Cuddles Pre-School

Cuddles Pre-School Community Centre, Swaledale Road, DARTFORD, DA2 6JZ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 26 February 2015 8 May 2012

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Previous inspection: Good 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

The setting does not meet legal requirements for early years settings

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This provision is inadequate

 The quality of teaching is inadequate. Staff do not support the individual needs of all children. As a result, children make poor progress in their learning and development.  The daily routine is not planned well and there is little structure. Children are not always involved in activities which interest them and help them to learn.  Not all children behave well. Staff do not help children to learn what behaviour is acceptable and encourage children to play and cooperate well together.  Insufficient action is taken to keep children safe. Concerns about children’s welfare are not always followed up quickly enough and in sufficient detail.  The key person system is weak. Children’s emotional needs are not always met. The support for children who speak English as an additional language is inadequate. Parents do not always receive information about how well their children are learning  Required records to determine staff suitability were not available for inspection.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff support children with physical disabilities well.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

The provision is inadequate and Ofsted intends to take the following enforcement action:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

we will issue the provider with a welfare requirements notice that requires them to:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

provide written evidence to show that each member of staff is suitable to work with children, including details of their Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks and ensure these records are easily available for inspection by Ofsted

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

improve the key person system to a) ensure that provision is consistently made to meet children’s individual learning needs and to support their emotional well-being, and b) to help parents and carers extend children’s learning and development at home

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

improve safeguarding policies and procedures to ensure that any concerns about a child’s welfare are followed up quickly with an accurate record of the actions taken in line with Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) procedures

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

improve the safety arrangements within the premises to ensure that a) children cannot leave the hall unsupervised, b) children can play safely outside with sufficient staff support to promote learning, and c) adequate provision is made for children with limited communication, younger children, or those who prefer quieter activities

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

undertake a risk assessment to ensure that areas of the premises, both inside and outside, are consistently safe for children’s use and that all equipment provided for children is safe and developmentally appropriate.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage the provider must:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 improve staff deployment to ensure all children’s learning needs, including those who speak English as an additional language, are consistently planned for and met  improve the quality of teaching to ensure it is consistently good or better by:a) planning activities which interest children, take account of their personal needs and challenge them appropriately,and b) reviewing the organisation of the daily routine to ensure there is sufficient variety and children are consistently engaged and motivated to learn both inside and outside  improve the arrangements for assessing how well children learn by:a) ensuring that staff use information they know about children’s individual learning styles and preferences and plan for this accordingly, and b) ensuring that staff regularly observe how well children make progress and identify any potential gaps in learning  improve links with parents and other early years settings to ensure that children’s

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

learning needs are consistently planned for and monitored  improve the quality of teaching to ensure that children recognise that some behaviour is unacceptable and to help them develop the relevant skills they need for starting school.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the opportunities for children’s learning, both inside and outside.  The inspector talked to staff and assessed how well they understand the pre-school’s policies and procedures and plan for children's learning and development.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager and discussed the quality of teaching and provision for children’s learning and development.  The inspector sampled a range of records and policies, including first aid qualifications, the complaint log and staff training records.

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who attend. This is inadequate

The quality of teaching is poor. This means children do not make sufficient progress and are not prepared for starting school. Staff have found it difficult to manage the complex needs of some of the children. Not enough action has been taken to ensure the needs of children who speak English as an additional language, the younger children, or those with limited communication, are met. As a result, these children often remain on the outside of activities and are not consistently engaged. This hinders their learning and development. Staff fail to plan for children’s individual needs. They do not carry out an accurate assessment of what they know children are interested in and how they prefer to learn. As a result, the daily routine is not planned sufficiently well to keep children interested and challenged in their learning and play. Consequently, children quickly become bored and this results in disruptive behaviour. Staff spend more time discouraging children from

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who attend. This is inadequate

doing things, rather than helping them to understand why some behaviour, such as fighting with each other, is unacceptable.

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inadequate

Children are not consistently kept safe on the premises. Risk assessments have not taken into account some issues, such as the poor condition of the outside area immediately outside the hall, and the security arrangements for the premises. Children play on a trolley which is not intended for this use, which exposes children to unnecessary hazards. Staff do not have sufficient time to really understand children’s emotional needs. Although they comfort children when they see they are upset, weak arrangements are in place to ensure that key staff get to know individual children really well. This weak system means parents are not always sufficiently aware of how to support their children’s learning at home. Inadequate action is taken to help children become independent in their learning; to play and explore and to develop strong relationships with adults and other children. Quieter and younger children, or those with limited communication, lack confidence and are not

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inadequate

sufficiently involved in group activities to support their learning.

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provision is inadequate

The pre-school has suffered a period of disruption following storm damage over a year ago which resulted in the temporary closure of the group. Staff have worked hard to try to get the group up and running again, but the sudden increase in the numbers of children attending has had a negative impact on the quality of provision. The manager knows what changes she needs to make but she has not had time to improve the quality of teaching. Insufficient action is taken to record and report any concerns about a child’s welfare. There is no system in place to ensure that all children make progress in their learning. Staff lack time to complete these records and some previous records were lost in the storm damage. Team meetings and staff supervision arrangements have not yet been utilised appropriately to identify how improvements will be made and staff morale is low. Although staff hold relevant qualifications, this has not had a positive impact on the

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provision is inadequate

quality of provision and support for children’s learning overall. Required documentation to demonstrate staff suitability and recruitment procedures are not available for inspection. Partnership arrangements with parents are weak.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY436747 Local authority Kent Inspection number 1003631 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 42 Number of children on roll 30 Name of provider Cuddles Ltd Date of previous inspection 8 May 2012 Telephone number 07722514729

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Setting details

Cuddles Pre-School was registered in 2011. The pre-school operates from a community hall on the Fleet estate in Dartford, Kent. There is a fully enclosed outside area for outdoor play activities. The pre-school opens five days a week during school term times. Sessions are from 9.00 am until 12.00 pm every day. It is registered on the Early Years Register and accepts funding for children aged two, three and four years. Children on roll include those who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. There are six members of staff who work with the children.

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Setting details

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

procedures set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted. 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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Setting details

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

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Setting details

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, safeguarding and child protection.

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Setting details

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Setting details

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

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