Hidden Treasures

Inspection of Hidden Treasures St Mary's C of E School, The Grove, Lodge Lane, Bridgnorth, Shropshire WV15 5EQ

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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The provision requires improvement

There are weaknesses in leadership and management, resulting in a breach of requirements. However, the impact of this is minimal to children.

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The provision requires improvement

Staff supervise children well, ensuring that they feel happy and safe. For example, they encourage quieter children to contribute to activities and conversations to share their views and ideas. Staff give children lots of meaningful praise, acknowledging the amazing things that they have achieved during the session. Placing a pom-pom into a reward jar affirms children's positive behaviours and efforts and increases their self-confidence.

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The provision requires improvement

Staff encourage children to make independent choices for the books they want to read, songs they wish to sing and the instruments they wish to explore. They observe children's levels of engagement and adapt their practice accordingly to ensure that they effectively support them. For instance, when staff notice that children's interests are decreasing, they ask them if they would like to change their instrument and respond positively when other children also ask, taking account of their views.

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The provision requires improvement

Staff design the environment to build on children's experiences. For instance, when children talk about their holidays, staff set up the role play area to reflect this. They invite various visitors into the setting to extend children's understanding, such as the police. Outdoors, children learn to grow their own herbs, and there is a mud kitchen where they pretend to cook with mud. These experiences strengthen children's cultural capital.

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need to do better?

n The nominated individual has failed to ensure that all committee members obtain an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check. They have not notified Ofsted of these committee members to enable further suitability checks to be conducted. This is a breach of requirements. However, the breach does not impact children's safety, well-being or development, as the committee members do not have any contact with the children at the setting. n Parents and carers are happy, and they can see that their children make secure progress. However, staff have yet to provide parents who do not have access to the online app with regular updates about their children's learning. Furthermore, when next steps are shared, the intent is not always detailed enough to help parents to continue learning at home. n The manager is reflective, taking on board a wealth of feedback from staff, parents and other professionals to shape the curriculum. She has recently

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need to do better?

organised network meetings with other managers in the local area to share good

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need to do better?

2 July 2024 practice and obtain updated information. This helps her to outline improvements. n The manager encourages staff to develop and exercise their strengths. For example, when staff present extremely nurturing personalities, they are appointed key person to those younger children to support their emotional needs. Staff benefit from observations and supervision to evaluate their practice and ensure that their well-being is supported. n From the moment that children arrive, staff promote their independence. For example, they learn to place their lunch box in the designated area and hang up their own belongings. Children recognise their written name and use this skill to record their attendance. They practise tipping and pouring as they fill up empty milk bottles with water. This helps to develop their coordination to later pour their own drinks. n Staff plan activities which focus on developing children's understanding of

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need to do better?

mathematics. For example, they introduce simple addition and subtraction and help children to learn important numbers, such as their age. Staff encourage children to draw over numbers with their finger, strengthening number recognition. n Overall, staff work effectively to develop children's communication skills. For example, they model language, regularly sing with children and read them stories. However, on occasions, staff do not fully consider how they can provide children with even more information to extend their knowledge and understanding. This impacts the amount of progress children can make. n The manager, who is also the special educational needs coordinator, identifies the importance of keeping her knowledge up to date. Quite often, there are no children on roll who need additional support. However, she continues to work closely with other professionals to ensure that she remains vigilant in identifying

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need to do better?

any child who is at risk of falling behind. n Children have access to personalised resources tailored to meet their needs. For instance, staff have handmade some games to promote children's attention skills and visual timetables for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to engage in the routine. The manager ensures that children in receipt of funding receive their full entitlement to achieve the best possible outcomes.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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Due date

ensure that the nominated individual improves their understanding of the requirement to inform Ofsted of all committee members to allow the required suitability checks to be completed. 16/07/2024

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should:

n strengthen procedures for sharing next steps with parents, ensuring that targets are clear and help parents to continue children's learning at home n support staff to further build on what children already know by providing children with even more information and knowledge to enhance their learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 224193 Local authority Shropshire Inspection number 10348821 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 60 Name of registered person Hidden Treasures Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01746 767 444 Date of previous inspection 21 September 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Hidden Treasures registered in 1993. It is situated in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, on the same site as St Mary's C of E School. The setting employs three members of childcare staff who all hold an appropriate early years qualification at level 3 or above, including the manager who holds level 6 early years professional status. The setting is open term time only, Monday to Friday. Sessions are from 8am until 5pm. The setting 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 setting 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 the inspector completed a learning walk to discuss the curriculum. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager. n The inspector observed the interactions between staff and children throughout the day and evaluated the impact on children's learning. n The inspector held discussions with the manager, staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection. n The views of parents were considered by the inspector, through verbal discussions. n Relevant documentation was reviewed by the inspector, including evidence of the suitability of those working directly with children.

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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

2 July 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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