The Forest Pre-School At North Baddesley

Inspection of The Forest Pre-School At North Baddesley North Baddesley County Infant School, 140 Botley Road, North Baddesley, Southampton, Hampshire SO52 9EE

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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 Not applicable

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The provision is inadequate

Children's welfare is put at risk as staff lack sufficient understanding of safeguarding matters and procedures. Although children feel safe in staff's care and form positive relationships with them, their well-being and safety is not assured. Staff interactions with some children vary and are sometimes not sustained well. They do not implement the curriculum intentions consistently in their teaching. Sometimes, staff do not build well on what children know and can do already. Some children do not receive enough support to promote their communication and language skills effectively. This also means that identified emerging gaps in some children's learning are not supported well enough to help close these quickly. However, children happily spend time in the woodland. Most confidently explore and investigate with a strong sense of curiosity during their self-initiated play. For example, a small group of children played on a mound of

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The provision is inadequate

earth together. They confidently tested out their ideas as they re-positioned lengths of drainpipe to roll cars down.

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The provision is inadequate

Children's interests are known by staff who provide activities linked to these, such as painting. This helps some younger new children to settle as they engage in activities they like and are familiar with. Children demonstrate appropriate care and consideration for their friends. Older children are seen to be caring towards younger children, giving them support and help. Older children show some understanding about the rules and boundaries, such as when the campfire is lit. This helps develop their awareness of recognising and managing risk.

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need to do better?

n Leaders lack a clear oversight about the quality of the provision. They have not identified weaknesses in practice to address these. Leaders do not monitor staff practice carefully enough. Staff supervision is not always focused well enough to identify and close gaps in staff's knowledge and skills. Leaders have not done enough to check staff's knowledge and understanding to ensure they are confident about their roles and responsibilities. However, leaders do demonstrate a commitment to improving the quality of the provision and staff practice. n Staff do not know enough about safeguarding issues and matters to protect children's welfare. This means children's well-being is compromised. In addition, leaders and staff have not assessed the possible risks relating to changing children's nappies out of sight and hearing of other staff. This does not keep children safe or protect staff from possible allegations.

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need to do better?

n Children have fun exploring in the natural environment, such as digging in the mud pit. Leaders have identified that due to the impact of COVID-19 some children need more support in their learning. However, staff do not implement

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need to do better?

30 November 2021 the expected curriculum learning intentions well enough. For example, sometimes, staff do not regularly interact or sustain interactions with some children. At times, staff do not provide sufficient support for children's learning, particularly in relation to their communication and language development. This does not help all children to gain skills and knowledge needed for their future learning. For instance, children who play happily on their own or with friends, sometimes, only receive basic interactions and support from staff. However, at times, some staff offer better teaching to children, such as explaining the names of tools and what they are used for. n Staff are identifying emerging gaps in children's progress and development. However, they do not consistently offer the support some children need to help them catch up. Staff are aware of who to gain professional advice from, and

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need to do better?

where to signpost parents to, for guidance and support. n Partnerships with parents and carers are strong. Staff communicate well with them. For example, through discussions and through an online app. This helps to provide a range of information about children's time at the pre-school. Parents and carers speak positively about the pre-school. They praise the staff and say their children enjoy attending and that they gain confidence from their experiences. n Staff have made some links with other early years settings children also attend. However, sometimes, there is not always a proactive approach to making these links. This does not promote a fully consistent approach to supporting children's needs across the different settings they attend. n Children benefit from being outdoors. They develop their confidence in their physical abilities effectively. They develop their muscles and coordination as they

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need to do better?

climb the 'mountain' and when they gain confidence, to run back down it. Children follow suitable routines to help promote their good health, such as handwashing before eating. Snack times are appropriately sociable. Children are offered healthy food and drinks, such as fruit and milk. Their dietary needs are known and catered for and ingredients are carefully checked, such as for allergens.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff lack understanding of safeguarding. This includes wider safeguarding matters, such as those linked to the 'Prevent' duty. Staff do not have enough knowledge about how to identify and manage concerns, including the procedures to make a referral outside of the setting. Despite undertaking recent training, the setting's designated safeguarding lead member of staff has limited knowledge for their role. This means they are unable to support other staff should they have any safeguarding concerns. Processes for nappy changes have not been assessed well enough to ensure they protect children and staff. The woodland area is appropriately secure to promote children's safety. Staff have completed paediatric first-aid training that includes additional training specific for forest school settings.

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Due date

ensure all staff receive training about the safeguarding policy and procedure, so that they gain a confident understanding of how to recognise and respond to any concerns about children or other staff, including who to report these to outside of the setting 31/12/2021

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Due date

ensure all staff gain a good awareness of wider safeguarding matters, such as those relating to the 'Prevent' duty 31/12/2021

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Due date

ensure the setting's designated safeguarding lead staff member has a good knowledge and understanding about safeguarding issues and matters to enable them to manage any concerns about children or other staff effectively, and to enable them to provide accurate advice and guidance to staff about any concerns they may have 31/12/2021

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Due date

assess the risks relating to changing children's nappies and ensure these processes protect children and staff 31/12/2021

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Due date

ensure staff gain a good understanding of how to promote children's communication and language development to implement the curriculum intentions, so that children receive consistently good support to help them gain the skills they need for their future learning 28/02/2022

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Due date

ensure staff interactions are purposeful, so that these extend and build on what children know and can do already, to ensure any emerging gaps in their development are supported to help them make good progress 28/02/2022

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Due date

30 November 2021 provide effective supervision to all staff to help gain a clear oversight of the quality of practice and provision, and ensure the support staff need is identified and that they receive tailored training, coaching and mentoring to enable them to implement consistently good practice that raises the quality of the provision. 28/01/2022

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should:

n take steps to form links with other settings children attend to share information and provide a consistent approach to meet their learning and care needs n ensure the monitoring of the provision is effective to identify and address weaknesses in practice to raise the quality to a consistently good level.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2524830 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 10208221 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

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inspection

Total number of places 32 Number of children on roll 23 Name of registered person Calder & Hannam Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 07909241898 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

The Forest Pre-School At North Baddesley registered in 2019. It is operated by a company called Calder & Hannam Ltd. It is located at North Baddesley County Infant School site and uses part of their grounds. The provider also runs a number of other similar settings with a forest school ethos. The pre-school is currently open during term time, Monday to Friday from 9am to 3pm. There are six staff employed to work with the children who all hold relevant early years qualifications at level 2 or above. Some staff, including the manager and supervisor, hold relevant forest school qualifications.

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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 of the provider. n The manager took the inspector on a learning walk of the pre-school and explained the curriculum intentions and provided information about the forest school approach. n Discussions and meetings were held with the manager and staff during the inspection. n Some parents and carers spoke to the inspector and shared their views about the pre-school. n The manager and the inspector observed and evaluated an activity together. n Children chatted and interacted with the inspector.

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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

30 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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