Woolston Adventure preschool

Inspection of Woolston Adventure preschool Church Road, SOUTHAMPTON SO19 9FU

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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

Poor management of the pre-school by the committee has resulted in significant breaches of the welfare requirements. Ofsted has not been provided with the information required to check the suitability of all committee members. While committee members have little direct contact with the children, they participate in meetings and discussions that contain personal and confidential information. Consequently, children's safety and welfare are not promoted.

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The provision is inadequate

Children respond well to the friendly, welcoming staff and are happy at the pre- school. However, children do not receive consistent guidance from staff to help them understand how to manage their behaviour and control their emotions. For instance, children often disrupt other children's play, destroying what they have made and upsetting them. This does not help them learn how to share well or respect the needs of others. Some staff have poor attitudes to ensuring children's needs are met. This does not foster a strong foundation for children to develop their self-worth or learn that they are valued.

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The provision is inadequate

Children confidently move freely between the inside and outside areas. The outside area provides them with a variety of different spaces and resources. Staff support children's interests, follow their lead and extend their learning. For instance, children happily make cakes in the sandpit and waffles in the mud kitchen. Staff ask them how much it would be to buy a waffle and talk to the children about money, introducing number and value. Children are supported to solve problems. For example, they enjoy making kites and talking about the weather, how their kites will fly and how they could tie them to the tree. This supports children's learning and development.

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need to do better?

n Children's safety and welfare are not assured. Committee members hold essential roles in ensuring staff are suitable and the nursery is run safely. However, a lack of committee oversight has led to a decline in standards since the last inspection. Lines of accountability are unclear, and support for the manager is lacking. The nominated individual has failed to notify Ofsted of changes to the committee. They have not ensured that suitability checks are completed for all committee members. n Staff engage with children most of the time during their play in order to build on what they want children to learn next and to develop their interests further. However, staff deployment within the pre-school is not always effective. For example, a high number of staff went on their break at the children's lunchtime, leaving a limited number of staff struggling to support all the children's needs. Children do not receive consistent, high-quality interactions and support; this

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need to do better?

23 March 2023 impacts their learning and personal care needs. n Children behave well some of the time. They engage with new experiences and are interested in what others are doing. For example, children enjoy playing together in the home corner, being creative and using their imaginations. Staff encourage children to use good manners during their play and daily routines. For instance, at snack time, children patiently wait their turn for a space at the table. However, some staff do not address incidents of unwanted behaviour promptly. For example, when children throw sand at one another in the garden, staff do not address this. Inconsistent attempts to manage children's behaviour do not support children to learn right from wrong. n Most children independently manage their personal care needs. For example, children access the toilet and wash their hands before snack. However, staff do not consistently encourage children to be independent. For instance, some

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need to do better?

children throw their coats on the floor when coming in from the garden, and staff do not encourage them to pick these up. Instead, the coats are just left on the floor. This does not support children to learn to take responsibility for their belongings in order to help them know what is expected of them. n Partnerships with parents are effective. Staff build good relationships and prepare children well for starting pre-school. Staff carry out home visits to their key children in order to get to know the children and their families. Information is gathered about children when they first start at the pre-school. This helps staff to plan for children's needs and their interests. Parents talk positively about the pre-school. They state how their children's learning and development is shared with them daily and at parents' evenings. n Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are not always

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need to do better?

well supported. Although the manager is very knowledgeable about the needs of children with SEND, most staff are not. They do not always fully consider children's individual needs when planning activities in order to ensure they target their specific learning needs and styles. For instance, staff use the nurture room as a calm space to support children with SEND. However, at times, activities lack purpose and meaning. This means that children with SEND do not consistently receive the support they need, which hinders their progress. n Although risk assessments are in place, they are not consistently effective. Staff complete checks at the start of the day before children arrive. However, they do not complete ongoing risk assessments throughout the day. Children are not taught how to respect and look after the toys and resources. Staff do not ensure that toys are tided up when children have finished playing with them. The

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need to do better?

environment inside quickly becomes messy and chaotic, with a large number of small toys covering the floor This creates significant hazards for children and staff. For example, staff do not identify or reduce the risk to children when they walk around the environment with bare feet. This impacts child's safety and well-being. n Staff receive regular opportunities to meet with the manager and discuss their practice and well-being. Staff say they feel well supported. The manager ensures that, through training, staff are offered opportunities to build their professional development that meet their personal interests. Clear induction procedures help new staff to understand their role and responsibilities. The manager regularly

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need to do better?

23 March 2023 observes practice and provides feedback. However, although the manager accurately identifies areas where staff would benefit from further support and mentoring, she does not have the capacity in her role to do this. This has an impact on improving outcomes for children.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

There are ineffective arrangements to consistently ensure that any safeguarding information is promptly referred to the correct agency. The manager and committee have not ensured that staff have a secure knowledge of how to manage their interactions with children, particularly when they show challenging behaviour. Staff are not clear when physical intervention should and should not be used to manage children's behaviour. Staff understand the signs and symptoms of abuse, and they are aware of how to make a referral for a child and report an allegation against a member of staff. Staff have not accessed up-to-date training. While some staff retain a secure knowledge, other staff do not have the knowledge they need to keep children safe. There are weaknesses in the procedures to recruit staff, as the vetting processes are not robust. References are not always obtained from previous employers.

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Due date

ensure that any concerns about children are reported to the relevant local safeguarding partners in a timely way 21/04/2023

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Due date

ensure all staff have relevant, up-to-date safeguarding knowledge 21/04/2023

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Due date

use risk assessment effectively to identify and minimise risks to children's safety 21/04/2023

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Due date

ensure that all suitability checks are completed for committee members before they have access to confidential information and records about staff, children and parents 21/04/2023

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Due date

23 March 2023 implement robust procedures for staff recruitment and vetting to show that staff suitability has been robustly assessed 21/04/2023

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Due date

ensure that the nominated individual and all committee members have a full understanding of their role and legal responsibilities 21/04/2023

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Due date

ensure the manager receives the support they need in order to fulfil their role 21/04/2023

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Due date

improve the arrangements to supervise and support staff to promote a culture of mutual support, respect and teamwork 21/04/2023

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Due date

improve staff deployment to ensure children are supervised and supported at all times, especially during lunchtime 21/04/2023

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Due date

ensure all staff have a secure knowledge and clear understanding of how to manage children's behaviour and when physical intervention is appropriate 21/04/2023

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Due date

implement a consistent behaviour policy that helps staff understand how to intervene positively to support children's behaviour, including at times when children are having difficulty managing their feelings and emotions 21/04/2023

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Due date

review and improve arrangements to support children with SEND, to ensure they have purposeful learning experiences. 21/04/2023

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Due date

strengthen the arrangements to promote children's independence skills, to help prepare them for their next stage of learning. 21/04/2023

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Setting details

Unique reference number 131577 Local authority Southampton Inspection number 10282318 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 52 Number of children on roll 51

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Name of registered person

Woolston And Woolston Adventure Pre- Schools Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 023 8044 4414 Date of previous inspection 12 October 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Woolston Adventure preschool registered in 1999. It operates in the Woolston area of Southampton. The pre-school is open Monday to Friday, from 8.15am to 3.30pm, term time only. The pre-school provides funded early years education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. There are eight members of staff, four of whom have a level 3 early years qualification.

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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 manager and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n Children spoke with 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 special educational needs coordinator spoke to the inspector about how they support children with SEND. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The inspector carried out a joint observation of a small-group activity with the manager. n Parents and carers shared their views of the setting with the inspector.

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Inspection activities

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

23 March 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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