The Hendreds Preschool

Inspection of The Hendreds Preschool Snells Hall, Church Street, East Hendred, Oxon OX12 8LA

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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 GoodGood

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The provision is inadequate

Leaders and staff have undergone a period of significant change since the last inspection, including a change in the committee and management. This period of instability has had a negative impact on the quality of education provided to the children and resulted in some breaches in requirements.

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The provision is inadequate

Staff welcome children well and most enter the pre-school happily, separating from their parents and carers with ease. Children have a variety of toys and activities set up and ready for them to play with. Staff sit with children during activities, however, the learning intention is not always delivered. This results in inadequate teaching and learning. Not all children have their individual needs met and too often children are seen hitting or spitting at their peers. Children who need additional support are not given this by staff and often children are seen to wander aimlessly with no adult interactions. This does not prepare children for school or their next stage in learning.

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The provision is inadequate

Children's well-being is compromised as the staff fail to ensure that they adequately supervise children when eating, despite this being raised at the previous visit. All staff have paediatric first-aid training. However, they do not apply the learning from this. For example, they do not consider the potential choking hazard from large berries that some children have in their lunch boxes.

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need to do better?

n Staff have a poor regard to their safeguarding responsibilities, which jeopardises children's safety. For example, children's safety is not assured when they are eating. Despite this, staff have a secure understanding of the action to take if they are worried about a child in relation to a child protection concern. Staff working with the children comment that they feel overwhelmed, and they recognise that they are unable to meet the needs and key-person responsibilities for all the children in attendance. This means that some children do not get the care and attention they need to thrive in their learning. n Educational programmes lack challenge or focus, and staff do not plan well for children's individual learning. Staff are aware of the areas of learning and they plan and provide a range of activities that cover these. However, staff do not engage with children or provide a learning environment that inspires or helps

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need to do better?

them to learn. For instance, staff do not encourage children who are reluctant to take part in the morning song and self-registration, and instead leave them out of this session. At other times, group activities are continued despite children losing interest and wandering away. This has a detrimental impact on the quality of education and expectations of what children can learn. n At times, children receive praise and encouragement from the staff. However,

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need to do better?

7 May 2024 staff ignore or overlook many incidents of poor behaviour rather than offering support to children to help them behave well. For example, at times staff do not respond when children are seen being unkind to their friends, snatching and pulling toys from each other. This does not help children understand the consequences of their actions on others or learn how to manage their feelings. n Staff provide children with daily opportunities to play outside. Children of all ages have opportunities to jump and balance. Children use tools such as pipettes, syringes, and art equipment to develop the muscles and fine motor control needed for early writing. Children are starting to manage some tasks for themselves, such as tidying up and washing their hands before eating. n Parents are complimentary about the staff and the care they show to their children. They comment that their children appear happy and settled. Parents

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need to do better?

have access to a variety of information through the website and an online record system. However, staff do not keep parents well enough informed about their child's development to help them support and continue their learning at home. n Weak oversight of staff performance has a negative impact on staff's effectiveness to fulfil their roles and responsibilities. Staff do not have supervision sessions and are not given direction on how to improve. In addition, the setting does not have a named deputy manager to take charge in the manager's absence. Nevertheless, the newly appointed committee are committed to bring about change and improve the pre-school to ensure that all the requirements in the early years are met.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

There is not an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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Due date

take action to ensure the safety of all children and identify, remove, or minimise, all risks and hazards to children's health and safety, with particular regard to children eating. 17/05/2024

p.3

Due date

put in place effective key-person arrangements to ensure staff working with children give them the support they need 31/05/2024

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Due date

plan and deliver an effective curriculum to ensure that all children make good progress in their learning and development 31/05/2024

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Due date

ensure staff manage children's behaviour appropriately to help them understand the effect of their actions on others 31/05/2024

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Due date

improve information sharing with parents to help support children's learning even more consistently 31/05/2024

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Due date

ensure staff have effective supervision, support, and coaching to help identify any gaps in their knowledge and understanding, and to identify any professional development and training needs to support their practice and improve their implementation of the curriculum 31/05/2024

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Due date

take action to ensure there is a named deputy who has the necessary skills and knowledge to deputise and take charge in the manager's absence. 31/05/2024

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY493645 Local authority Oxfordshire Inspection number 10344210 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 16 Number of children on roll 23 Name of registered person The Hendreds Preschool

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reference number

Telephone number 01235 831555 Date of previous inspection 27 March 202327 March 2023

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Information about this early years setting

The Hendreds Preschool registered in 2015. It is located in Snells Hall, in the village of East Hendred, near Wantage in Oxfordshire. The pre-school is open on weekdays, during school term times, from 9am until 3pm. It receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The pre-school employs four staff, three of whom hold a relevant qualification at level 3.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the acting manager and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The inspection was carried out following the risk assessment process, following information we received about the setting. n The inspector spoke with the committee and one of the acting managers about the leadership and management of the setting. n One of the acting managers explained the nursery curriculum during a learning walk with the inspector. n The inspector and one of the acting managers completed a joint observation of an activity together and discussed the quality of teaching and learning afterwards. n Children spoke to the inspector about the activities they took part in. n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector.

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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

7 May 2024 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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