Sheffield Woodland Kindergarten ltd

Inspection of Sheffield Woodland Kindergarten ltd Behind Frances Newton Lynwood Gardens, 7 Clarkehouse Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S10 2LA

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Inadequate

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The provision requires improvement

The recently appointed management team are starting to have a positive impact on children's care, learning and development. However, some inconsistencies in staff knowledge and practise remain. Children, therefore, are not yet benefitting from a consistently good quality provision. Managers have not set a clear, ambitious curriculum for staff to follow. Therefore, while children enjoy the experiences provided, staff do not always effectively consider how to build on each child's prior knowledge and skills. For example, staff working with the older children, consider how activities support and extend children's prior learning. Whereas other staff focus too much on younger children's interest and not enough on the learning potential of the experiences being provided.

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The provision requires improvement

Children are happy and safe. Older children recall rules when going on walks around the local area. They discuss the importance of listening and holding someone's hand. During the walk staff focus on supporting children's listening and attention skills as well as their communication and social skills. Older children are encouraged to think and express their own thoughts. This is because staff ask meaningful questions during their play. Whereas staff working with younger children are not as skilled at effectively supporting younger children's growing vocabulary skills. This is because they tend to talk too much and sometimes bombard children with too much language all at once.

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need to do better?

n The recently appointed management team are suitably qualified and experienced. However, the provider has failed to notify Ofsted of the new manager, which is a breach of a requirement. Due to the provider being responsible for assessing the suitability of the manager, there is no negative impact on children's health and safety from this breach. n The management team have some awareness of the skills and knowledge they would like children to develop. However, their curriculum is not ambitious enough or effectively shared with staff. This results in all staff not always delivering a clear, sequenced curriculum, which successfully builds on children's prior learning. n Staff working with pre-school children understand how to plan and deliver purposeful learning experiences. For example, children design and make their own ball run out of guttering and tubes. Children's communication, language and critical thinking skills are promoted as staff encourage them to express how

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need to do better?

to build the ball run. They learn to take turns, share and to interact with their peers. Children also learn to negotiate space as they avoid each other when running to collect their balls. n Staff working with the younger children plan activities based on their interests.

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need to do better?

23 September 2022 However, they do not focus enough on what skills and knowledge they would like children to learn. While children enjoy participating in these activities, they are not effectively supported to make the progress of which they are capable. n Staff encourage pre-school children to resolve minor conflicts for themselves, instead of overly relying on staff to resolve them. For example, when a child advises the staff member that a child has taken their coloured ball, the staff member asks them what they could do. After considering this, the child approaches the other child to ask for their ball back. Children begin to share and are soon playing cooperatively together again. n Younger children enjoy joining in with singing activities. They dance around to popular action songs and recall simple words of the songs. However, their growing vocabulary is not consistently supported by staff. When talking to

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need to do better?

younger children, staff sometimes use too many words and questions. They also do not always allow children time to process what has been said. Whereas at other times, they more effectively repeat and model words when speaking to children. n Children are settled and relate well to the staff who care for them. Recent and ongoing changes to key persons, result in staff only knowing who their key children are. This results in staff not realising when other children's key persons are absent. During these periods, children's continued learning and development is not successfully promoted. n Staff do not offer consistent support for children who speak English as an additional language. Some staff use words in children's home language alongside English, valuing their uniqueness and supporting their use of English. Whereas other staff, who have recently been assigned as key person to these children, admit they are unsure how to effectively support them.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The outdoor provision is securely maintained. Children are supervised by appropriately deployed staff. The management team follow clear recruitment and vetting procedures to ensure staff working with children are suitable to do so. Improved induction procedures are used to ensure staff become familiar with their roles and responsibilities. Staff have developed a secure knowledge of child protection procedures. They are now aware of a wide range of indicators of abuse. They also fully understand the procedures to follow if they have any concerns about a child or a staff member. Children recall rules and boundaries, showing their awareness of how to maintain their own safety.

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Due date

ensure management identify and share with staff a clear, ambitious curriculum, which focuses on the broad range of skills, knowledge, and attitudes they want children to learn 01/11/2022

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Due date

ensure all staff use their knowledge of children's progress, needs and interests to identify and plan purposeful learning experiences, which build on each child's prior knowledge and skills 23/11/2022

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Due date

ensure all staff understand how to support the learning needs of children they are not key person for, so that individual learning continues when a child's own key person is absent 01/11/2022

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Due date

ensure staff working with younger children consistently support their communication and language skills 23/11/2022

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Due date

ensure all staff fully understand how to support children who speak English as an additional language (EAL), including providing opportunities for children to use their home language in their play and learning, and providing sufficient opportunities for them to learn English. 23/11/2022

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY486454 Local authority Sheffield Inspection number 10254162 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 30 Number of children on roll 37 Name of registered person Sheffield Woodland Kindergarten Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 07515021243 Date of previous inspection 19 May 2022

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Information about this early years setting

Sheffield Woodland Kindergarten ltd registered in 2015. The kindergarten employs 15 members of childcare staff. Of these, 11 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above. The kindergarten opens all year round, Monday to Friday, except for bank holidays, two weeks at Christmas, two weeks in the summer and one week at Easter. Sessions are from 8am until 5.30pm. The kindergarten provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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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 manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want the children to learn. n The inspector talked to staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The manager and inspector carried out two joint observations during planned activities. n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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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

23 September 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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