Earlybirds Pre-School

Inspection of Earlybirds Pre-School Newtown Soberton Infant School, Church Road, Newtown, Fareham PO17 6LJ

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

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

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The provision is inadequate

The pre-school has undergone a significant amount of change since the last inspection, including changes to the committee and management team. This has resulted in some of the committee not being known to Ofsted, which is a breach in requirements. In addition, there are weakness in safeguarding that impact children's safety. Nevertheless, the new management team understand their roles to plan and provide a curriculum that is ambitious and helps children to learn and develop.

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The provision is inadequate

Staff provide an exciting curriculum to support and build on children's learning and development. Children are motivated, engaged and have fun as they explore and construct artefacts from crafts, sand, and dough. Children enjoy playing imaginatively and staff inspire this through props and puppets when reading books.

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The provision is inadequate

Staff warmly welcome the children into the pre-school. Children enter happily and separate from their parents and carers with ease. Children benefit from a welcoming environment, where they have a good variety of toys and activities to play and explore with and enjoy. Children behave well and benefit from good teaching. Staff are attentive to the children's needs, know what they need to learn and provide activities and learning to help children make good progress.

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need to do better?

n Children's safety is compromised due to some significant safeguarding flaws in the pre-school. For example, Ofsted has not been provided with the required information to complete suitability checks on all committee members, some of whom are in the room when children are present. n Children's well-being is compromised as staff do not ensure that they adequately supervise children when eating. This poses a significant risk to children's safety, well-being and personal development. In addition, the premises are not secure to effectively prevent unauthorised persons entering. This is because access doors via the link school to the pre-school are not securely locked. This jeopardises children's safety. n Staff comment that they are well supported. They explain the management team are committed to their well-being and a great support. Staff benefit from weekly meetings and receive regular training. Staff have a secure understanding

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need to do better?

of their roles and responsibilities for child protection. This includes how to identify and report signs of abuse. Documentation relating to children and staff is securely stored. n Children become confident communicators. Staff provide opportunities for children to learn new language skills through songs, rhymes, and sign language. Children behave well. Staff implement good strategies, such as encouraging

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need to do better?

23 September 2024 kindness and sharing, to help children to understand emotions of others and their own. n Staff know the children in their care well. They review children's progress regularly and understand how activities can be adapted to cover the areas of learning. However, at times, staff do not fully implement the intended outcomes they have planned for in activities, to maximise learning. Nevertheless, children are engaged in activities and are motivated to learn, play, and explore. n Children begin to understand the routines in the pre-school. They learn how to manage their health and personal care needs. For example, after using the toilet and before eating, children understand they need to wash their hands. This supports children's self-care development. Children have plenty of opportunities to be physical. They take part in risky play outside as they enjoy running around chasing each other and learning new skills with balls.

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need to do better?

n Parents speak positively about the pre-school and the staff. They feel that their children are happy and have made progress since starting at the pre-school, particularly with their language development. Parents have a good amount of information available to them. For example, they have access to up-to-date policies and procedures within the pre-school and benefit from regular discussions and meetings. n The management team and staff understand the significance of working in partnership with other providers that provide care for the children. However, they have not fully developed these partnerships to help enhance continuity in children's care and learning. n The management team understands the need to ensure that all staff members have suitable Disclosure and Barring Service checks in place. In addition, they ensure that ratios are fully met, and any complaints raised are dealt with accordingly in line with required procedures.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

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

p.3

Due date

take action to identify, remove, or minimise, all risks and hazards to children's health and safety, with particular regard to children eating 07/10/2024

p.3

Due date

23 September 2024 take all reasonable steps to ensure the premises are secure and to prevent unauthorised persons entering the premises 07/10/2024

p.3

Due date

provide Ofsted with the required information to check the suitability of members of the committee. 07/10/2024

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should:

n strengthen the implementation of the curriculum to help staff focus more closely on the intended learning aims of activities to help build on children's learning n strengthen partnerships with other early years settings that children attend to develop more effective ways to share information about their learning and development.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY338530 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 10361196 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 16 Number of children on roll 25 Name of registered person Earlybirds Pre - School (Newton) Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01329 833 161 Date of previous inspection 12 September 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Earlybirds Pre-School registered in 1996 and is run from Newtown Soberton Infant School in Fareham, Hampshire. The pre-school is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 3pm, during school terms. It receives funding for early education for children aged two, three and four years. Five members of staff are employed to work with the children. Of these, four staff are qualified to level 3.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector spoke with the associated committee members and the manager about the leadership and management of the setting. n The manager explained the nursery curriculum during a learning walk with the inspector. n The manager and the inspector completed a joint observation of an activity together and discussed the quality of teaching and learning afterwards. n The inspector spoke to some staff, children, and parents during the inspection, and took account of their views. n A sample of documents was viewed by the inspector, including records of staff suitability checks, safeguarding policies, complaints, and paediatric first-aid certificates. n The inspector met with the manager to discuss issues, such as recruitment, safeguarding and staff supervision.

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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 September 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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