Sconce Hills Pre-School Playgroup

Sconce Hills Pre-School Playgroup Christchurch Hall, Boundary Road, Newark, Nottinghamshire, NG24 4AJ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 24 March 2015 12 September 2014

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement 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

 Children's health needs are not met. Staff do not obtain written permission for children's medication. This places children at risk of being incorrectly medicated.  Children are not adequately safeguarded. Unauthorised people are able to gain access to the premises without staff's knowledge.  Staff do not have sufficient knowledge of the progress check for children aged between two and three years. This does not support children's future learning and development.  The quality of teaching is variable. As a result, not all children are well supported or challenged at all times.  Arrangements for self-evaluation and supervision sessions are not rigorous enough to assess staff's performance and target areas for improvement.  Children are not consistently well supported to develop positive behaviour. This is because staff do not always take the time to explain the effect of children's actions.  Staff do not provide a well planned outdoor environment. As a result, children's

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This provision is inadequate

learning in this area is not yet maximised.

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It has the following strengths

 Children's emotional needs are met. This is because staff provide warm and caring relationships for each child. Parents comment on how much their children enjoy their time at pre-school.

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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

 ensure that written permission is obtained for the administration of medication, such as inhalers, prior to children starting  ensure no unauthorised people are able to gain access to the building  ensure staff have sufficient knowledge of the progress check for children aged between two and three years  ensure that adult-led activities are well prepared and that staff are able to support the needs of all children, providing appropriate challenge to help them make good progress  conduct more effective and robust supervision sessions for all staff, providing them with ongoing support, coaching and training to ensure they all improve their skills and provide children with consistently good quality care and learning experiences.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 support children to develop positive behaviour by consistently discussing the effect of their actions  develop the outdoor area to support all children's needs, for example, by ensuring that children's access to large physical play does not interrupt other children's learning  develop the process of self-evaluation to accurately identify and address areas for improvement.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 keep a record of any medicine administered to any child who is cared for on the premises, including the date and circumstances and who administered it, including medicine which the child is permitted to self-administer, together with a record of a parent/guardian/carer's consent (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that no one can enter the premises without the knowledge of a person who is caring for children on the premises (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  any medicine administered to any child who is cared for on the premises, including the date and circumstances and who administered it, including medicine which the child is permitted to self-administer, together with a record of a parent/guardian/carer's consent(voluntary part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that no one can enter the premises without the knowledge of a person who is caring for children on the premises (voluntary part of the Childcare Register).

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the main hall and the outside play area.  The inspector spoke to members of staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection and held a meeting with the manager of the provision.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day of the inspection.  The inspector looked at children's records, planning documentation, evidence of the suitability of staff working in the provision and a range of other documentation, including policies and procedures to safeguard children's welfare.

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who attend. This is inadequate

Teaching is variable. Not all children are well prepared for their next stage in learning, such as school, as they are not well supported or consistently challenged to make progress. For example, children become bored and restless during adult-led times. Staff do not support children to engage fully and resources are poorly planned. For example, during song time, staff spend a prolonged period finding the props that go with action songs, while children sit on mats and wait with no interaction from staff to engage them. Furthermore, some children's health needs are not met during the day. Consequently, this impacts on their ability to enjoy their time in the pre-school and to be active learners. Staff do not have sufficient knowledge of the progress check for children aged between two and three years. They do not know when this should happen and how to fully involve parents and other professionals. Consequently, this assessment is not used effectively to

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who attend. This is inadequate

identify and respond to any emerging gaps in development. Indoors, staff provide a wide range of resources for children to independently access, which promotes children's independence and self-initiated play. Outside, however, staff do not provide a well planned environment. For example, children kick balls or ride bikes where other children are making marks with chalk or exploring sand. Consequently, children's learning in this area is not maximised.

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inadequate

Children's health needs are not met. For example, staff do not gain written permission from parents for the administration of medications for children, such as inhalers. Therefore, staff do not have adequate knowledge of when and how to support children's health needs. Behaviour management is inconsistent. Staff do not provide consistent explanations about what to do and why, such as not to shine the torches into each other's eyes. Consequently, children repeat behaviours that are not appropriate, as they do not understand why the rules and boundaries are in place. Children are supported to learn about health and hygiene. They are encouraged to wash their hands regularly and have access to drinks throughout the session. Staff provide healthy options at snack times to further promote this, and children develop their physical skills as they serve themselves. Partnerships with parents support some of children's basic care needs. Staff regularly write

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inadequate

in children's communication books, which go between home and pre-school.

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provision is inadequate

Not all of the safeguarding and welfare requirements are met. Staff do not gain written permission for the administration of medication, including for long-term conditions, when medication may be needed on a regular basis. This places children at risk of harm as their health needs are not met. The building is not kept secure and, at times, visitors can gain access to the areas used by children without staff's knowledge. For example, fire officers access the building as they are let in by other people who are exiting. As a result, children are not kept safe at all times. Self-evaluation is not yet targeted at identifying weaknesses in general practice or in the quality of teaching. Supervision sessions and appraisals are not yet robust enough to ensure teaching is of a consistently good level. Consequently, staff's qualifications are not yet having a positive impact on children's learning. Staff's knowledge of child protection issues is sound. This helps to protect children from actual

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provision is inadequate

and potential harm. Links to other schools are in place. The manager is clear on what documents to share to support children as they move to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 253322 Local authority Nottinghamshire Inspection number 991266 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 28 Name of provider Sconce Hills Pre School Playgroup Committee Date of previous inspection 12 September 2014 Telephone number 07772525092

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Setting details

The Sconce Hills Pre-school Playgroup was registered in 1966. The nursery employs four members of childcare staff. Of these, three hold appropriate early years qualifications. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday, term time only. Sessions are from 8.30am until 12.30pm on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday and 8.30am 3.45pm on Tuesday and Fridays. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old 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. 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, 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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