited to a supervisory role only and the lack of planning undermines any value children gain from opportunities to develop their physical skills.

Parents speak positively about the setting. They feel well informed about the activities children take part in through online information and also daily discussions. However, weakness in how staff assess children's progress and plan for this, means parents do not get an accurate picture of children's learning overall.

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?

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must: Due date ensure all staff have an up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding issues, including the allegations process, so that they are able to identify possible signs of a concern at the earliest opportunity 18/12/2024 put in place effective arrangements for the supervision of all staff to ensure professional development plans focus on improving staff's skills and knowledge and staff develop the confidence they need to carry out their responsibilities effectively 19/02/2025 plan and deliver educational programmes that support all children to make good progress across the areas of learning, including sequenced learning opportunities that take account of children's interests and build on what they already know and can do.

19/02/2025

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