Toybox Pre-School

Toybox Pre-School Ellen Newbury Hall, Chapel Road, Sarisbury Green, Southampton, Hampshire, SO31 7FB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 15 May 2017 24 April 2014

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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 does not have a secure knowledge of how to safeguard children. Leaders have not completed robust procedures when recruiting and vetting staff and do not know if they are suitable or safe to work with children.  Children’s progress is not monitored well enough. In particular, staff fail to use information gathered from the two-year-old progress check to identify and swiftly address gaps in children’s learning.  Self-evaluation is not effective. The provider does not have an accurate picture of what the setting needs to improve. This results in breaches in requirements and in the associated requirements of the Childcare Register.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff have developed positive partnerships with parents. Parents speak highly of the support their children receive and say they are kept informed of their progress.  Children are independent learners. The well-resourced environment is attractive and inviting to children. This enables children to make decisions about how and where they play.  There is a calm and happy atmosphere in the pre-school. Staff show great care towards the children and form close relationships with them.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

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Due Date

 implement robust recruitment procedures to check staff are suitable to work with children by obtaining references and completing Disclosure and Barring Service checks 12/06/2017

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Due Date

 ensure that staff have a clear picture of the progress each child and groups of children make, including the required progress checks that must be completed for children aged between two and three years, and use this information to plan children’s learning so that they make the best possible progress. 12/06/2017

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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

 make effective use of self-evaluation so that any breaches in requirements or weaknesses in practice are quickly identified and swift action is taken to address them.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the manager during the inspection.  The inspector spoke to staff and children at suitable times throughout the inspection.  The inspector talked to parents who were available on the day of the inspection and took account of their views.  The inspector observed the quality of teaching and the support for children's learning both indoors and outdoors.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager to evaluate the quality of teaching.  The inspector sampled a range of documentation, such as records of the progress that children have made, evidence of staff suitability records, and accident records.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective. Significant information required to confirm staff suitability has not been gathered during the recruitment of some staff. This means that the provider cannot be sure that all adults working with children are safe to do so. The provider has failed to identify breaches in the requirements or recognise the impact this has on the quality of teaching. Recent training means that staff understand safeguarding procedures and what to do if they have concerns about a child’s well-being, including those who may be at risk from extreme views or beliefs. The provider has made good use of additional funding to improve outcomes for disadvantaged children; this is evident in the progress made in their emotional development.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Assessment procedures are not rigorous enough. Not all staff know what the children need to do next to support their learning. This means that some children may not make as much progress as they could. Staff use opportunities in children’s everyday activities to extend their language and promote their understanding of mathematics. For example, staff follow children’s interests as they explore mini-beasts outside. They support children by introducing new vocabulary when identifying the similarities and differences in the mini-beasts they have found. Staff have established effective relationships with the local schools which helps the children prepare for their move to school.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

Weaknesses in safeguarding means that children’s safety cannot be assured. However, children enjoy warm relationships with the staff, who are kind and caring. They approach staff confidently to ask for help. Staff support children to learn about hygiene practices such as toilet training and washing their hands before eating. Staff praise children’s achievements and ensure these are shared with parents. Children behave well. They are able to moderate their own and others’ behaviour. For example, when children want a toy that another child is playing with, they find a sand timer and agree they will share the toy when the sand runs out. Children’s pictures and photos are displayed in picture frames around the pre-school. This promotes their self-esteem and sense of belonging well.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

The provider does not make effective use of the information gathered from the progress checks completed for children between the age of two and three. This means that any emerging concerns may not be identified swiftly enough. Overall children make steady progress during their time at pre-school. Children enjoy learning about the world around them. For example, they use magnifying glasses to explore the beans that have planted and use their imaginations to think about what they will grow into. Children show great concentration as they carefully mix the powder paint and water and explore the colours that they have made. They use these colours to paint pictures of the flowers they have found outside. Children develop their problem solving skills as they negotiate with their friends to investigate how to use sticky tape to fix a cardboard box. Children develop their physical skills well as they use spades to dig in muddy puddles.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 109797 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 1097431 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 10 Name of registered person Christine Jones

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 24 April 2014 Telephone number 01489 576902

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reference number

Toybox Pre-School registered in 1993. It operates from the United Reformed Church hall in Sarisbury Green, Hampshire. The pre-school is open from 8.30am each weekday during school term times. It closes at 3pm on Thursdays and at 1.30pm on the remaining days of the week. The pre-school is in receipt of funding for the provision of early education for two, three and four-year-old children. The pre-school currently employs three members of staff who work directly with the children. Two of the team hold recognised early years qualifications at level 2 and above.

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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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