Small Steps Preschool Boreham

Small Steps Preschool Boreham Village Hall, Main Road, Boreham, CHELMSFORD, CM3 3JD

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 1 December 2015 4 December 2014

p.1

This inspection: Inadequate 4

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

p.1

This inspection: Inadequate 4

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Inadequate 4

p.1

This inspection: Inadequate 4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate 4

p.1

This inspection: Inadequate 4

Outcomes for children Requires improvement

p.1

This provision is inadequate

 The registered provider has not kept Ofsted informed of a change to its committee members. This is a breach of the requirements of the statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage.  The committee has not implemented robust recruitment and vetting procedures to ensure new staff are suitable to work with children.  Supervision of staff is not effective in monitoring individual staff performance to improve the quality of teaching.  Children are not offered challenging activities to extend and promote their learning and development.  Children's progress is not tracked sufficiently well across all areas of learning to identify any gaps in children's skills and knowledge.

p.1

It has the following strengths

 Staff are kind and encouraging. They help children to grow in confidence and feel valued. Staff work with parents to ensure children's care needs are well met.  Children's attendance is monitored closely and the manager takes swift action if children are not attending the pre-school when they should be.

p.1

What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

p.2

Due Date

 ensure all checks and vetting procedures are completed and recorded for all new staff members, with particular reference to requesting and recording information about references taken up for new staff and the use of this information to inform the assessment of suitability. 01/01/2016

p.2

Due Date

 put in place effective arrangements for the supervision of staff, to include robust performance management procedures, support and training to enable staff to further develop their practice. 01/02/2016

p.2

Due Date

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

p.2

Due Date

 continue to improve the quality of teaching so that staff plan activities which challenge, motivate and extend all children’s learning.  improve the system for tracking children's progress in order to ensure that any emerging gaps in children's learning are swiftly identified and closed.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the pre-school manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the pre-school manager. She looked at relevant documentation, such as the pre-school's self-evaluation, children's learning journeys and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the pre-school.  The inspector spoke to a selection of children during the inspection and took account of their views.

p.2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

The provider failed to notify Ofsted of changes to committee members within required timescales. This is an offence. Ofsted has not been able to carry out required checks to ensure that the registered body is made up of individuals who are suitable to be involved in childcare. The provider has also failed to meet a requirement of the Early Years Foundation Stage. This is because thorough recruitment and vetting procedures to ensure all staff are suitable to work with children are not always carried out. This is with specific regard to requesting references for new staff. All staff demonstrate a satisfactory understanding of safeguarding procedures, which are reflected in the provision safeguarding policy. They are aware of, and understand, their responsibility to report any concerns they have about a child. Staff do not receive appropriate supervision. The manager monitors the children's progress and staff can share any emerging issues with

p.3

Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

regard to children's development. However, staff performance is not sufficiently monitored. Staff do not have sufficient support to improve their practice, for example through coaching and training.

p.3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Teaching is not yet good because staff do not fully challenge or have high enough expectations of what the children can achieve. Some children lose interest when there is a lack of challenge as staff are not planning effectively to promote learning for the for older and more able children. Staff gather useful information from parents when children first attend to help them plan teaching and learning activities. An effective key-person system means staff know children and families well. The staff provide a range of activities and resources which the children enjoy, for example, they pair shoes up in the role play area and make patterns with linking shapes. However, staff do not always ask questions to encourage children to think and try out new ideas.

p.3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

Children's safety cannot be assured because the suitability of committee members and recently appointed staff have not been confirmed. Staff promote children's safety by risk assessing the premises and any outings. For example, staff ensure they check the adjoining play park before children are allowed out. There are a range of physical activities provided indoors and outdoors and children enjoy sliding down the slide and tumbling on the mats. Staff promote children's independence well during activities and care routines. Children enjoy pouring their own drinks at snack time and put their own coats on to go outside. They are able to choose their own resources and follow their own ideas in play. Children are developing social skills and take turns. For example, when making sand castles in the outdoor provision, they showed good collaboration, sharing skills and turn taking. Children behave well when they are engaged in activities and are able to keep

p.3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

themselves occupied when no staff engage with them.

p.3

Outcomes for children require improvement

Children achieve as expected for their ages. Children develop a range of skills to help them become ready for school, including simple writing skills. However, staff do not yet focus on tracking all aspects of children's learning effectively to secure consistence progress. This means some children are not developing all of the key skills for school.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number EY399734 Local authority Essex Inspection number 1025525 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 38 Name of provider Small Steps Preschool Boreham Committee Date of previous inspection 4 December 2014 Telephone number 07952 471616

p.5

Setting details

Small Steps Preschool Boreham was registered in 2009 on the Early Years Register. It is situated in the village hall in Chelmsford, Essex, and is managed by a parent committee. It operates from one main playroom. The pre-school employs eight members of childcare staff. Of these, seven hold appropriate early years qualifications from level 2 to level 6. One member of staff has Early Years Professional status. The pre-school opens Monday to Friday during school term. Sessions are from 9.15am until 12.15pm everyday; with the exception of Tuesday and Thursday when sessions are from 9am until 3pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The pre-school receives support from the local authority.

p.5

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.

p.5

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.

p.5

Setting details

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 reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/, write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.6

Setting details

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our website for news, information and updates at www.ofsted.gov.uk/user.

p.6

Setting details

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

p.6