Poplar Play Centre Ltd

Inspection of Poplar Play Centre Ltd 111 Poplar High Street, Poplar, London E14 0AE

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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 Inadequate

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The provision is inadequate

Children's future success, their well-being and safety are compromised at this setting. The provider continues to fail to meet the requirements of registration and has failed to make rapid and sustained improvements. Care practices put children at risk of harm and do not teach them how to keep themselves safe. For example, staff do not place babies down to sleep safely and do not know how to safely carry and move them around. They do not make sure that equipment and resources are safe, and inaccessible to children, particularly in the garden.

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The provision is inadequate

Children are generally happy and enjoy some activities that staff provide for them. However, the quality of learning experiences and interactions from staff are inconsistent. For example, staff working with babies comment on their actions and follow their interests patiently. However, during group activities, staff rush through the activity, without paying attention to all children to help them to learn and extend their language. Nevertheless, babies show that they feel secure with their familiar adults and seek their reassurance when upset.

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The provision is inadequate

Some staff working with older children have the appropriate skills and they provide interesting activities. This helps some older children to develop fine motor skills and extend some of their language, for example during play dough activities. However, some children are left alone and without attention for too long. As with the younger children, some group activities are rushed through without the appropriate attention to children's interests and learning needs. These approaches do not foster children's positive attitude to learning. Nevertheless, older children behave well during the day.

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need to do better?

n The provider is unable to drive rapid improvement and meet the statutory requirements of the early years foundation stage (EYFS). Some of the breaches of the requirements found at this inspection have been raised before. This means that there continues to be weaknesses in the quality of the provision. n Some staff do not have a good knowledge and understanding of the EYFS. They do not understand how to deliver good-quality early years education. Staff plan what they want children to learn next. However, this is not based on a sequence of development that will help the child to progress and achieve future next steps. n The manager is working hard to implement changes and improve the quality of care and education provided to children. There are some positive changes and very ambitious plans in place for future improvements. However, these are in the early stages and require more effort from the manager and staff to ensure

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need to do better?

9 February 2022 n The provider has improved arrangements for the supervision of staff. Regular support meetings take place and there is now outside support to help the manager monitor the quality of the provision. However, improvements have not been rapid or effective enough. As a result, the weaknesses continue to occur. n Staff have recently attended a variety of training courses to address weaknesses identified at the last inspection. However, there are still some gaps in their knowledge and understanding of health and safety and safeguarding. For example, they are not aware of up-to-date guidance on safe sleeping practices for babies. Consequently, staff place young babies on their front, with their faces on the mattress. which puts them at risk of harm. In addition, some staff do not know the safest ways of moving and carrying babies. For example, they move children around in ways which could cause an injury. Some staff do not carry

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need to do better?

babies safely to ensure they are supported and cannot slip from staff's arms. These unsafe practices could put children's health and safety at risk. n The key-person system has improved. All children have an allocated key person who knows them well and is known to the child's parents or carers. In the key person's absence, the provider ensures that another key person can meet children's individual care and learning needs. However, the weaknesses in the quality of education mean that children's learning needs continue to not be met. n Staff do not understand their role in supporting children whose home language is not English. They do not provide opportunities for children to develop and use their home language in play and learning. Furthermore, they do not support parents to understand the importance of promoting children's language at home. n Parents provide positive feedback and express that they are satisfied with daily

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff have attended safeguarding training. However, training has not been effective, as some staff are still unable to identify safeguarding concerns and follow the correct procedure. In addition, some staff do not know their responsibilities under the 'Prevent' duty or how to identify a child might be at risk of radicalisation. This puts children's well-being at risk. Moreover, staff do not identify and address hazards and risks to keep children safe. For example, during the inspection, the inspector identified a number of broken toys and equipment that staff did not identify and remove. This puts children's health and safety at risk.

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Due date

ensure all staff have a secure knowledge and understanding of the safeguarding policies and procedures, are able to identify safeguarding concerns, and know the correct procedure to follow in the event of an allegation 01/03/2022

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Due date

ensure all staff have a secure understanding of contextual safeguarding matters such as 'Prevent' duty 01/03/2022

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Due date

ensure all staff have a clear knowledge and understanding of their roles and responsibilities to meet children's welfare needs effectively, in particular how to safely pick children up 01/03/2022

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Due date

ensure infants are placed down to sleep safely in line with the latest government safety guidance 01/03/2022

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Due date

improve risk assessment procedures to identify and remove or minimise potential risks, to ensure staff and children's safety. 01/03/2022

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Due date

ensure that all staff understand why they plan children's individual next steps and they know how to plan a well-thought- out curriculum which is based on what children know, can do and need to know next 01/04/2022

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Due date

improve the quality of teaching to ensure all staff offer each child sufficient challenge, help them to achieve their best possible outcomes and implement an ambitious curriculum effectively. 01/04/2022

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Setting details

Unique reference number 119605 Local authority Tower Hamlets Inspection number 10220676 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 32 Number of children on roll 38 Name of registered person Poplar Play Centre Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 020 7515 1111 Date of previous inspection 14 September 2021

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Information about this early years setting

Poplar Play Centre Ltd registered in 2000. It is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm, all year round. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The provider employs 16 members of staff, 14 of whom hold relevant childcare qualifications at level 2 or above.

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Inspection activities

n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together, where the manager shared the intent of their curriculum in each room. n The inspector carried out several joint observations in different rooms with the manager. n Children and parents talked to the inspector about their experiences at the nursery. n The inspector observed activities indoors and outside, and assessed the impact of these on children's learning and their progress. n A range of relevant documents were viewed by the inspector, including suitability checks for adults working with children.

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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

9 February 2022 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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