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Early years · Early years inspection (CIF)

Kidz OK Ltd

Inspected 27 Feb 2014 · published 30 Apr 2014 · URN EY420490

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Summary

Inadequate

Lorraine Pike

What we read, and from where

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  • Inspection datesingle source

    27 Feb 2014

  • Inspectors verified

    Lorraine Pike

  • Overall effectiveness verified

    Inadequate

  • Postcode verified

    CM20 1PU

  • Name on report verified

    Kidz OK Ltd

  • URN verified

    EY420490

Page 1 of 13
Page 1 of the report

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Grade profile

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  • OverallInadequate

Tone of the report

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−16Mixedmore positive than 77% of reports of this type graded Inadequate
OutstandingGoodMetRINot metInadequate

In line with other reports of this type graded Inadequate.

Markers show where typical reports of each grade sit.

Praiseenjoysafecaringeffectiverobustimprovedconsistentlypositively
Criticisminadequatecompromisedpoorweakinsufficientpoorlyineffectivegaps

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FindingsAbout the inspectionWhat needs to improve positive critical
  • Findings261w−62
  • What needs to improve2648w−3

Strengths

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No standout praise found.

Concerns

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Next steps

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Anatomy of the report

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Pages
13
Words of findings
2,850
longer than usual (typical 907)
Reading level
Hard
Flesch 46, typical 48
Average sentence
17 words
Next steps
8
typical 7
Hedged sentences
7%
“some”, “not always”, “most”…

Where the words go

Findings 7%What needs to improve 68%About the inspection 25%

Full report text

Kidz OK Ltd Little Parndon Primary School, Park Mead, HARLOW, Essex, CM20 1PU

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 27/02/2014 14/11/2011

p.1

early years provision

This inspection: 4 Previous inspection: 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 4 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 4

p.1

This provision is inadequate

 Staff record insufficient detail of children's accidents. This results in poorly informed risk assessments to maintain a safe learning environment.  Safeguarding policies and procedures permit staff to store and use their mobile phones in the same environment in which a small number of young children are cared for. Staff do not check the identification of visitors. This results in children's well-being and safety being compromised.  Robust recruitment procedures are not adhered to by the manager. Proof of an appropriate childcare qualification is not sought for some members of staff, to verify their suitability to fulfil their role.  Monitoring of the quality of teaching is poor. There are no systems in place for the supervision of staff. This results in poor identification of training needs to promote good learning outcomes for children.  Staff do not maximise all opportunities for children to use their home language during

p.1

This provision is inadequate

play to support their all round language development.  Weak monitoring of the educational programmes results in ineffective planning of challenging experiences. Staff do not identify individual children on planning to extend their learning.

p.1

It has the following strengths

 Staff build caring relationships with children, supporting their emotional well-being.

p.1

Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

p.2

Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

p.2

Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in all rooms of the pre-school and in the outside area and talked with the staff.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the nursery manager.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documentation, evidence of suitability of staff, and a range of other documentation, including the safeguarding procedures.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day.  The inspector reviewed the providers self-evaluation form.

p.2

Information about the setting

Kidz OK Limited registered in 2011 and operates from Little Parndon Primary School in Harlow, Essex. It is accessed on the ground level to the front and rear of the premises. All children share access to an enclosed outdoor soft surface play area and also an enclosed grassed area with a sensory garden. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. The group supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

p.3

Information about the setting

There are currently 88 children on roll in the early years age group. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The pre- school is open each weekday from 8.40am to 3.10pm, during school term time. Children come from the local area and attend a variety of the sessions. There are 17 members of staff who work with the children. Of these, 12 hold an appropriate early years qualification at level 3 and above, three hold a level 2 qualification and two are unqualified. The setting receives support from the local authority.

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must:

 improve the recording of children's accidents by adding the location of accidents to enable staff to accurately monitor and assess the risk of resources or the physical environment of the pre-school

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must:

 create a environment that maintains children safety by checking the identify of visitors to the pre-school and provide an area not used by children that enables staff to securely store their mobile phones

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must:

 ensure robust recruitment procedures are adhered to, with specific regard to obtaining proof of staff qualifications, to fully ensure their suitability to work with children

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must:

 improve leadership by implementing effective monitoring and supervision of all practitioners to ensure the consistent delivery of the educational programmes and care practices to promote good learning outcomes for children

p.4

must:

 improve the opportunities for all children to use their home language during play to support their all round language development. For example, by seeking key words in children's home language that enable staff to confidently use them alongside English spoken words.

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 monitor the educational programmes for specific groups of children, for example, boys and girls, to identify gaps in provision and ensure that planning is focused on providing challenging and enjoyable experiences to close any gaps. Clearly identify which children activities are specifically planned for on daily planning.

p.4

who attend

Staff have generally good knowledge of the learning and development requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. They use this information reasonably well to support children in their learning and development and ensure that children are prepared for school. Children have fun as they engage in a suitable range of hands on learning experiences. Staff observe the children in their care and use their observations to identify children's next steps in learning. As a result, children are appropriately prepared for their next stage in learning. Staff are knowledgeable about the development and progress of their key children. They plan a good balance of child- initiated and adult-led activities based on children's interests and their next step in learning. However, not all staff are well-informed of individual children's next steps as they carry out planned activities. This is because individual children are not clearly identified on

p.4

who attend

the daily plan. As a result, some children do not fully benefit from targeted activities to extend their learning. Staff complete the progress check at age two in detail, which clearly identifies children's next steps in learning. For those children who are not making expected levels of progress, staff begin to work more closely with these children's parents and outside agencies if necessary, as they assess whether the child has any specific special educational needs and/or disabilities. This then enables them to make steady progress, given their starting points, as staff provide targeted support where needed. Staff work well with outside agencies to source a broad range of specific resources if necessary that are of good quality and appropriate for children's individual needs. Staff demonstrate an awareness in supporting children whose home language is not English. They encourage parents to share key words from home which are displayed in each room. However, staff

p.5

who attend

do not always use these key words to support children's understanding and develop the use of their home language in play and learning, which supports their language development at home.

p.5

who attend

The indoor areas are thoughtfully arranged to create stimulating and enabling environments. The rooms are bright and well-resourced, allowing children to move freely between the activities on offer. The small number of young children on roll enjoy individual staff attention in a separate well-resourced room for some of the day. Their personal, social and emotional development is well-supported as they regularly interact with other children in the pre-school and the outdoor environment. Young children enjoy using their senses as they explore natural resources in the treasure basket and run their fingers through wet sand. The outdoor environment has been recently improved and is now richly resourced with play materials, equipment and books to support all aspects of learning. Children's physical develop is increased as they gain control and strength in their bodies as they climb up into the seats of the large aeroplane. They work well together to

p.5

who attend

solve problems in the outside area. For example, they discover that some of them need to re-position themselves to make it balance well. Children also develop their large muscle skills. For instance, they ride around on wheeled toys, backwards and forwards, resulting in their growing spatial awareness as they avoid others. Children's communication and language development is promoted by staff. They model language well and consistently talk clearly to all ages of children. They introduce children to new words and their meanings through new songs linked to planned topics. The sensory garden enables children to learn about sounds in the environment and the world about them. Children's awareness of phonic sounds to support their early reading skills is enhanced during circle time. For example, staff emphasise the initial sound in children's names as they invite them to select a song from the song board. In addition, they begin to learn the pattern of

p.5

who attend

letters in their name as they self-register upon arrival to pre-school. They move their name card from the home board to the pre-school board. Children acquire skills in operating developmentally appropriate information communication technology resources as a good range is freely available for them to use. For example, children's laptop computers in the role play area encourage children to type some of the letters in their name. They also use the interactive whiteboard to select educational programs such as those that develop their mathematical skills. Teaching is generally good as staff ask children open-ended questions, such as 'how old are you going to be?' when they make a birthday cake from play dough and 'what shall we use?' to fill up the bucket of sand. This extends children's critical thinking .

p.5

who attend

Children's learning journals are accessible to parents on request and they are shared with parents at specific times throughout the year, such as parent open days. Staff ensure the learning journal is up-to-date for these meetings and they always chat to parents to keep them adequately informed of children's current levels of progress. This means parents are appropriately placed to support children's ongoing development at home. Staff display daily activities and food offered to children outside each room to keep parents informed of their children's day. Parents are encouraged to share information from home on children's interests and achievements using the 'at home' forms and a 'home-school' communication book. Staff then build on this information within the pre-school.

p.6

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

All children and their families are welcomed into the pre-school. The staff are kind and caring towards the children, which supports their well-being and sense of security. For example, children approach their key person for help when they spill yoghurt down themselves. However, this is a false sense of security because inadequate procedures are in place to check the identity of visitors. This compromises children's safety and well- being. Children are beginning to develop an awareness of safety and how to stay safe.

p.6

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Clear boundaries and rules exist within the pre-school to ensure that children develop an understanding about remaining safe and understand the staff's expectations of them. They demonstrate this by stopping what they are doing and raising their arms in the air when staff ring a bell to signify when it is time to move to the carpet area. Staff also teach children how to evacuate the building in the event of a fire and not to go near a hot oven during cooking activities. Staff are appropriately deployed to supervise children and are effective role models as they are polite, caring, show respect and listen to children. Children are rewarded with 'wow vouchers' for completing small tasks, such as helping to collect the post and milk from the attached school. This motivates children to behaviour positively. Children are encouraged to be physically active in the fresh air, which aids their continuing well-being. For example, children run, dance, play ball games and ride bikes

p.6

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

and scooters. In addition, they access large apparatus in the outdoor area, such as the wooden climbing frame and slide for part of the year. Children visit the attached school once a week to take part in physical exercise sessions to increase their control and coordination. The pre-school environment is bright and welcoming and wall space is effectively used to display interesting posters and some examples of the children's creative work. Resources are of good quality and offer age-appropriate opportunities to engage children in learning. Most are stored in low-level units to enable children to access these independently. Children are encouraged to enjoy their food and appreciate healthy choices in order to promote their continual growth and development. For example, children are offered a variety of fresh fruit, crackers and savoury biscuits for their snack. All children are encouraged to develop appropriate hygiene routines and learn that they must wash

p.6

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

their hands after using the toilet and before eating. This helps to minimise the risk of cross infection.

p.7

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children are supported appropriately as they join the pre-school. This is because parents and children are invited to settling-in sessions and staff gather a range of information about each child's family and background. For example, information is obtained about any known special dietary requirements, preference and food allergies, and any special health requirements. This promotes continuity in the children's care and supports their continual well-being. Staff support older children as they prepare to move into school. For example, they build children's confidence as they hold discussions and read stories about starting school. They share photograph books of their new school which emotionally prepares them for their transition to school. Children develop self-care skills through accessing drinking water, visiting the bathroom independently, carrying out responsibilities, such as preparing snack and getting dressed. Children's future teachers are invited into the pre-

p.7

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

school. Children moving into the attached school attend regular sessions in their new classroom towards the end of the summer term. Staff provide teachers with information about the children's learning and development achievements during their time with them to aid their continuity of learning.

p.7

provision

The manager has failed to ensure that the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage for younger children and some of the requirements of the Childcare Register for older children, are met. Breaches within the implementation of safeguarding practices and procedures, result in the safety and well-being of children being compromised. The manager and staff are aware of the signs and symptoms of abuse and the procedures to follow should they have any concerns about a child in their care. They receive appropriate online safeguarding training in additional to training from the designated safeguarding person who has completed specific training to fulfil this role. The security of the building is appropriate and staff closely monitor the arrival and departure of the children. However, children's safety is compromised as not all staff check the identification of visitors to the pre-school. The pre-school's safeguarding policy include

p.7

provision

details on the safe use of mobile phones. It permits staff to store and use their mobile phones in areas used by the small amount of young children on roll during their lunch break. Consequently, children's safety is not adequately considered. All adults working with or having direct contact with children are vetted and proof of their clearance is available on file. Recruitment procedures include seeking references to check applicant's suitability to work with children. However, the manager does not routinely obtain a record of staff qualifications as part of the recruitment process. As a result, the manager is unable to verify some staff's suitability to fulfil the requirements of their role. Children generally play in a safe environment as detailed written risk assessments are completed and staff check the premises each morning before the children arrive. Weekly checks on fire fighting equipment, such as extinguishers and smoke alarms also protect children's

p.7

provision

safety. Staff record brief details of minor accidents that children encounter during their time at pre-school and share this with parents. However, these records contain insufficient information, such as the location of the accident to accurately inform the pre-school's risk assessments.

p.7

provision

Monitoring of the pre-school is weak. There is no system in place for the supervision of staff. This results in a lack of accurate information about staff's training needs. It means that the manager is not able to effectively supervise and monitor the team to improve learning outcomes for children. All staff have recently attended training to support the health issues of a child who attends the pre-school. In addition, some staff have improved their skills to better support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities following attendance at a special educational needs conference. An appropriate amount of staff hold food hygiene and paediatric first aid qualifications. The manager communicates a desire to improve the quality of the service through the use of basic self-evaluation and reflective practice. For example, future plans include creating a grassed area within the soft surface outdoor environment, and implementing ideas gained from attending 'learning

p.8

provision

community' meetings to enhance learning at home. The manager has addressed the recommendations made at the pre-school's last inspection. She is yet to implement an effective system to monitor the educational programmes to ensure each child is consistently achieving within all areas of learning. As a result, individual children and specific group's of children are not identified in a timely manner, to enable their needs to be addressed through effective planning. The manager is planning to work with the local authority advisory team to support her with this.

p.8

provision

Staff work in partnership with parents and outside agencies to promote the inclusion of all children. Information is gathered and exchanged to ensure children's individuality is respected and met. Parents comment positively about the pre-school. They are happy with the staff team and the care and learning their children receive. They also confirm that their children have developed their skills since starting at the pre-school. In addition, they comment that their children enjoy attending pre-school and find the daily updates informing them of their child's day very helpful.

p.8

The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

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actions)

The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are

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To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

 ensure that children being cared for are kept safe from harm and all necessary measures are taken to minimise risks (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that children being cared for are kept safe from harm and all necessary measures are taken to minimise risks (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)

p.8

Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Requires improvement The provision is not giving children a good standard of early years education and/or there are minor breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected within twelve months of the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement action. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of

p.10

Grade Judgement Description

the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted 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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Setting details

Unique reference number EY420490 Local authority Essex Inspection number 949353

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 52 Number of children on roll 88 Name of provider Kidz OK Ltd Date of previous inspection 14/11/2011 Telephone number 01279445566

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Type of provision

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. 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 Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, 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,

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Type of provision

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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