The Griffin School

Inspection of The Griffin School 154 Castle Road, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP1 3SA

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Inadequate 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

Weaknesses in leadership and management compromise children's learning. The management team plans a suitable curriculum, but does not monitor staff's practice adequately to ensure this is implemented effectively. This is particularly evident when children's key persons are not present. Staff covering their absence do not always know how to support children's individual learning needs. Staff are caring, but do not provide the younger children with the interaction they need to help them engage and learn through their play. Babies sit and explore toys that are within their reach. However, staff do not support the babies in purposeful activities that will build securely on their existing skills. For example, they do not encourage the older babies to pull themselves up to standing and develop their physical mobility. Toddlers wander around with little to do. They pick up toys but, as they are not helped to understand how to play with them, they simply put them down

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The provision is inadequate

again. They stand looking out of the window with little input from staff, who are otherwise engaged feeding the younger babies and trying to get them to settle or go to sleep. This lack of high-quality interactions means that these children are not supported to become motivated learners and they do not make sufficient progress. Older children play with some colourful, interlocking construction shapes, but staff are not clear on the intent of this activity to support children's development. Staff are not able to implement the curriculum adequately to help all children develop the knowledge and skills needed for their future learning.

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The provision is inadequate

Staff have identified that, following the lockdown period due to COVID-19, children have needed more encouragement to concentrate in activities. However, they do not provide activities that support children with the challenge appropriate to their individual learning needs and encourage them to focus more within their play. For example, staff do not recognise children's differing levels of ability within a group activity. Staff spend too much time trying to get children to recognise the months of the year, which is a concept that they do not all understand. This results in children losing concentration and becoming restless, as the activity does not hold their interest well enough.

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need to do better?

n The management team does not monitor staff deployment and key-person arrangements effectively. When key persons are absent, children become upset and unsettled as they are cared for by staff who do not know them well enough and do not always support their individual needs and routines. This has an impact on their emotional well-being. n The management team has not sustained the improvements seen at the last inspection. Although staff have supervision meetings, these are not used effectively to monitor and develop practice. For example, the manager does not

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need to do better?

10 November 2021 observe staff working with the children regularly enough to have an accurate picture of where improvements are needed to ensure the quality of education is good. n Staff do not implement risk assessments effectively or supervise children well enough to ensure they are all within sight and/or hearing at all times. As a result, children wander into other areas of the nursery unnoticed by staff who are caring for them. n The organisation of lunchtime is poor. Staff focus on routine tasks which limits their interactions with the children. Consequently, noise levels rise, some children get up from the lunch table and become unsettled and restless. This does not support children's personal, social and emotional development. n Staff working with the older children encourage their language skills and introduce more complex words, such as hibernation or archaeology. Older children start to use language well to express their ideas, such as when they

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need to do better?

wash their hands and tell staff, 'we have to use our big muscles to turn on the tap'. However, staff working with the younger children fail to promote their early communication skills and language development. n Staff encourage children's understanding of the world within a range of interesting outings. For example, children like going to a nature wildlife park with staff, where they see animals, such as foxes, otters and boar. Children explore caves with staff and learn about stalactites and stalagmites. n Parents comment that they like the variety of outings their children experience. They also speak positively about the library system of sharing books each week.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

The management team and staff do not ensure the premises are fully secure and safe. Measures to prevent children from having unsupervised access to areas of the premises which present a risk to their safety, such as the main entrance, are not effective enough. In addition, children can access the kitchen when hot food is in saucepans on the cooker. Staff rely on children remembering that they are not allowed to enter this area and do not give sufficient consideration to the ability of new or younger children to understand potential dangers and follow this rule. Staff have completed safeguarding training and are aware of signs that may indicate potential concerns. They have reviewed their procedures for reporting safeguarding issues and have clear systems in place to follow should a concern arise about a child's welfare.

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Due date

10 November 2021 ensure arrangements for monitoring staff practice are effective, ensure staff understand and implement the curriculum effectively and raise the quality of teaching to a good standard 12/01/2022

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Due date

ensure the key-person system is effective and supports children's individual care and learning needs at all times 12/01/2022

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Due date

ensure staff understand and implement risk assessment procedures effectively to keep children safe. 11/11/2021

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Setting details

Unique reference number 161965 Local authority Wiltshire Inspection number 10213124 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 56 Number of children on roll 97 Name of registered person Christine Hind and Gillian Taylor Partnership

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reference number

Telephone number 01722 416282 Date of previous inspection 10 July 2017

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Information about this early years setting

The Griffin School registered in 2001. This privately owned nursery is situated in Salisbury, Wiltshire. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.15am until 6.30pm for 51 weeks of the year. It offers nursery sessions in addition to before- and after- school care and a holiday club. The group receives funding for the provision of free early years education for children aged two, three and four years. The group employs 11 members of staff; of these, two hold qualified teacher status and three hold early years qualifications at level 3.

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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 provider took the inspector on a tour of the setting and explained how the curriculum is delivered. n The inspector and the provider completed a joint observation of an activity and discussed the quality of teaching. n The inspector observed children's interactions in play indoors and discussed their learning and development with staff. n A sample of documentation was viewed including staff's qualification and first- aid certificates. n The inspector took into account the views of parents she spoke with. n The provider and the inspector had a meeting and discussed the leadership and management of the nursery.

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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

10 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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