Abbots Langley Pre-School

Inspection of Abbots Langley Pre- School St Lawrence Church Hall, Abbots Langley WD5 0AS

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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 Good

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The provision is inadequate

There are multiple breaches of safeguarding and welfare requirements and learning and development requirements, that have a significant impact on children's safety and well-being. Children, including those who have specific individual needs, do not receive the quality of care and education to which they are entitled. Due to significant staffing issues and changes across the setting, there is a very limited curriculum in place. As a result, children do not engage in meaningful play and learning. Staff frequently have to focus on trying to meet children's care needs, which leaves them with little time to respond to support children's learning.

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The provision is inadequate

A lack of planned, purposeful activity, coupled with a poorly managed learning environment, means that most children have few opportunities to engage with staff. This limits their ability to develop key skills for future learning, such as their speaking and listening skills. Staff are also unable to work with children to close identified gaps in their development. This undermines the progress of children with developing special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Children are frequently bored and their behaviour deteriorates. Staff are unable to intervene in some behavioural incidents and this means that children receive very mixed messages about what is expected of them. Children do not make sufficient progress as a result of the experiences they receive at the pre-school.

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need to do better?

n The provider does not have adequate oversight of the quality at the pre-school or of their responsibilities as a registered provider, to ensure that all requirements are met. For example, Ofsted has not been informed of all persons who make up the registered body. This does not help ensure that the relevant checks are completed to assess their suitability. Additionally, the provider has failed to inform Ofsted of a change in the manager of the setting. The provider does not follow their own and the local safeguarding partner's procedures with regards to allegations against staff. n The manager and staff clearly care about the children who come to pre-school. Any child who is distressed is warmly comforted and staff try to meet children's emotional needs. However, despite raising their concerns about the deterioration in quality with the provider, insufficient action has been taken to address their

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need to do better?

concerns. A number of staff have left the setting at short notice, and have yet to be replaced with permanent staff. This means that children are frequently cared for by staff who stay for a short period of time. These staff have limited understanding of their roles. They do not understand the, sometimes, significant needs of the children they are being asked to care for or even their names. n Staff tend to observe the children rather than engage with them. Those staff who are most experienced in working directly with children to support their

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need to do better?

24 March 2022 learning are frequently occupied with basic care tasks. Other staff fail to recognise emerging risks or to take action to address them. This means that children are frequently exposed to hazards, such as being able to climb over a fence into a car park by standing on a box. They also walk around with food in their mouths. As the staff team is so stretched, the key-person system is ineffective. This means that children's individual needs are not securely met. For example, at times children are left in wet nappies or wet clothes for longer than necessary. n At times, when staff are able to sit with children there are moments of calm and children have some engagement with staff to support their learning. For example, children build towers with blocks and take part in a large role-play activity, where they pretend to go on a trip to the shops. This engages most children for some time. However, the activity loses momentum and children's

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need to do better?

behaviour deteriorates again. Staff take some measures to promote children's independence. For example, children wash their hands before eating. n There are no clear strategies in place to manage children's behaviour as new initiatives are brought in frequently. Staff are not trained in these initiatives and this leads to confusion in the team. Children are not aware of what is expected of them and they find it more difficult to regulate their own behaviour. Staff, sometimes, use physical intervention in children's behaviour unnecessarily. For instance, they pick children up and move them, and this means that children do not learn how to manage their own behaviour. n Staffing arrangements are insufficient to meet the needs of children present. There are not enough staff with secure knowledge of the setting procedures or of the needs of individual children. As a result, children do no receive supportive

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need to do better?

and effective help to make progress in their learning. This includes children who receive extra funding. The provider and manager have not established how to spend the funding for the needs of these children. Arrangements for children with emerging SEND are ineffective and these children do not receive appropriate support during their time at pre-school. n Training in place for staff who are new to the setting is insufficient to induct them into their roles. Staff are not aware of basic procedures in the pre-school, such as how to manage any head injuries. This means that they do not follow the appropriate steps to protect children's health.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

There is limited oversight from the provider. This, coupled with their poor knowledge of some of their responsibilities, means that the approach to child protection is inconsistent. Some staff have a limited knowledge of all signs of abuse and the processes to follow. The manager is frequently too overwhelmed by her responsibilities to have clear oversight of all issues. She has established some effective links with outside professionals who are involved in children's lives, to share relevant information to protect children. However, she is poorly supported by the provider and procedures to recognise and respond to developing concerns are

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Safeguarding

24 March 2022 poor. This does not assure children's safety.

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Due date

ensure that all adults working with children understand and follow appropriate procedures for managing children's behaviour 29/04/2022

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Due date

make sure staff keep a record of any physical intervention and share the information with parents as soon as possible 29/04/2022

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Due date

implement an effective policy and procedure, in line with the local safeguarding partners, with particular regard to allegations against staff 29/04/2022

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Due date

ensure all staff understand how to act and respond to child protection concerns and allegations against staff, including reporting to statutory agencies 29/04/2022

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Due date

implement effective induction, training and supervision procedures, so that all persons who work with children understand and are able to fulfil the requirements of their role 29/04/2022

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Due date

make sure that all persons working with children understand and follow the accident procedures in relation to head injuries 29/04/2022

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Due date

undertake effective risk assessment to identify all potential hazards and to remove or minimise those hazards 29/04/2022

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Due date

ensure that staffing arrangements meet children's needs and assure their safety 29/04/2022

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Due date

24 March 2022 take all necessary steps to ensure that children are unable to leave unaccompanied 29/04/2022

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Due date

ensure that each child has a key person who understands their needs, to provide them with a settled relationship and to make sure their individual needs are met at all times 29/04/2022

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Due date

provide Ofsted with all necessary information to undertake all required checks on persons who make up the registered body. 29/04/2022

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Due date

ensure that practitioners consider the individual needs, interests and development of each child in their care and use this information to plan a challenging and enjoyable experience for each child in all areas of learning and development 29/04/2022

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Due date

take action to ensure that staff can identify and minimise any emerging gaps in children's development early, such as communication and personal, social and emotional development 29/04/2022

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Due date

ensure that practitioners understand what they want children in the setting to learn, and provide effective learning experiences that stimulate children's interests and to respond to each child's emerging needs. 29/04/2022

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY540884 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 10231638 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 44 Name of registered person Abbots Langley Pre-School Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 07467101306 Date of previous inspection 23 November 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Abbots Langley Pre-School registered in 2016. The pre-school employs three members of childcare staff. Of these, two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday, during term time only. Morning sessions are from 9am to 12 midday, a lunch club is offered from 12 midday to 12.30pm and afternoon sessions are from 12.15pm to 3.15pm. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first 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 This inspection was carried out following the risk assessment process. n The inspector viewed all areas of the provision and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. n The manager and the inspector discussed the curriculum and what it is that they want their children to learn. n Children spoke to the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector observed the interactions between staff and children. n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector. n The inspector carried out joint observations of group activities with the manager. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in 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

24 March 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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