Swan Pre-School

Skylark Pre-School 4 Shackleton Road, Rowner, Gosport, Hampshire, PO13 9SG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 29 March 2018 23 November 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

 The provider has not sufficiently trained staff to understand the safeguarding policies and procedures. Staff do not record all information related to child protection accurately. They do not respond quickly and share concerns they have about children with the appropriate safeguarding agencies. This significantly compromises children's safety.  The key-person system is weak. Staff have not all shared information about the key person role with parents. Some key persons do not communicate effectively with parents to discuss children's individual progress and to seek details of how children are learning at home. Some children have not formed secure attachments to their key person. Children do not all settle quickly.  The provider has failed to adequately secure all entrances to the pre-school. It is possible for unauthorised people to access the premises.  Staff do not support children to develop their independence skills. Children do not make

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This provision is inadequate

the best progress from the time they start at the pre-school.  The manager does not self-evaluate her practice effectively. She does not make changes to raise standards and does not identify when she is breaching requirements.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff teach children about the wider world, such as when they talk to them about places relatives have visited for work and on holiday.

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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

 ensure staff have a secure knowledge of the pre-school's safeguarding policies and procedures, and that they understand how to respond appropriately to concerns about children's welfare, including sharing information with external agencies within an appropriate timeframe 10/04/2018

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Due Date

 improve the key-person system so that staff develop an understanding of children's individual care needs and they are able to support children to become familiar with the setting 24/04/2018

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Due Date

 improve the security of the premises, particularly in relation to the side entrance into the garden, so that only authorised persons are able to gain access to the premises 10/04/2018

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Due Date

 ensure all staff effectively communicate information about their key children's learning to parents and gather details back from parents to better understand the progress children are making at home. 24/04/2018

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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

 offer children opportunities to manage simple tasks for themselves, to develop their independence skills and to help prepare them for school  develop systems of self-evaluation to identify areas for improvement and to recognise weaker areas of practice.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to parents about how staff share information about children's learning and development.  The inspector accessed safeguarding information. She talked to staff about procedures they follow if they have any concerns about children's welfare.  The inspector viewed children's learning information. She spoke to staff in relation to levels of progress that individual children are making.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager, they discussed the support she offers staff to fulfil their role.  The inspector observed teaching with the manager, they discussed and evaluated the adult-led activity they observed.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

Safeguarding is not effective. Staff have a poor knowledge of how to record concerns they have about children's welfare. There are significant gaps in safeguarding records and the records available are not organised effectively to help identify specifically about children at a later date. Staff are unable to check whether there are patterns of behaviour that could alert them to child protection issues. Staff do not understand the referral process. They fail to seek advice about the action they should take to keep children safe. Chances are missed to escalate concerns and to make referrals to professionals at other agencies, such as children's social care. The reflection process is poor and the manager has failed to identify major weaknesses in practice. For example, she has not recognised that the security of the setting is compromised. It is possible for unchecked adults to gain access to the garden area of the pre-school. The manager offers staff some support to access

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

training and to develop new skills. For instance, staff attended a course that focused on supporting speech development. They shared details of their learning with colleagues.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

Staff do not communicate well with parents and some parents are not aware who their child's key person is. Other parents do not see their child's key person regularly. Parents have some access to children's assessment information. However, they are not consistently able to approach their child's key person to seek support. Parents do not always feel confident to ask for advice about how to help children continue making progress in their learning away from the setting. Staff encourage children to develop their spatial awareness skills, such as when they guide them to complete puzzles. They also plan some enjoyable activities. For example, staff arranged an Easter egg hunt in the garden. They used the opportunity to teach children about different types of plants and trees. Staff support younger children to take an active interest in books. They support children to point out different animals and to make some loud animal noises.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

Staff have not all developed close relationships with children and some have a weak understanding of children's individual care needs. Staff do not all encourage children to 'have a go' and persevere at tasks, and just complete the task for them. Nonetheless, children do enjoy making the most of moving their bodies, such as when staff encourage children to 'shakedown' before a story-time activity. Children use the space around them well and they make an effort not to bump into friends. Staff give children some clear instructions and they remind them to follow the routine. They explain why children should not spray water near technology.

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Outcomes for children are inadequate

Children are not well prepared to move into the school environment and they display low levels of self-confidence. Older children are not consistently able to complete the most basic tasks. For example, some children are not able to zip up their own coats. Some children lack the resilience to even attempt tasks, such as a simple threading activities. Other children will accept guidance as they help tidy up the play area.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 109792 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 1126563 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 2 - 4 Total number of places 18 Number of children on roll 23 Name of registered person Naval Under Fives (Eastern Area) Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 23 November 2015 Telephone number 077 7315 4757

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reference number

Skylark Pre-School is situated in Rowner, Gosport. The pre-school is open Monday to Friday from 7.30am until 5pm. It operates during school term time and at times during the school holidays. There are five members of staff. Three members of staff hold a childcare qualification at level 3 and two members of staff hold an appropriate level 2 qualification. The pre-school receives government funding for early years education for children aged 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

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