Potter's House Preschool

Inspection of Potter's House Preschool Yapton Scout Hut, Drove Lane, Arundel BN18 0EB

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not applicable

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The provision requires improvement

Children do not make the maximum progress they are capable of due to weaknesses in the implementation of the curriculum. The quality of education children receive is variable, and learning is more incidental than purposeful. The manager has identified areas that children need support in due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, not all staff engage with children in daily routines to develop their language skills well. Despite this, children show they are settled and secure. They are confident to separate from their main carers when they arrive at nursery.

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The provision requires improvement

Children are enthusiastic to explore the large outdoor environment and seek out friends to access a range of open-ended resources to facilitate their play. For instance, children enjoy exploring in the mud kitchen and use mud, water, twigs and hay to create mixtures. They delight in tipping, pouring and mixing using a variety of different containers as they pretend to make tea. Children behave well and have a positive and resilient attitude to learning. For example, children do not give up when trying to work out how to use a water dispenser to pour drinks. They have positive relationships with friends and help each other at the drinks station.

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need to do better?

n The manager has clear intentions for what children need to learn. This has helped her to decide what the priorities are for the curriculum. However, teaching practice across the staff team is variable and not yet fully embedded. Therefore, the curriculum is not always delivered precisely enough to help children make consistently good progress. n Some staff do not always recognise opportunities for children to build and extend on their existing learning. Furthermore, children are not always supported to develop their language skills within their play and daily routines. At times, staff do not provide children with enough high-quality interactions to challenge them. n Leaders do not ensure that all children are supported to achieve the highest possible outcomes across the nursery. Staff complete the required progress checks for children between the ages of two and three years old. However, they do not always act swiftly enough to provide targeted intervention when they

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need to do better?

identify that children are not making expected levels of progress. n Staff do not take all opportunities to teach and support children's understanding of healthy lifestyles. For example, prior to lunch, staff support children with handwashing, but no discussions are held with children to reinforce messages about the importance and benefits of engaging in hygiene practices. Furthermore, staff do not actively engage in discussions to help children learn how healthy eating affects their bodies.

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need to do better?

11 November 2021 n Staff support children in learning how to stay safe themselves. However, they do not help children to learn about screen time and online safety. This would empower children to know simple ways to keep safe when they may have access to devices. n Parents comment positively about how much their children enjoy going to nursery. Children and their families are offered opportunities to participate in nursery events which contributes to children learning about their community. n Staff set expectations for children's behaviour to keep everyone safe. Children understand how to behave and staff support them to overcome minor behavioural altercations quickly. At times, staff do not support children's emotional health well. For example, when children express they are feeling upset or cross, staff fail to acknowledge and validate children's feelings and offer 'singing' as a distraction instead. This does not give children the tools they need

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need to do better?

to learn how to regulate their emotions. n Children are resilient in their approach to learning. Even when tasks are hard, they are persistent and keep trying until they achieve their intended goal.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The designated safeguarding lead (DSL) has a secure understanding of her role. She accesses training to ensure her child protection knowledge is current. The staff team demonstrates they recognise indicators of abuse. Staff have good knowledge about safeguarding issues, including extremism, female genital mutilation and allegations. The staff team know to report any concerns to their DSL without delay. The DSL and staff are confident in knowing how to make a referral in line with local procedures, including what action to take if an allegation is made against a member of staff. The manager understands about safer recruitment processes and checks staff's ongoing suitability to work with children.

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Due date

provide coaching to improve the quality of staff's teaching practice and interactions so they clearly understand what they intend to teach and how to implement this for children to be consistently engaged 16/12/2021

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Due date

11 November 2021 take prompt and effective action to ensure that that all children with identified delays following their progress checks at age two receive intervention at the earliest opportunity. 16/12/2021

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should:

n develop a more consistent approach to help children build on their understanding about practices that support healthy lifestyle choices around diet, hygiene and how to stay safe online.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2634340 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 10203385 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 36 Number of children on roll 43 Name of registered person Potter's House Preschool Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 07981843238 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Potter's House Preschool opened in 2017 and was re-registered in 2021. It operates from the Yapton Scout Hut in Arundel, West Sussex. The pre-school opens from 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, during term time only. The setting employs six members of childcare staff. Of these, four hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The provider is in receipt of funding to provide early education to children aged two, three and four years.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider 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. n The manager and inspector completed a learning walk and discussed how the manager decided what children needed to learn through the early years curriculum. n The inspector spoke to all staff during the course of the inspection to ascertain their views. n The inspector spoke to parents at the start of the day to take an account of their views and experiences of the nursery. n The inspector and manager carried out a joint observation of a group activity. n The inspector tracked the experiences of children to establish what it is like for a child to attend the setting. n The manager provided the inspector with documentation in line with the inspection handbook. n A leadership and management meeting was held with the owner.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector provided feedback to the provider.

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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

11 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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