Brambles Pre-School and Out of School Club

Inspection of Brambles Pre-School and Out of School Club Warwickshire County Council, Thorns County First School, Blackthorn Road, Kenilworth, Warwickshire CV8 2DS

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Inadequate Behaviour and attitudes Inadequate Personal development Inadequate Leadership and management Inadequate Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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The provision is inadequate

Leadership and management are weak. The provider has a poor oversight of what is happening in the provision, which stems from their lack of understanding of the early years foundation stage. The management team, which is responsible for the day-to-day running of the setting, is struggling to fulfil all its roles at a good level. The arrangement for managers and staff's performance management is not good enough. Therefore, there are several breaches in legal requirements. That said, the environment is secure, well resourced and welcoming. Staff are loving and attentive. They get to know children and their families well from the start. Children settle well. Overall, they are content as they display some confidence and they clearly feel safe attending. Staff manage children's behaviour in a suitable way. They help them adhere to the simple pre-school rules. Children behave well. In the main, they learn to listen, follow direction and display friendly behaviour towards

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The provision is inadequate

their peers. However, teaching is highly variable. Staff do not provide children with enough good-quality rich, imaginative and challenging experiences targeted at promoting the key next steps in their learning across all areas. Children do not develop the most positive attitudes towards learning. Occasionally, they struggle to choose activities, they wander around for periods of time unnoticed and they do not become fully absorbed in learning. That said, the curriculum is generally broad. Children like playing with small-world vehicles, role playing, painting, exploring sand or water and making play dough. However, the management team does not monitor children's attainment carefully enough and staff do not have high expectations. Children do not progress as well as possible. They often only make steady progress, despite being capable of more. Furthermore, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not consistently benefit from good

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The provision is inadequate

support. Some children in this group make little progress from where they started.

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need to do better?

n During the last two years, the pre-school has experienced a period of significant change. The nominated person for the trust, manager and deputy manager are all new to their roles and a number of staff have left the provision in this time. The provider does not have a good enough understanding of their key roles and responsibilities. They do not have strong knowledge of the early years foundation stage legislation and current Ofsted guidance. As the provider delegates the day-to-day running of the setting to the management team, they lack insight about what is happening in the setting to support the efficient management and help maintain at least good standards. n The provider has met their obligation to notify Ofsted of new trust members and some checks are in place, including Disclosure and Barring Service checks. However, they have not provided Ofsted with all of the information they need in a timely way to ensure new trust members' suitability can be fully verified. That

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need to do better?

7 November 2019 said, this does not have an impact on the children as their overall involvement in the running of the setting is minimal. n The arrangements for the performance management of staff are weak. Managers and staff do not benefit from a programme of ongoing supervision and training. Staff are not supported well in their roles and their training needs are not identified. This does not help to foster teamwork and mutual support or promote continuous improvement across the provision. n Staff ensure children's care needs are met. They provide children with nutritious snacks in the setting. They provide access to outdoor play. Children enjoy using a variety of wheeled vehicles on the playground. Staff encourage children to develop independence in managing their self-care. However, not all staff handling food have accessed relevant food hygiene training as required. This has a minimal impact as staff know how to manage food safely.

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need to do better?

n The management team lacks knowledge of the compulsory two-year progress check for all children aged between two and three years. Staff have failed to complete this written summary of children's development to identify their strengths and weaknesses across key areas of their learning as required. n Staff observe children routinely and from this they identify their interests, stage of development and learning needs. For example, staff promote communication, language and literacy fairly well. They talk to children about their personal experiences during circle times and help them to express themselves when making some decisions. They read stories to children and they encourage them to act out familiar tales, such as 'The Gingerbread Man', using masks. However, they do not always make effective use of what they know to shape the curriculum. The management team does not monitor children's progress precisely enough. This does not help ensure that all children make consistently

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need to do better?

good progress and gain the skills required for the next stage in their learning. n The quality of teaching and staff's interactions with the children are not consistently good. For example, during transitions in the daily routine, it is not always clear what is happening. Occasionally, children become impatient or do not actively help with small tasks. Furthermore, staff sometimes prioritise routine jobs over teaching within activities, or when outside they generally supervise rather than play with the children. Overall, there is room to extend the provision provided to help foster children's enthusiasm and engagement at a higher level. n The management team does not always provide support for children with SEND at the earliest opportunity. Occasionally, these children are overlooked, and the management team fails to provide them with early help and individualised intervention to help them make good progress.

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need to do better?

n Partnership working is established. Staff share basic information with parents, other providers and some professionals about children's care and development. Parents comment that their experiences are positive and their children are well cared for here. n Self-evaluation is in place. The management team is realistic. It recognises there is room for improvement and an action plan is in place to tackle key weaknesses in practice. It is working on this, albeit slowly, and aspires to further improve.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are suitably vetted for the roles and they benefit from basic induction when they start. Ratios are maintained and children are supervised. The management team maintains its own and staff's safeguarding training. It also ensures appropriate first-aid training is undertaken where possible. Staff complete daily risk assessment checks on all aspects of the setting. This helps to ensure that the environment, toys and equipment are continually suitable. The management team and staff have sound knowledge of child protection issues and wider safeguarding issues. They know how to identify and deal with different concerns. This helps to protect children from harm.

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Due date

gain a better understanding of the early years foundation stage legislation and current Ofsted guidance to help better support the efficient management of the setting and maintain at least good standards 02/12/2019

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Due date

complete the vetting checks required for all trust members and provide this information to Ofsted in a timely way to ensure their suitability can be verified 02/12/2019

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Due date

complete a written summary of development for all children aged between two and three years as required 02/12/2019

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Due date

make better use the information obtained about children's key next steps in learning and progress, to better shape the curriculum so that all children benefit from high levels of challenge to reach their full potential 06/01/2020

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Due date

7 November 2019 build on staff's teaching skills and interactions with the children to extend the provision and foster children's enthusiasm and engagement in the experiences provided at a higher level 06/01/2020

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Due date

review the support for children with SEND and provide them with intervention support at the earliest opportunity to help promote best progress 20/12/2019

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Due date

improve the supervision, support and training opportunities for management and staff, to foster teamwork, mutual support and continuous improvement to the provision 20/12/2019

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Due date

ensure staff handling food have received relevant food hygiene training as per the legal requirements. 02/12/2019

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Setting details

Unique reference number 200830 Local authority Warwickshire Inspection number 10072473 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Sessional day care Age range of children 2 to 8 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 89 Name of registered person Thorns Community Trust

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reference number

Telephone number 01926 854486 Date of previous inspection 7 January 2016

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Information about this early years setting

Brambles Pre-School and Out of School Club registered in 1981. The setting employs nine members of childcare staff. Of these, six hold appropriate early years qualifications from level 3 to 6, including the manager who holds early years professional status. The setting offers a pre-school provision during term time from 8.55am to 2.55pm on Monday to Friday. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The setting also offers a before- and after-school club during term time from 7.45am to 8.55am and from 3pm to 6pm.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector had a tour of the setting and spoke to the manager about the environment, curriculum and the promotion of learning. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outside. She assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The inspector completed a joint observation of a planned activity with the manager. n The inspector spoke to the nominated person from the committee and staff, and held a meeting with the setting's management team. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and checked evidence of the suitability of committee members and staff working in the setting. n The inspector spoke parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection 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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Inspection activities

7 November 2019 regulates and inspects to 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.

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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