Murston Playschool

Murston Playschool Murston Hall, Church Road, Murston, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 3RU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12 December 2017 25 February 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 Inadequate 4

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This provision is inadequate

 Staff do not have a suitable understanding of their roles and responsibilities in regards to safeguarding children. They have a minimal understanding of appropriate agencies to report their concerns to and how to respond to a child if they disclosed information of concern. This has a significant impact on children's safety and well-being.  The manager, who is also the provider, has failed to ensure that all adults who have contact with the children are vetted to assure their suitability.  The provider does not consistently follow a robust recruitment process when employing new staff, which places children at risk.  The provider and the designated safeguarding officer are not effectively monitoring if concerns raised are acted on swiftly to ensure children's safety and welfare at all times.  Not all staff know to share information which may affect their personal suitability to care for children with the manager.

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This provision is inadequate

 Staff do not consistently manage children's behaviour well enough. They do not fully support children to learn how to behave towards others and learn acceptable behaviour.  The quality of teaching differs greatly between staff. Staff interactions with the children are weak overall. Staff do not fully recognise opportunities to extend children's learning in their play and match their teaching to children's individual targets. Children do not make good enough progress.

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It has the following strengths

 Overall, staff work well with parents to share some useful information.

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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 all staff and volunteers have a full and thorough understanding of all safeguarding matters and are alert to their roles and responsibilities, particularly with regards to reporting concerns appropriately and to keeping a complete record of the action taken 19/01/2018

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Due Date

 ensure all adults who have contact with children have completed the appropriate checks, including a Disclosure and Barring Service check to ensure that they are suitable 19/01/2018

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Due Date

 implement robust recruitment systems, to ensure all adults caring for children are, and remain, suitable 19/01/2018

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Due Date

 ensure all concerns regarding children's welfare and safety are acted on swiftly, to avoid any delay in protecting children's well- being 19/01/2018

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Due Date

 ensure all staff fully understand their responsibility to inform the manager of any reasons why they may not be deemed suitable to work with children 19/01/2018

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Due Date

 ensure strategies to manage children's behaviour are effective and used consistently by all staff 19/01/2018

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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

 improve staff support and the quality of teaching, to ensure all staff recognise opportunities to extend children's learning, to ensure their individual learning needs are met. 19/01/2018

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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed interactions between the staff and children during a play session and planned activities.  The inspector spoke to staff and viewed developmental information regarding children's progress.  The inspector gathered the views of parents and children, and took these into consideration.  The inspector viewed a range of documentation, including staff records and the setting's policies.  The inspector invited the manager to carry out a joint observation.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

Arrangements for safeguarding are ineffective. The provider does not ensure that all staff maintain a sufficient understanding of their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe. This places children at significant risk. Staff have a basic knowledge of the signs that may cause them concern, but a limited understanding of current legislation, such as the 'Prevent' duty guidance. Some staff are not aware of whom to contact should they have a child protection concern, or their role in recording and acting on any concerns raised. The provider has not ensured the safety and welfare of children are protected. She has employed staff to work in the playschool without completing thorough checks on their suitability. For example, she has not gained references or ensured staff complete Disclosure and Barring Service checks, or monitored whether there are any changes in staff suitability. The provider and the designated safeguarding officer do not have a clear

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

knowledge of how concerns raised have been acted on. This insufficient knowledge means that they are unable to ensure appropriate actions have been taken to adequately support children's well-being. The provider does evaluate aspects of the playschool, but this process is ineffective because she does not recognise the significant weaknesses in practice. Practice has not improved since the last inspection. The provider does not monitor or support staff professional development enough, to ensure they maintain effective levels of teaching.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

The majority of staff do not have a sufficient understanding of how children learn and develop. They do not respond effectively to children as they play, or recognise how their interactions support children's learning. For example, children spend time making long chains with small plastic links. Staff sit at the table and watch the children play. Children show the staff their chains and refer to the long chain as a 'big one' and the smaller chain as a 'baby one'. Staff simply repeat back what the children say. They do not recognise the opportunity to effectively support children's developing mathematical skills. The delivery of some activities provides limited opportunities for children to follow their own ideas and do things for themselves. For example, while making Christmas cards, staff drew around children's hands and cut out the hand shapes. Children lost interest as they were unable to explore their own ideas and staff did not extend their learning. Staff observe and track

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

children's development to some extent, including for those children who speak English as an additional language, and recognise some areas where they need further support. However, they do not use this information sufficiently to plan and provide activities and experiences which successfully match children's learning needs.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

The provider does not assure the welfare of children because of significant weaknesses in leadership. Staff do not give children sufficient opportunities to develop an understanding of appropriate behaviour. Therefore, some children continually repeat inappropriate behaviours. For example, children use ride-in cars to bump into other people and push children in other cars. Staff simply call the children's names when they notice this behaviour. They do not sufficiently encourage the children to think about why this behaviour is not acceptable and the effect it has on the other children. Therefore, children continue to do this throughout the day. Children do arrive at the playgroup happy and have developed bonds with staff. They welcome their involvement in their play. However, these interactions are limited, which has a negative impact on children's overall development. The inside environment has lots of resources for children to explore. The

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

manager has plans to develop the outside space to further enhance children's experiences outside.

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Outcomes for children are inadequate

Ineffective teaching has a negative impact on the progress that children make. Children who need extra support in their learning are not supported sufficiently and they do not make adequate progress in all areas. Children lose interest in some activities quickly and are not always keen and motivated to learn because of the lack of support. For example, during group time younger children amuse themselves and disrupt other children by lying behind them and pulling on their clothes. Children develop some independence and the ability to manage some tasks by themselves. However, they do not develop sufficient skills to help them be fully prepared and confident for the move to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY418926 Local authority Kent Inspection number 1085932 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 28 Number of children on roll 32 Name of registered person Verity Ann Gage

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 25 February 2015 Telephone number 01795 428 701

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reference number

Murston Playschool registered in 2011. It is located in Murston, Sittingbourne, Kent. It is open each weekday, term time only, from 9am to midday. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays the playschool offers a full-day session from 9am to 3pm. On Wednesdays there is a lunch club operating between midday and 1pm. There are eight members of staff, including the provider; of these, seven hold recognised childcare qualifications at level 2 or above. The provider holds a relevant early years qualification at level 4. The playschool receives funding for the provision of free early education to children aged two, three and four years.

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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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