Little Brook Pre-School

Inspection of Little Brook Pre-School Brook Lane Community Church, Brook Lane, Bromley BR1 4PX

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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 Outstanding

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The provision is inadequate

Children are not safe because the provider, who is also the manager, has not ensured that at least one member of staff holds a current paediatric first-aid certificate, since 2019. This is a breach of requirements and impacts on children's safety and well-being.

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The provision is inadequate

Children's safety cannot be assured because the provider, who is also the designated safeguarding lead, has not kept her own or her staff team's safeguarding knowledge current. The manager and staff do not have secure understanding of how to raise any safeguarding and child protection concerns, for example for those children who may need early help, who are at risk of neglect or abuse, or who may be drawn into terrorism. This has a significant impact on children's safety and well-being.

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The provision is inadequate

Not all children make the best possible progress, particularly those whose starting points are lower than their peers. Even though staff know their key children well, not all staff successfully recognise what children need to learn next to help them achieve well.

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The provision is inadequate

Children do not always demonstrate positive behaviour to show that they are emotionally secure and feel safe. This hinders children's learning. They become bored and distracted when they play outdoors. Staff do not have high expectations for children's behaviour. Nevertheless, children are generally happy, make friends and, overall, enjoy their time at the pre-school. Staff welcome children warmly when they first arrive to help them settle quickly. Parent say that they appreciate daily conversations with staff to help promote a consistent approach. Parents say the pre-school is like 'one big family'.

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need to do better?

n The manager has not supported staff well enough to help them identify professional development opportunities to raise the quality of teaching of the curriculum. The provider has not ensured staff are kept up to date with safeguarding and child protection issues, and she is unable to confirm when at least one member of staff will attend paediatric first-aid training. Furthermore, the provider has not maintained up-to-date content in the pre-school's first-aid box. Children's safety and well-being are compromised. n Not all staff recognise when children are not making the best possible progress from when they first start and the importance of early intervention. The provider does not engage with other agencies effectively at the earliest point. This means not all children receive the support they require, and they are not fully prepared for the next stages in their learning and when they go to school.

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need to do better?

28 February 2022 n The poorly sequenced and narrow curriculum does not fully build on what children know and can do. The curriculum does not always provide suitable challenges for all children. Nevertheless, children generally seek out and engage in some activities they enjoy. For example, they learn early mathematical skills, such as matching, counting and sorting, by placing mosaic pegs in a sequence. Children create coloured prints with real fruit. They begin to make links between a story about a hungry caterpillar and healthy eating. n Staff do not support or recognise children who have gaps in their learning, to ensure all children achieve well. There is ineffective support and training to help staff who have overall responsibility to identify and support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Children who are not making the best possible progress are not identified swiftly and they are at risk of quickly

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need to do better?

falling behind. n Staff promote children's good health and physical exercise. For instance, children enjoy fresh fruit and toast for a snack, and they have ample fresh air when they play outdoors. Nevertheless, there are limited meaningful opportunities to engage children and extend their learning to a good level outside, particularly for those children who prefer to learn outdoors. Staff do not always interact effectively with children outdoors to challenge and engage them in meaningful play and learning, and to help them learn to behave well. This means children become disengaged and bored. n The provider and staff do not always promote children's self-help skills to the highest level. This means that children are not always challenged to do things for themselves. Nevertheless, they are confident and social. For instance, children keenly invite visitors to join in with their play and shout out 'goodbye'

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need to do better?

when visitors leave. n The provider acts with integrity to ensure children and families in the local community access their free early education funding entitlement. However, children who start at the pre-school with less opportunities and experiences than others are not given rich and varied experiences to give them the best possible start to their education.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

The provider, who is also the designated lead for safeguarding, does not have secure knowledge of safeguarding practice, and staff's safeguarding knowledge is limited and inconsistent. The pre-school safeguarding procedures are in line with the guidance of the local safeguarding partnership. However, staff do not show a secure understanding of the action to take if they are concerned about a child's safety or when they must raise concerns themselves to external agencies. The weaknesses in staff's knowledge mean that there may be delays in referrals being made to the relevant agencies in a timely manner. The provider and staff carry out risk assessments of the premises effectively and deploy themselves to ensure children are well supervised.

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Due date

ensure that at least one person who has a current paediatric first-aid certificate is on the premises and available when children are present 23/05/2022

p.4

Due date

ensure the contents of the first-aid box are up to date 02/05/2022

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Due date

access training to understand and implement the safeguarding policy and procedures, and ensure that all staff have an up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding issues 02/05/2022

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Due date

make better links with other professionals to help children make the best possible progress and to keep them safe from harm 02/05/2022

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Due date

access training to secure knowledge of the curriculum taught, to help all children make the best possible progress and be well prepared for school, in particular communication and language skills 16/05/2022

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Due date

improve the quality of teaching and learning to help children engage in meaningful play and learning, particularly those children who prefer to learn outdoors 16/05/2022

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Due date

improve arrangements, support and training for staff to help support children with SEND 23/05/2022

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Due date

improve opportunities to further promote children's self-help skills so that they are well prepared for when they go to school. 02/05/2022

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY459722 Local authority Bromley Inspection number 10137792 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 26 Number of children on roll 7 Name of registered person Stimson, Linda Denise

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reference number

Telephone number 07767617943 Date of previous inspection 21 September 2015

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Information about this early years setting

Little Brook Pre-School registered in 1992 and is situated in the London Borough of Bromley. The pre-school is open on Mondays and Tuesdays from 9.15am until 12.15pm and from 12.15pm until 3.15pm. On Wednesdays, the session runs from 12.30pm until 3.30pm. The pre-school is open during term time only. It is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are four members of staff, all of whom hold early years qualifications. The manager holds a foundation degree in early 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 of the setting. n A range of documents was viewed by the inspector, including public liability insurance and paediatric first-aid qualifications. n The inspector gained the views of parents. n The inspector jointly observed staff interactions with the manager and assessed the impact on children's learning and development. The manager and the inspector reflected on learning experiences for children. n A tour of the premises and a learning walk were completed by the inspector and the manager to establish the manager's intent and implementation.

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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

28 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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