Precious Little Smiles- Day Nursery, Stratford upon Avon

Inspection of Stratford Childcare Hub 8 Mansell Street, Stratford-upon-avon CV37 6NR

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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 Not applicable

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The provision is inadequate

There are significant concerns in leaders' understanding of how to keep children safe from harm. For example, they do not check the suitability of all staff who work directly and unsupervised with the children. Leaders also allow 16-year-old and 17- year-old staff, who have not been deemed suitable, competent or responsible, to have sole charge of children. These breaches to requirements mean that children's safety and well-being cannot be assured.

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The provision is inadequate

Children aged under two do not have a separate room. Older children, including those of school-age, rush past and climb over babies and young children to get to the resources or to get to the sofa in the room. There are multiple occasions when babies and young children are nearly knocked over because of this. Staff do not encourage older children to take care or to play carefully near the babies and young children to protect them from harm.

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The provision is inadequate

The curriculum lacks ambition and does not cater for children's different ages and stages of development. In addition, the majority of staff are unqualified. Consequently, they lack the understanding and knowledge of how they can care for and support children to make adequate progress in their learning. Staff fail to provide enough stimulating activities or experiences for children. This results in occasions when children are not engaged in any learning at all. However, staff provide the children with balanced meals. They also take the children on local walks to get exercise, which helps children to understand how to live healthy lifestyles.

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need to do better?

n Leaders do not ensure that children are adequately supervised or have their needs met or their well-being prioritised. There are seven staff working with the children, six of whom do not hold a relevant early years qualification. This means that leaders have failed to ensure that at least half of all staff have at least a level 2 qualification. They also allow 16-year-old and 17-year-old staff to work unsupervised with children. For example, they are left alone with children at sleep times and are given the responsibility to collect other children from school. Furthermore, leaders often leave unqualified staff to look after children while they are away from the premises. n Leaders have not put in place effective supervisions or appraisals to identify any gaps in staff's knowledge or any training they would benefit from. They also do not coach staff with an aim of improving their knowledge and skills of working

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need to do better?

with children. Consequently, staff have poor knowledge of how they can support children to thrive in their development. They also show little or no understanding of how they can improve the experiences that children receive. This has an

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need to do better?

28 November 2022 impact on the overall quality of the provision. n The manager is qualified at level 3. However, she lacks the competence, knowledge and understanding of the learning and development requirements of the early years foundation stage. Her weak knowledge means that she is unable to recognise poor practice, and she is not able to ensure that children receive high-quality teaching and learning opportunities. The nominated individual has not identified this as a weakness and therefore has not put any support in place for her. This incompetent practice does not ensure that the provision is able to continuously improve over time. n The curriculum lacks depth and is not designed to cater for the children's different ages and stages of development. Although leaders find out children's starting points from parents, they do not provide the children with rich and meaningful activities that keep them motivated to learn. This results in times

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need to do better?

when children display poor attitudes to learning, and they end up distracting one another. n Leaders have no oversight of the quality of the provision. They do not monitor the quality of teaching and learning that children receive. There are multiple occasions when staff do not interact with the children as they play. Furthermore, staff do not think about what they intend for children to learn or how they can use activities to build on what children already know and can do. They also do not adapt activities to suit the different needs of children as they engage in large-group activities. As a result, most children are not able to complete the tasks that are set out for them. n Leaders fail to ensure that children under the age of two have a separate room. Staff also do not recognise when older children pose a risk of harm. Babies and younger children often wander or stand around the hallways or rooms with little

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need to do better?

or no purpose. Staff do not identify this as an issue and do not provide the babies and younger children with purposeful learning opportunities. n Leaders do work well with others. For example, they find out key details from parents, such as medical information about the children, before they start. They also work with parents to make referrals to other professionals when there are significant concerns about a child's development. Parents comment positively about the setting. Staff provide them with some activities they can do at home with their children.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have a poor attitude towards safeguarding. They are unable to demonstrate their knowledge of risk management and how they ensure that children are kept safe from harm. Induction processes are non-existent. Consequently, new staff do not have any understanding of the fire evacuation arrangements or of the setting's policies and procedures. Some staff do not have a clear enough understanding of the 'Prevent' duty or female genital mutilation. They are also not fully aware of the action they should take if they become concerned about the welfare of a child. Not all staff who come into contact or work

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Safeguarding

28 November 2022 unsupervised with children have their suitability checked by leaders. Staff also use their personal mobile phones to take photos of children. Leaders do not demonstrate well enough how they manage the risk this may pose to children. These failures seriously compromise children's safety and well-being and place them at significant risk of harm.

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Due date

ensure that at least half of all other staff employed hold at least an approved level 2 qualification 22/12/2022

p.4

Due date

ensure that the suitability of all staff who come into contact with or who work directly with the children is checked 22/12/2022

p.4

Due date

implement effective induction training for new staff to ensure that they are familiar with the setting's policies and procedures, including what to do in the event of a fire 22/12/2022

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Due date

ensure that all staff understand the safeguarding policy and procedures and that they are aware of what to do if they have a concern about the welfare of a child 22/12/2022

p.4

Due date

ensure that all staff have a secure knowledge of female genital mutilation and the 'Prevent' duty 22/12/2022

p.4

Due date

ensure that staff who are under the age of 17 are supervised at all times 22/12/2022

p.4

Due date

implement effective arrangements to ensure that children are adequately supervised and have their needs met and that their safety is prioritised 22/12/2022

p.4

Due date

28 November 2022 ensure that at least one person who has a current paediatric first-aid certificate is on the premises and available at all times when children are present and accompanies the children on outings 22/12/2022

p.4

Due date

ensure that children are not exposed to risk and are kept safe from harm 22/12/2022

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Due date

ensure that children under the age of two have a separate room to ensure their safety and promote their welfare 22/12/2022

p.5

Due date

implement effective systems to ensure that staff receive the right level of coaching and support to help improve the quality of care and learning that children receive 22/12/2022

p.5

Due date

implement supervisions and/or appraisals to identify gaps in staff knowledge and any training they would benefit from to help improve their overall effectiveness, their knowledge and skills of working with children 22/12/2022

p.5

Due date

ensure that there are effective procedures in place to ensure the safe use of mobile phones within the setting 22/12/2022

p.5

Due date

ensure that the manager receives the targeted level of support she requires to fulfil the responsibilities of her role. 22/12/2022

p.5

Due date

develop an ambitious curriculum for all children to ensure that they all have access to rich, meaningful and purposeful experiences that enable them to make progress in their learning from their starting points 02/01/2023

p.5

Due date

28 November 2022 improve staff's knowledge of the curriculum, the intention behind activities and how planning is used to build on what children already know and can do effectively 02/01/2023

p.5

Due date

support staff to differentiate activities to meet children's different ages and stages of development and to ensure that children are able to complete tasks set out for them and become highly motivated to learn. 02/01/2023

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2677575 Local authority Warwickshire Inspection number 10260963 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 36 Name of registered person Bridgewater, Sarah-Louise

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reference number

Telephone number 07415659784 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Stratford Childcare Hub registered in 2022. The setting employs seven members of staff, one of whom holds an appropriate qualification at level 3. The setting is open Monday to Friday, from 7.15am to 6.15pm, all year round.

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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 provider. n We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the setting. n The nominated individual and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the setting and discussed the early years curriculum. n The inspector talked to staff during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The inspector spoke to parents and took account of their views. n The nominated individual provided the inspector with a sample of key documentation on request. n The inspector viewed the provision and discussed the safety and suitability 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

28 November 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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