Caister Academy

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD Telephone: 0300 123 1231 Fax: 0300 123 3159 Minicom: 0161 618 8524 Email: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk Web: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Monitoring for provision judged as inadequate

An Ofsted inspector, Maria Conroy, monitored your provision on 05/06/2014 following your inspection where the provision was judged to be inadequate.

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Outcome of monitoring

As a result of our inspection on 10/12/2013, we sent you a welfare requirements notice. If you were set actions at the inspection, or as a result of our subsequent monitoring or investigations, these are included at the end of this letter.

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Outcome of monitoring

We sent you a welfare requirement notice which asked you to update your knowledge of child protection in order to understand possible signs and symptoms of abuse and neglect so that you could identify these at the earliest opportunity and enable a response to be made in a timely and appropriate way; and provide a safe environment by risk assessing hazards to children’s safety, with particular regard to the security of the premises, and taking preventative measures to ensure children’s safety is prioritised.

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Outcome of monitoring

In addition, a notice to improve was also issued that required you to improve safeguarding procedures. You were also required to develop knowledge and understanding of the Learning and Development requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. This included; identifying individual needs, working with parents and improving observation procedures and complete the two year progress check. In addition you were asked to improve activities available to children by organising the resources more effectively, supporting their communication and language and their creativity. A notice to improve was also issued for the Childcare Register which asked you to ensure the premises and equipment used are safe; to keep and implement a written statement for the protection of children; to make a complaints procedure available for parents and to make sure no one can enter the premises without your knowledge.

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Outcome of monitoring

At the monitoring visit carried out on 4 February 2014, we found that satisfactory steps have been taken to address the priority actions identified in the welfare requirement notice. These steps included updating child protection procedures and security of the premises. During this visit, it was found you were still working towards addressing the learning and development requirements.

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Outcome of monitoring

A further visit was conducted on 20 May 2014 we found that you had made some progress in addressing the learning and development requirements. You demonstrated your provide a selection of activities that support children’s communication and language skills and their creativity. You had also rearranged your toys and equipment to make them more accessible for children and you had gained awareness and implemented the two year progress check. You had begun to develop the process for self-evaluation and received support by the Local Authority Improvement Officer. However, it was found that you had not fully developed your understanding of your role in relation to ‘teaching’ as described in the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. In addition although you had begun the process of observation, you were not using the information obtained effectively to help you plan effectively to support individual needs. As a result we set

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Outcome of monitoring

a notice to improve your practice in those areas. During that visit, we found that you had failed to conduct a risk assessment to protect children in relation to the outdoor equipment used, in particular the large trampoline and slide. As a result a welfare requirement notice was issued which asked you to ensure that there is an effective risk assessment in place to keep children safe, which related to the use of the trampoline and slides. A notice to improve was also issued for the Childcare Register which asked you to ensure the premises and equipment used are safe.

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Outcome of monitoring

On 5 June 2014 we undertook a further visit to monitor the welfare requirement notice and Childcare Register notice to improve, in relation to risk assessment. We found that you had taken prompt and effective action to identify hazards associated with the play equipment in the garden and minimise those risks. You confirmed you needed to complete a risk assessment, in order to identify any hazards to the children. You explained you supervise children at all times while they use the equipment. The large trampoline has been moved over slightly to avoid the children coming into contact with the washing line. The ladder leading to the large trampoline has been removed, when younger children use the garden, to prevent them from climbing up on the equipment. The larger trampoline is only used with children over six years now, in line with manufactures guidelines as printed on the foam padding around the edge of the trampoline. You demonstrated that you keep the gate leading

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Outcome of monitoring

to the garden closed, until such time that you have checked the environment before children play in the area. For example, the ladder is removed from the large trampoline and the children are directed to use the smaller one which is relevant to their age.

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Outcome of monitoring

Some actions that were set had a longer time frame by which to be completed. These will be monitored at the next monitoring visit. These relate to developing a more secure understanding of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and your role in relation to ‘teaching children’; to use the knowledge gained to improve the activities provided to support all areas of learning both indoors and outdoors and to effectively implement the welfare requirements. Also to improve the planning of activities using the information gained from the process of observation, to provide challenging and exciting experiences for the next steps in children’s learning, which link to their interests and stage of development.

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Outcome of monitoring

Having considered all the evidence, the inspector is of the opinion that the childminder has taken prompt and effective action to address the points for improvement.

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Next steps

The next step will be further monitoring.

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Next steps

I hope that you have found the visit helpful in promoting improvement in your childminding service. If you have any further queries please contact us on the number at the top of this letter.

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Next steps

Nick Hudson National Director, Early Education

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Action Due date Closed date

Ensure that there is an effective risk assessment in place to keep children safe, this relates particularly to the use of the trampoline and slides. (WRN) 30/05/2014 11/06/2014

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Action Due date Closed date

Ensure the premises and equipment used for the purposes of the childcare are safe and suitable (compulsory part of the Childcare Register) 30/05/2014 11/06/2014

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Action Due date Closed date

Develop a secure understanding of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and your role in relation to ‘teaching children’. Use the knowledge gained to improve the activities provided to support all areas of learning both indoors and outdoors and to effectively implement the welfare requirements. 20/06/2014 11/06/2014

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Action Due date Closed date

Use information gained from the process of observing children, to plan and provide challenging and exciting experiences for the next steps in their learning, which links to their interests and stage of development 20/06/2014 11/06/2014

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Action Due date Closed date

Ensure the premises and equipment used for the purposes of the childcare are safe and suitable (voluntary part of the Childcare Register) 30/05/2014 11/06/2014

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Action Due date Closed date

Develop a secure understanding of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and your role in relation to ‘teaching children’. Use the knowledge gained to improve the activities provided to support all areas of learning both indoors and outdoors and to effectively implement the welfare requirements. 20/06/2014

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Action Due date Closed date

Use information gained from the process of observing children, to plan and provide 20/06/2014 challenging and exciting experiences for the next steps in their learning, which links to their interests and stage of development

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