Pitstop Playschool

Pitstop Playschool Methodist Church, Tonbridge Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 8SL

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 1 July 2016 8 December 2015

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

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

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Outcomes for children Requires improvement

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This provision is inadequate

 The provider is not vigilant enough to ensure that all new staff complete appropriate suitability checks and vetting procedures at the start of their employment. This means the provider does not meet the requirement to ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children. This compromises children's welfare and puts their safety at risk.  The provider has not developed partnerships with parents to meet the action set at the last inspection. Staff do not fully involve parents and carers, or staff at other settings children attend, to improve continuity in children's learning.  Outcomes for children are not good enough and children do not receive consistent support in their learning and development. Staff do not always provide children with enough challenge or engage them in their learning experiences effectively so that each child makes the best possible progress.  Self-evaluation is poor and is not used effectively to identify and tackle weaknesses in

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This provision is inadequate

practice. The provider has not made sufficient improvement since the last inspection.

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It has the following strengths

 Children learn to explore mark making and develop their early writing and literacy skills. For example, they write shopping lists and enjoy making marks with brushes and water.  Children are independent and enjoy completing tasks themselves. For example, they like to pour their drinks and spread butter on their crackers at snack time.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

The provision is inadequate and Ofsted intends to take enforcement action

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

We will issue a Welfare Requirements Notice requiring the provider to:

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Due Date

 ensure recruitment and vetting processes are effective, and all newly employed staff, including those with existing checks, have completed a new enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check before they are left unsupervised to care for children 20/07/2016

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Due Date

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage the provider must:

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Due Date

 implement effective partnerships with parents and carers, and other settings that children attend, to provide continuity and a shared approach to support each child's learning and development appropriately 16/09/2016

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Due Date

 ensure all staff consistently challenge and engage children to help them move forward in their learning effectively to make good or better progress. 16/09/2016

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Inspection activities

 The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager and held discussions with the provider and the manager.  The inspector discussed children's learning and development with staff.  The inspector observed the quality of teaching inside and outside.  The inspector spoke to parents, carers and children and took their views into consideration.  The inspector checked records of staff suitability checks, the policies and procedures, and development plans.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

Safeguarding is ineffective. The provider does not meet her responsibility to follow safe recruitment and vetting procedures. She does not gain sufficient information from past employers or ensure that new staff complete the necessary suitability checks, such as a new Disclosure and Barring Service check. This means that she does not know if all staff are suitable to fulfil their roles. Furthermore, the provider does not place any restrictions on the roles and responsibilities of new staff, which was a concern raised at a recent inspection. For example, she allows these unchecked staff to change children's nappies and be left alone with them. These weaknesses compromise children's safety and well- being. However, the manager and staff understand what to do if they have a concern about a child's welfare outside the pre-school. The provider has not given enough support to the manager and staff to meet the previous action to develop partnerships with parents

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

and carers. Parents are not fully aware of what their children learn and how to extend their skills at home. Staff have not built suitable links with other settings children attend. The provider does not evaluate her practice to identify breaches in requirements and how these affect children's care and learning, or addressed the previous action and concern. The manager supervises staff to improve how they monitor children's progress and has developed the use of the outdoor area to support children's learning more effectively.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Teaching is inconsistent. Some staff support children's learning effectively and provide activities based on their interests and levels of development. However, other staff provide mundane activities that do not offer enough challenge or extend children's skills. Children who are learning English as an additional language have opportunities to explore their home language effectively. Staff assess children's learning and are aware of their stage of development. Children enjoy expressing themselves, such as through singing and during conversations.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

The weaknesses in safeguarding mean that children's welfare and safety cannot be assured. Children generally behave well. They learn to take turns and build confidence. For example, as they play games together, staff help children to think about whose turn it is next. Staff support children to begin to understand their own safety during play. For example, they help them to climb safely on the tyres and logs. Staff support children's emotional well-being effectively overall. They get to know children as individuals and are aware of their interests, which they reflect in the learning environment.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Children develop their communication and language skills effectively. However, some children are not always motivated to learn or to build on their ideas and challenge themselves further. Children gain some of the skills they need to help them be ready to start school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 127451 Local authority Kent Inspection number 1034402 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 52 Number of children on roll 36 Name of registered person Jayne Laura Laurie

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 8 December 2015 Telephone number 01622 754148

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reference number

Pitstop Playschool registered in 1990 and is situated in Maidstone, Kent. The playschool opens five mornings a week from 9.15am until 12.15pm, during term time only. The provider receives funding for free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are seven members of staff, six of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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reference number

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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reference number

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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reference number

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reference number

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reference number

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

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