Otham Pre-School

Otham Pre-School Otham Village Hall, Otham Street, Otham, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 8RN

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 20 April 2017 13 May 2015

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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 Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Outcomes for children Inadequate 4

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This provision is inadequate

 Staff are not sufficiently qualified to meet the minimum requirements. This has a significant impact on children's safety, well-being and learning.  Recruitment procedures are not robust. The manager does not sufficiently check or take account of the qualifications and training of all the staff looking after the children. This has an impact on the quality of care and education offered.  Staff's knowledge of safeguarding procedures, the signs and symptoms of abuse and the Prevent duty guidance is inconsistent, which does not ensure that children can be protected from harm.  The monitoring and coaching of staff is ineffective. The quality of interactions and teaching is inconsistent and poor at times, particularly with regards to children's communication and language development and understanding of healthy eating. Children's needs are not consistently met.  Staff have insufficient knowledge of the learning and development requirements. This

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This provision is inadequate

results in children not being supported consistently to move on to the next stage of their learning. Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are not always encouraged in their learning.

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It has the following strengths

 Children are confident in the setting and independently access the resources they require. They understand about taking turns and listen to each other's needs.

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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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Due Date

 ensure that, other than the manager, at least half of all other staff hold at least a full and relevant level 2 qualification 18/05/2017

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Due Date

 ensure that robust recruitment procedures are in place to ensure that staff are suitably qualified 04/05/2017

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Due Date

 ensure all staff have sufficient training to understand the safeguarding policy and procedures, Prevent duty guidance, and the signs and symptoms of abuse 04/05/2017

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Due Date

 ensure that all staff have the appropriate and relevant training to enable them to meet children's needs consistently, especially those children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities 04/05/2017

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Due Date

 improve the effectiveness of coaching, training and supervision to monitor staff's practice and raise the quality of teaching and learning to a consistently good standard. 04/05/2017

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Due Date

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

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Due Date

 create more opportunities for children to develop their language and communication skills  develop children's understanding of healthy eating and ensure snacks available to children are healthy, balanced and nutritious.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities indoors and outdoors.  The inspector carried out discussions with the manager and staff.  The inspector and the manager took part in a joint observation.  The inspector sampled a range of documentation including safeguarding policies, risk assessments and staff files.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

The provider fails to ensure that staff are suitably qualified and trained to care for children. Not enough staff hold a full and relevant qualification. Recruitment procedures are not robust. This has a significant impact on children's safety, well-being and learning. Safeguarding is ineffective. The manager does not ensure that all staff have safeguarding training. There are inconsistencies in staff's knowledge of identifying signs of abuse and awareness of the Prevent duty guidance. While the manager has identified some areas for the development of staff, her efforts to support her team are ineffective. This has a negative impact on how children learn. Staff do not know how to encourage and challenge children in their learning.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

The quality of teaching and learning is poor. Staff do not have sufficient knowledge of the learning and development requirements. They do not promote children's learning effectively or help them move successfully on to the next stage in their learning. Staff miss opportunities to extend children's learning and are disengaged in their play. They do not promote positive interactions or extend children's language and communication development. The lack of training and inexperience of staff have a significant impact on children's learning and development. The staff do not know how to support children's needs sufficiently, especially those children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Parents feel informed about their children's learning and have access to photographs and observations made by their children's key person.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

The environment is warm and welcoming indoors and outdoors. Improvements have been made to the outdoor area and children enjoy their time outside. The key person system is developing, although not all staff have the skills or knowledge to fulfil this role. Children are encouraged to be independent when washing their hands and using the toilet. When on a trampoline, children use the sand timer to take turns independently. Staff's use of strategies to promote good behaviour are developing. Staff do not use opportunities to develop children's awareness of healthy eating. There is a limited choice of healthy options offered at snack time.

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Outcomes for children are inadequate

The inexperience of the staff team has a negative impact on children's learning and development and, therefore, children do not make sufficient progress. This includes children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY415415 Local authority Kent Inspection number 1094497 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 20 Number of children on roll 12 Name of registered person Katy Murphy

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 13 May 2015 Telephone number 07507486708

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reference number

Otham Pre-School opened in 1998. It operates from Otham village hall, on the outskirts of Maidstone. The pre-school is open term time only on Monday and Wednesday from 9.15am to 2.45pm and on Tuesday and Thursday from 9.15am to 1.15pm. There are three members of staff employed, one of whom has a qualification at level 3, another has a qualification at level 2 and the other is unqualified. The pre-school receives funding for early years education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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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

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