Little Lions Preschool

Inspection of Little Lions Preschool Empower Centre, 47 Botley Drive, Havant, Hampshire PO9 4PJ

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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

There are breaches in the safeguarding and welfare, and learning and development requirements. The provider has recruited a new manager, who has only been in post for a very short period. Steps have been taken to improve the quality of care and education since the last inspection. However, the new manager has not been in post long enough to fully embed the actions required. Therefore, the quality of the provision does not currently meet consistently good standards.

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The provision is inadequate

Despite this, the new manager and her team offer a supportive and warm welcome to children and their families on arrival to the pre-school. Children show they feel safe and secure as they confidently engage in free-flow activities. Children enjoy playing and exploring the outdoor provision.

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The provision is inadequate

Children do not receive the benefit of well-considered and purposeful learning opportunities. At times, intended planned activities are either not carried out or not understood by staff. Therefore, children do not gain valuable knowledge and skills to contribute to what they already know and can do.

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The provision is inadequate

At times, children struggle with sharing and when things do not go their way, they can become fractious and upset. Staff deal with incidents as they arise, but do not empower children to manage their own behaviour well. That said, children play alongside one another as they enjoy imaginative play opportunities in the mud kitchen. They use pans and utensils and add water to sand mixtures to make pretend cakes and ice cream in the mud kitchen. They share their play ideas with the adults that care for them.

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need to do better?

n The provider recognises that they still require further action to drive continual improvement. This is because there are still weaknesses in the quality of the provision that require attention. Leaders and managers are committed to put things right to reach a good standard. The provider has deployed an operations manager to work alongside the new manager. This is to implement and embed the actions required to raise the standards at the pre-school. Currently, children and families do not receive consistent quality in the offer of care and education afforded to them. n The manager does not have secure knowledge in regard to referring child protection concerns. She is not clear about the process to follow for managing allegations and who to report concerns to in line with local procedures. n Leaders and managers work with advisers from the local authority to support staff to enhance their practice. However, the quality of teaching is inconsistent.

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need to do better?

Some staff still lack knowledge of how to plan and implement the curriculum. As

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need to do better?

7 July 2022 a result, their learning is often incidental rather than purposeful. n Despite the weaknesses in teaching, staff successfully provide regular activities aimed at promoting children's communication and language. For example, children thoroughly enjoy singing songs and joining their friends for a group story time around the campfire area in the outdoor space. They listen well and join in with repeated refrains from the script. Children are keen to share their ideas about the plot of the story and retell aspects they can recall of what happened in the text to adults. n Provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is inconsistent. Arrangements to ensure staff are reviewing individual education plans and keeping them updated are ineffective. Staff's planning and next steps do not precisely meet the needs of children that require extra support to catch up. At times, some staff fail to carry out their planned activities. This does not

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need to do better?

provide children with the intervention they need to help them reach their highest potential. n Key persons complete the two year progress check assessment for their key children. However, leaders do not have effective oversight to ensure that parents and carers receive this report promptly when it is completed. As a result, some parents are yet to read or contribute their own views on this assessment and have an up-to-date overview about the progress their children make. n Partnership with parents is not as effective as it could be. Parents comment that communication between the setting and themselves is not always clear. Therefore, at times, parents miss details regarding events and information about what their key person is focusing on for their children and what they plan to do next.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager does not have a secure knowledge about the agencies with statutory responsibilities in line with local safeguarding partnership procedures. Furthermore, the process for managing allegations regarding concerns about individuals that work with children and their families is also not secure. This includes knowledge around seeking support and making a referral to the local authority designated officer. Despite this, leaders ensure they follow safe recruitment processes and conduct vetting checks to ensure staff are suitable to work with children. There are risk assessments conducted at the setting to aim to ensure that the premises are safe, secure and suitable for children.

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Due date

take action to ensure all managers understand reporting processes in line with local safeguarding procedures 09/09/2022

p.4

Due date

ensure the manager improves their knowledge and understanding of allegation management, taking account of local safeguarding children's partnership's advice and policy 09/09/2022

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Due date

ensure key persons work closely with the special educational needs coordinator and parents to ensure targeted plans are consistent, regularly worked on and reviewed to help children reach their highest potential ready for their next stages of education 09/09/2022

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Due date

improve arrangements to ensure parental partnership is effective, so that all parents receive up-to-date details regarding the setting, progress their children are making, next steps and how they can support their learning at home. 09/09/2022

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Due date

ensure parents and carers receive information about their children's two year check at the point it is written, so they have opportunities to comment and contribute towards this formal assessment 09/09/2022

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Due date

ensure staff have even further rigorous professional development opportunities, where they receive clear feedback to precisely identify weaknesses in teaching practice and put steps in place to address and monitor this, so that teaching continually improves to the highest level 01/12/2022

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Due date

7 July 2022 create an ambitious and inclusive curriculum that has clear intentions for what children need to learn, and ensure staff know and understand this, so they can implement high-quality learning experiences, to help children make good progress across all areas of learning consistently. 01/12/2022

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should:

n support staff to empower children with skills and encouragement they need to manage their own behaviour well.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY557605 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 10231534 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 26 Number of children on roll 26 Name of registered person Carr, Rebecca

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Telephone number

Date of previous inspection 28 February 2022

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Information about this early years setting

Little Lions Preschool registered in 2018 and is located in Havant, Hampshire. The pre-school opens Monday to Friday, from 9am to 3pm, term time only. The pre- school employs four members of childcare staff. All of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 to 5. The pre-school receives funding for children aged two, three and four years.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The inspector went on a learning walk with the manager to establish the priorities for the curriculum. n A joint observation was completed and discussed with the manager. n The inspector observed the quality of education during activities indoors and outdoors and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The inspector tracked children to establish what it is like for a child at the setting. n The manager shared relevant documentation, with the inspector, such as evidence of Disclosure and Barring Service checks, first-aid certificates and the safeguarding policy. n The inspector held a discussion with the manager in relation to the leadership and management of the nursery. n The inspector invited parents to share their views. The inspector took account of

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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

7 July 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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