Parkwood 'Poppets' Playgroup

Inspection of Parkwood 'Poppets' Playgroup Parkwood Green, Gillingham, Kent ME8 9PN

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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

Children's welfare is compromised due to significant breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements. The designated lead for safeguarding (DSL) has failed to ensure her knowledge is up to date. Furthermore, staff do not have a good enough understanding of the safeguarding policy and procedures. For example, some staff do not understand how to pass on concerns to the relevant authorities in a timely manner. This does not adequately safeguard children.

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The provision is inadequate

The curriculum is poorly planned. It lacks ambition and fails to meet the needs of the children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff are well deployed across the setting. However, the quality of interactions with children is not good enough. Staff do not encourage and develop children's learning, past what they already know and can do. Staff take on a more supervisory role. This does not ensure that children make the best possible progress. Gaps in children's development are not closing quickly enough.

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The provision is inadequate

Children are not supported to learn about the behaviour expectations of the setting. Staff are inconsistent with their approach and fail to ensure they follow up on the behaviour expectations they set for the children. For example, when children are running indoors and it becomes unsafe, they are told to 'stop'. However, when they continue with this behaviour staff fail to step in and correct it.

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The provision is inadequate

Despite these weaknesses, children arrive happy and separate from their parents and carers with ease. They enter the pre-school with confidence and play happily with their friends.

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need to do better?

n Weakness in the induction process mean that new staff do not have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Time is not given to ensure that new staff understand the setting's policies and procedures. For instance, they are not aware of the safeguarding policy. They are unable to identify how to deal with allegations against a colleague. This is a breach of the safeguarding requirements. n Procedures for staff supervision are not effective. Staff have regular opportunities to speak with the manager one-to-one. However, the manager does not have effective arrangements to identify and address weaknesses in staff knowledge. Professional development opportunities are varied, and the manager does not set meaningful targets for the staff to work towards. This has a negative impact on the quality of provision and what is provided for the children. n The curriculum does not meet the needs of the children. The manager and staff

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need to do better?

12 June 2023 do not successfully plan or implement a curriculum that helps children to learn. For example, during a water-play activity, staff sit with the children as they scoop and pour the water into different containers and down drainpipes. 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 supervise the play but do not make the most of interactions to ensure they are purposeful. n Activities for children are not inspiring enough to engage and sustain their interest. For example, resources such as water and play dough, stay on tables all day even though children have lost interest in them. Staff fail to notice that children are no longer engaged and learning is not taking place. Children's behaviour starts to decline because they are not stimulated enough. This poor

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need to do better?

practice compromises children's personal development, as well as their behaviour and attitudes to learning. n The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) has a good knowledge of children with SEND. Outside agencies come in to see children and suggest ideas of how to bridge gaps in development. However, the implementation of these is restricted by the poorly designed curriculum and the limited knowledge and skills of the staff team. For example, staff are not prompt enough in recognising when to take action to support children's speech and language. Gaps in children's learning are not closing quickly enough with the correct support and guidance from staff. n Children's good health is not consistently promoted due to lunchtime routines. When children have finished eating, they leave discarded food and their lunch boxes on the table which other children pick up. Staff supervising children still eating go around and tidy up. However, food left out poses a risk to children

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need to do better?

with food allergies and intolerances. n Overall, parents are happy with the provision. They comment on the effective communication they receive, and the time that the staff give to speak to them about their children. Parents also enjoy the opportunity to go into the setting and meet key staff at parents' evenings, and view the photo journal that staff keep for their child. They praise the 'warm' and 'friendly' staff team. n Children enjoy the daily opportunities to explore and develop their physical skills outside. Children make up their own games with friends. For example, when coming down the slide they giggle and laugh as their friends hold a hoop at the bottom that they try to slide through. Children are also provided with opportunities to explore outside of the setting. For instance, they take trips to the local shops, parks and woodlands. This helps children to learn about their local community and the wider world around them.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

A number of safeguarding and welfare requirements are not met and they have a significant impact on children's, safety and well-being. Training is not planned to ensure that the DSL holds a relevant qualification for her safeguarding role in line

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Safeguarding

12 June 2023 with local procedures. This impacts on how she can support staff and their knowledge and understanding of safeguarding. Staff are not aware of the setting's safeguarding policy and do not understand the role of the local authority designated lead (LADO) in reporting concerns or allegations regarding their colleagues practice. Furthermore, record-keeping is not strong enough to ensure that concerns about children and correspondence with outside agencies are in order, should they need to find information and build up a picture of concerns about children. Nonetheless, the premises are safe and secure. Risk assessments are carried out everyday before children arrive, for the inside and outside environment.

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Due date

ensure that the designated lead for safeguarding has completed relevant training to fulfil the requirements of their role 28/06/2023

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Due date

take action to ensure that all staff understand the safeguarding policies and procedures, including the role of the LADO 28/06/2023

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Due date

ensure that the arrangements to maintain and share information and required records between staff and with relevant professionals are fully effective 28/06/2023

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Due date

implement effective systems to support children with SEND, or those falling behind, and put in place a targeted plan to support their future learning and development 28/06/2023

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Due date

improve staff's understanding of behaviour management strategies, so that they have a consistent approach to better support children's understanding of positive behaviour 28/06/2023

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Due date

provide all staff with effective supervision to improve the quality of teaching across the setting 28/06/2023

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Due date

12 June 2023 implement an effective induction process to support staff, including agency staff and students, to understand their roles and responsibilities 28/06/2023

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Due date

review and improve the organisation of mealtimes to ensure that children do not have access to discarded food that may not reflect their individual dietary requirements 28/06/2023

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Due date

ensure that there is a clear, ambitious curriculum that is fully understood and consistently implemented by all staff. 07/07/2023

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Setting details

Unique reference number 103831 Local authority Medway Inspection number 10293585 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 26 Number of children on roll 38 Name of registered person Parkwood Community Association Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01634 371886 Date of previous inspection 5 December 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Parkwood 'Poppets' Playgroup registered in 1997. It is located in a community centre in Gillingham, Kent. The setting employs nine members of staff, all of whom hold a relevant early years qualification at level 2 and above. This includes one member of staff who has an early years degree. The setting opens from Monday to Friday, term time only. Sessions are from 8.45am to 3.30pm. It provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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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 provider. n The manager and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the pre-school and discussed the early years curriculum. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The SENCo spoke to the inspector about their role. 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

12 June 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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