Arc Pre-School

Inspection of Arc Pre-School Britwell Youth & Community Project, Wentworth Avenue, SLOUGH SL2 2DH

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

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

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The provision is inadequate

Children's safety is compromised. The manager has failed to ensure that up-to-date information relating to vulnerable children who attend the setting is followed up promptly with other agencies. She, therefore, cannot be fully assured of or be able to support their ongoing safety and well-being.

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The provision is inadequate

Children arrive happily and settle into their play quickly. They are greeted warmly by staff, who treat them as individuals and are attentive to their care needs. Older children are starting to form positive friendships and seek each other out to share experiences together, for example as they play self-initiated games when they run around in the garden. Children of all ages are learning the importance of sharing and taking turns. Staff help them to understand how to keep themselves and each other safe when using climbing equipment. Children concentrate well when engaged in activities which interest them. For example, younger children focus intently as they use different equipment to fill containers in the water tray. They learn early mathematical language as they guess how long it will take to fill a container with water.

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The provision is inadequate

Some children are not being prepared well enough in readiness for school, as the manager and staff do not consistently take appropriate action when they identify gaps in learning. As a result, those children do not benefit from the support they need to catch up with their peers at the earliest opportunity.

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need to do better?

n Staff monitor children's development accurately and understand what they need to know next to make progress. However, some staff do not understand how to tailor their interactions and deliver planned activities to help children to achieve the intended learning. On occasions, children are engaged in activities and play which lack sufficient challenge and do not hold their interest for long enough. There are times when the environment is chaotic and little learning takes place. n The manager has a clear vision for the pre-school. She is in the process of working towards the local authority accreditation to tackle inequality in health and promote children's understanding of healthy lifestyles within the setting. The manager monitors staff practice to identify ways to improve teaching across the pre-school, such as through external training. However, this has not yet been embedded into practice to have a full impact on the overall quality of the

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need to do better?

provision. n Although staff supervise children well, they do not always deploy themselves effectively to support children's learning. Consequently, some staff have no option but to supervise children to ensure their safety. They do not have time to interact meaningfully to help children benefit from the planned activities. As a

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need to do better?

2 November 2021 result, some children do not spend long enough engaged in interesting and valuable experiences. n Children have lots of varied opportunities to get fresh air and exercise. They relish initiating races with each other in the large garden area while pushing wheelbarrows which they balance with building blocks. Staff take children for walks in the local area, where children set themselves challenges to climb hills. This helps them to gain a sense of achievement. Children learn about how to move their bodies in different ways during regular yoga classes. n The quality of staff interactions with children is not consistently good. Where practice is better, staff interact readily with children. They ask questions to encourage children to think and express themselves and to extend their learning. For example, children show high levels of concentration as they pour out the different ingredients to make play dough. Staff encourage them to test

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need to do better?

out what happens when they add colour to the dough, and they express awe as it changes. Children are allowed time to express themselves as they talk about the changing textures as they mix ingredients together. However, on other occasions, staff tend to take on a supervisory role, watching and playing alongside children. n Partnerships with parents are positive. Parents praise the setting for the care and wide range of activities provided to their children. Staff regularly share information with parents about their child's development. They have adapted their practice during the COVID-19 pandemic to make sure this process continues. Parents report they have regular online meetings, where they learn about the progress their children are making. n Children enjoy opportunities to learn about the natural environment. For example, children plant their own fruit and vegetables and learn about the life cycle of the foods they eat. They harvest the produce they have grown and use

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need to do better?

it to make healthy snacks. Parents also report that they receive recipes to replicate some of the healthy snack ideas they use at the setting for their children at home.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager does not effectively liaise with the local safeguarding partnership to make sure that she has up-to-date knowledge of the work they are undertaking to support vulnerable children and their families. Furthermore, important safeguarding records, such as records of contact and conversations held with other agencies, are not kept up to date. As a result, the manager cannot demonstrate she has a clear understanding of what is happening for those children in their home lives. This does not ensure children's safety can be fully assured. Nonetheless, staff do understand the signs which could indicate a child is at risk of harm and the reporting procedures which must be followed.

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Due date

maintain accurate records and obtain regular and up-to-date information from other professionals working with vulnerable children, to be fully assured of their safety and well-being 26/11/2021

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Due date

take prompt and effective action to ensure that all children with identified delays in their learning are supported at the earliest possible opportunity 26/11/2021

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Due date

ensure that staff are consistently deployed effectively to support and enhance children's experiences and learning, both indoors and outdoors 26/11/2021

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Due date

improve staff understanding of how to deliver the curriculum effectively so that they can tailor their interactions to ensure children are consistently engaged in meaningful learning and benefit fully from intended learning outcomes. 28/01/2022

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY469542 Local authority Slough Inspection number 10207503 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 Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 25 Number of children on roll 21 Name of registered person ARC Pre-School Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 07443575910 Date of previous inspection 7 September 2016

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Information about this early years setting

Arc Pre-School registered in 2013. The pre-school operates from Britwell Youth and Community Project in Slough, Berkshire. The pre-school opens during term time only. The opening times are Monday to Thursday from 9am to 3pm, and Friday from 9am to midday. The pre-school receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The pre-school owner employs six members of staff. Of these, four hold appropriate childcare qualifications.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the setting received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the setting. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the pre-school and discussed the early years curriculum. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection about how they support children's learning and their understanding of the policies and procedures in place to keep children safe. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation during snack time. n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views, along with written feedback from parents.

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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

2 November 2021 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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