Little Fingers Preschool & Out of School Club

Inspection of Little Fingers Preschool & Out of School Club Shree Ram Krishna Community Projects, Alfred Street, LOUGHBOROUGH, Leicestershire LE11 1NG

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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

Since the last inspection, the manager and staff have not made enough changes to improve the setting. Supervision of staff continues to be weak, leading to ineffective teaching. The manager and staff have taken some steps to develop their knowledge of how children learn and develop. However, this is still poor. Staff do not understand how to help children make at least good progress. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and children who speak English as an additional language.

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The provision is inadequate

Children comply with what staff want them to do. They respond positively to the friendly, welcoming staff and are happy at the pre-school. However, the curriculum is poorly planned, lacks ambition and does not meet the needs of the children. Staff sit with children as they spend long periods of time at one activity. Staff do not use this time effectively to introduce worthwhile learning or build upon or help children to develop their skills. Planning is directed only at older children and is not used to consider the needs of the younger children. This leads to ineffective play opportunities. During a ball play activity outside, three staff interacted with one child. They did not speak clearly to the child or offer any opportunity to build on the child's skills. While the child clearly enjoyed this activity, this was mundane, lacked challenge and did not support them to develop good large-muscle skills.

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The provision is inadequate

Children are not supported to develop good speaking skills. Staff use single words or sentences that do not include connecting words such as 'the', 'and' or 'a'. Although staff are highly qualified, they show a lack of knowledge of how to help the children learn. They talk about introducing phonics and sounds to children who cannot yet speak. Therefore, children are not supported to make good progress in their speaking. This is particularly so for children who speak English as an additional language.

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need to do better?

n The curriculum in place does not meet the needs of the children. The manager and staff do not successfully plan or implement a curriculum that helps children to learn. For example, during a sand play activity, staff sit with the children as they scoop and pour the sand into containers. However, staff do not know what it is children need to learn and why. They do not know how to challenge, question or consider the individual needs of the children to enable them to make progress in their learning. Staff do not make the most of interactions to ensure they are purposeful. n All children who attend the setting speak English as an additional language. Staff do not take the time to find out about the home languages some of the children speak. There are no opportunities for children to use their own language at the

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need to do better?

25 April 2023 setting, as staff are not aware of which languages they speak. Furthermore, staff do not ensure that parents know what their children are learning at the setting or the progress they are making. n Staff know and understand that some children who attend the setting have SEND. They say they work with other settings that children also attend to seek information on how the child is progressing when they are not with them. However, this information is not in place. Staff are too reliant on waiting for other settings to share what children know and can do. The manager and staff do not use their own knowledge of children with SEND to target learning linked to their interests and abilities. Children with SEND do not make the progress they are capable of. n The manager and staff do not have an effective curriculum for communication and language. When the manager and staff speak to children, it is not always in

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need to do better?

full sentences or clearly spoken. Staff do not recognise when there are clear gaps in children's speaking skills. They are poor at helping children to make good enough progress in this area of learning. n The supervision of staff continues to be ineffective. The manager talks to staff about how to develop their skills and has begun to implement strategies, such as role-modelling practice, to help improve teaching. However, she does not drive improvements or identify where gaps are in practice. The manager does not have supervision herself and so is not aware of any improvements needed in her own skills. The management team does not know how to drive and target improvement to ensure teaching is helping all children to learn and develop. n Staff do not ensure every child has equal access to effective learning plans. Staff have learning journals and next steps displayed for funded children only. While it

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need to do better?

is not a requirement to have written plans, staff do not use what they know about younger children to plan appropriate learning intentions for them. Therefore, when staff interact with younger children, they are unsure of what it is they need to learn next. n Children have very few opportunities to build on their large-muscle skills. Staff say that many of the children have no access to gardens or they live in flats. Children do access the outdoors each day, but what is offered by staff lacks challenge. Children only have access to different-sized balls and skittles during an outside play activity. Staff do not plan opportunities for children to climb, run or use their large-muscle skills. This limits the progress children make in their physical development. n Some steps have been taken by the management team, manager and staff since the last inspection to improve practice. For example, all those working with

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need to do better?

children now have a secure understanding of how to keep children safe from abuse. Children now have access to the outdoors every day and the manager and staff monitor absences from the setting to ensure children are safe. However, there are still a number of weaknesses that have not been addressed.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

25 April 2023 Since the last inspection, the manager and staff have taken time to improve their knowledge of how to keep children safe in the setting. However, the provider still has a poor understanding of their responsibility to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the early years foundation stage. Staff talk about how to identify signs that may give them cause for concern, and know how and who to report these concerns to. Areas that children access are safe and suitable for purpose and the outside play area has been made inaccessible, as the manager recognises this is not yet suitable or safe for children's play. The mobile phone policy is implemented effectively. Staff do not use their mobile phones when working with children, ensuring they are protected from harm. Secure recruitment and vetting arrangements are in place. This helps to ensure staff working with children are suitable for their roles.

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Due date

ensure that parents know how children are learning and the progress they are making, particularly for those parents and children who speak English as an additional language 23/05/2023

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Due date

ensure staff plan appropriately for children with special educational needs 23/05/2023

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Due date

improve the monitoring of staff practice to swiftly identify staff who need further support, and ensure that professional development opportunities are focused on improving staff's knowledge and skills to raise the quality of teaching to a consistently good level. 23/05/2023

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Due date

25 April 2023 devise and implement an ambitious and challenging curriculum that supports every child's learning and development in all areas, including those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language 23/05/2023

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Due date

ensure children who are learning to speak English as an additional language are provided with opportunities to use their home language at the setting to further support their communication and language skills 23/05/2023

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Due date

improve the curriculum for children's communication and language to ensure every child makes appropriate progress in their speaking skills 23/05/2023

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Due date

ensure staff observe, assess and plan for all children appropriately 23/05/2023

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Due date

improve the curriculum for physical development to ensure children have opportunities to develop their large- muscle skills. 23/05/2023

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY398605 Local authority Leicestershire Inspection number 10285091 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 Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 17 Name of registered person Shree Ram Krishna Community Project

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reference number

Telephone number 01509 232401 Date of previous inspection 12 January 2023

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Information about this early years setting

Little Fingers Preschool & Out of School Club registered in 2010 and is located in Loughborough, Leicestershire. The pre-school employs five members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The pre-school opens Monday to Friday, during term time only. Sessions are from 9am until 3.30pm. The pre-school 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 COVID-19 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 the curriculum and what she wants children to learn. n The inspector viewed the pre-school and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises with the manager. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector spoke to children to find out about their time at the pre-school. n The manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation of an activity together. n The inspector spoke to a parent to gain their views of the pre-school. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the pre-school.

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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

25 April 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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