Play Place The Ark

Play Place The Ark Stone Baptist Church hill House Road, Dartford DA2 6HQ

p.1

Inspection date 31 October 2018 Previous inspection date Not applicable

p.1

This inspection: Inadequate 4

Previous inspection: Not applicable Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate 4 Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate 4 Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate 4 Outcomes for children Inadequate 4

p.1

The provision is inadequate

n Staff with incomplete suitability checks are left unsupervised with children. Staff do not have a clear understanding of the safeguarding policy. There are gaps in their knowledge of child protection and signs that a child may be at risk of harm. n Health and safety processes, including risk assessments, do not ensure that the premises are always safe and hygienic for children. n Staff do not complete progress checks for children aged between two and three years. Parents do not receive a written summary of their child's progress. as required. n The monitoring of teaching is not effective. It does not identify all weaknesses in practice. This means children do not always receive quality learning experiences. n Staff do not use assessment effectively to identify accurate steps for children's learning. This means activities are not planned to meet individual children's needs. n Staff do not consistently challenge children's behaviour or provide them with an

p.1

The provision is inadequate

explanation as to why their behaviour is not acceptable.

p.1

It has the following strengths

n Staff provide children with nutritious snacks and children enjoy daily opportunities to play outside.

p.1

What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must: Due date ensure suitability checks, including a Disclosure and Barring Service Check, are completed before staff are left unsupervised with children 14/11/2018

p.2

What the setting needs to do to improve further

ensure all staff understand the safeguarding policy and procedures, and have an up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding issues, including the 'Prevent' duty 14/11/2018

p.2

What the setting needs to do to improve further

ensure the premises meet safety and hygiene requirements; with specific regard to smoke alarms and the cleanliness of toilets 14/11/2018

p.2

What the setting needs to do to improve further

ensure staff have a suitable knowledge of health and safety so that they can identify, assess and minimise potential hazards and risks to children 21/11/2018

p.2

What the setting needs to do to improve further

complete the required progress check for children aged between two and three years, and provide parents with a written summary of their child's progress 21/11/2018

p.2

What the setting needs to do to improve further

ensure staff have suitable knowledge and understanding of assessment so they can monitor children's progress accurately and plan appropriate next steps in learning to meet children's individual needs 21/11/2018

p.2

What the setting needs to do to improve further

improve the monitoring of teaching practice to ensure children receive quality learning and development experiences 21/11/2018

p.2

What the setting needs to do to improve further

raise staff awareness of how to support children consistently to manage their behaviour. 21/11/2018

p.2

What the setting needs to do to improve further

Inspection activities n The inspector observed the quality of teaching and assessed the impact it has on children's learning and development. n The inspector held a meeting with the newly appointed manager. The inspector looked at relevant documentation, such as the suitability of staff working at the pre-school and processes of self-evaluation. n The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager. n The inspector spoke to staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection. n The inspector spoke to parents and took account of their views. Inspector Michaela Borland

p.2

Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

Safeguarding is not effective. There are significant weaknesses in leadership and management that have an impact on children's safety, learning and well-being. Recruitment and vetting processes are not robust. Staff work unsupervised with children before suitability checks are complete. Risk assessments do not identify all potential hazards to ensure the premises are safe for children. For example, there is no fire detection equipment and the provider has not considered the potential risk of injury to children around internal doors. Although the provider and manager have identified some priorities for improvement, they do not evaluate the provision effectively to improve the overall quality of the pre-school. The provider and manager have failed to identify many of the weaknesses in the pre-school.

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

Staff do not monitor children's progress across all areas of learning. Progress checks, including the check for children between two and three years of age, are not used to identify emerging concerns in children's development. This means children do not receive the additional support they need to progress their learning and development. Although all staff are qualified, this does not have a positive impact on children's learning. The quality of teaching is inconsistent and some staff interactions with children are poor. They do not ignite children's curiosity or motivate them to learn. Training that staff attend does not meet the needs of all children. Staff do not gather enough information from parents about what children can already do on entry to the pre-school. Staff do not share a detailed summary of their observations with parents.

p.4

Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

Weaknesses in leadership and management mean children's welfare and safety are not assured. Parts of the pre-school, such as children's toilets, are not kept clean. Some activities are not closely supervised, resulting in potential hazards for children and staff. For example, in the pre-school room there are large pools of water on the floor for extended periods and children's toilets are not always hygienic. Behaviour management is weak which compromises children's learning. For example, children often run around the room and noise levels are frequently high. This disturbs other children during their play.

p.4

Outcomes for children are inadequate

The provider and manager do not monitor the progress of different groups of children to identify any gaps in learning. The weaknesses in teaching mean children, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, are not consistently supported to make good progress. Not all children acquire the skills they need for their next stage in learning and move to school.

p.4

Setting details

Unique reference number EY539836 Local authority Kent Inspection number 10077301 Type of provision Sessional day care

p.5

Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Childcare on non-domestic premises Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 35 Number of children on roll 29 Name of registered person Play Place Child Care Services Limited

p.5

reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 07985 771045

p.5

reference number

Play Place The Ark is one of several settings owned by Play Place Child Care Services Limited. The setting registered in 2016 and is located in Dartford, Kent. It is open from 9am to 3.30pm on Monday to Friday, during term time. The setting employs six members of childcare staff. Of these, four hold a childcare qualification at level 3 and two at level 2 . The setting provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

p.5

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.

p.5

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.ofsted.gov.uk . 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, 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.

p.5

reference number

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.6

reference number

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk

p.6

reference number

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: www.ofsted.gov.uk/user .

p.6

reference number

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

p.6