Curious Explorers Nursery and Preschool @ Bromstone

Inspection of Curious Explorers Nursery and Preschool @ Bromstone Bromstone Cp School, Rumfields Road, Broadstairs CT10 2PW

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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

Leaders do not ensure that all aspects of safeguarding are acted on, so that children receive high-quality care. For example, staff do not show enough professional curiosity when children arrive at the setting with existing injuries. Furthermore, children's health is not well managed. For instance, staff do not follow administration of medication procedures appropriately. This does not adequately ensure children are safeguarded effectively. In addition, there are significant weaknesses in the arrangements to support children's learning and development.

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The provision is inadequate

Children have built strong relationships with staff and seek them for support and comfort. However, children do not benefit from quality interactions and there are few resources that excite and engage them. Children are not provided with activities and experiences that match their learning needs and current interests. Consequently, some older children become bored and start to display challenging behaviour. Some staff take action to manage children's behaviour. However, overall, the lack of a suitably challenging curriculum means that children become disengaged and unsettled and do not make the progress they are capable of.

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need to do better?

n Leaders have not ensured there is a staff member always present who has completed paediatric first-aid training and holds a relevant certificate. This does not adequately ensure children's safety should they have an accident or become unwell. The designated safeguarding leads do not have a good enough understanding of their roles and responsibilities to keep children safe. For example, when children are absent without explanation, they do not recognise this as a potential safeguarding concern. In addition, procedures are not thorough enough when gaining the required written permission from parents to administer medicine. This does not ensure all children are being safeguarded correctly. n The quality of education is poor. Adult-directed activities offer some guided learning for children. For example, they sing songs and learn about simple counting. Children learn to take turns as they swap a 'penny' for a 'current bun'.

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need to do better?

However, most activities are disrupted by younger children who are unable to engage due to their age and stage of development. Resources available during free play are sparse and children are not provided with consistently high-quality teaching or learning opportunities. n Staff make some attempts to promote a healthy lifestyle. For example, older children access the toilets alone and know to wash their hands. Children have visited the adjoining school to use the large equipment and develop their physical skills. Staff plan activities to encourage healthy eating and good oral

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need to do better?

27 February 2023 health. However, these opportunities are not consistently embedded to fully secure children's independence skills for the future. Staff do not engage frequently enough, to contribute to children's development of independence skills. n Although teaching is weak overall, staff are successful at targeting support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They find out key information about these children and work closely with parents and external agencies involved in the care of individual children. This helps these children to make progress in their learning. n Leaders support new staff well and have put actions in place to support their induction. Some staff show an understanding of what they want children to learn next. However, overall, support for children is inconsistent because not all staff have a strong foundation of knowledge about them. This results in a lack of

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need to do better?

understanding on how to fully extend children's learning. n Partnership with parents is strong. Parents speak highly of the nursery and comment that staff share information about their children's development. For example, parents are given access to progress reports and are invited to parent's evenings. Good communication ensures parents know what their children know and can do. Parents are offered opportunities to share in their children's learning. For instance, parents come in and teach children about their heritage. This helps children to learn about what makes people unique and to know that their traditions and cultures are valued.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Children are not adequately protected due to weakness in safeguarding procedures. The leadership team ensures that staff have regular child protection training. This provides staff with some useful information about signs that may indicate that a child is at risk and the procedures to follow to refer any concerns. However, in practice, staff are not always vigilant in recognising potential concerns. There are effective recruitment procedures in place and the ongoing suitability of all staff is regularly reviewed. All new staff are offered suitable induction training as well as clear guidance of fire evacuation procedures.

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Due date

27 February 2023 gain written consent from parents/carers to authorise staff to administer medication for each individual child who requires it 15/03/2023

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Due date

ensure child protection procedures are consistently implemented 15/03/2023

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Due date

ensure that a staff member who holds a paediatric first-aid certificate is on site at all times, so that they are available to respond to emergencies quickly and paediatric first aid can be administered whenever needed 15/03/2023

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Due date

ensure that key persons have the knowledge they need to ensure that every child's care is tailored to meet their individual needs 15/03/2023

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Due date

improve the implementation of the curriculum to ensure all children receive experiences that support and extend their learning. 15/03/2023

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should:

n provide more consistent support for staff to promote children's independence.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY501759 Local authority Kent Inspection number 10277390 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 29 Number of children on roll 38 Name of registered person Antoniou-Gkikas, Lucia Michelle

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reference number

Telephone number 07789071320 Date of previous inspection 14 June 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Curious Explorers Nursery and Preschool @ Bromstone registered in 2016 and is one of two pre-schools owned by the provider. It operates from a separate building in the grounds of Bromstone School in Broadstairs, Kent. Care is provided from Monday to Friday, from 8.30am to 3pm, during term time only. The provider receives funding to provide free early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. They employ six staff, five of whom hold relevant early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The manager has achieved early years professional status.

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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 The inspector viewed the provision and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. n The manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want their children to learn. n Children spoke to the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector carried out joint observations of group activities with the manager. n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed 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

27 February 2023 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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