St John's Sunshine Pre School

Inspection of St John's Sunshine Pre School Delmar Morgan Centre, Copthorne Bank, Copthorne, Crawley, West Sussex RH10 3QX

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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 Not applicable

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The provision is inadequate

Weaknesses in meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements means children's safety is compromised. Leaders have not followed safeguarding procedures effectively. Staff do not fully understand their roles and responsibilities, or those of others, and there are weaknesses in staff knowledge of safeguarding procedures. In addition, safe recruitment processes have not been followed for all staff and not all records are accessible. These breaches to requirements have a significant impact on the safety of children.

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The provision is inadequate

Despite the overall weaknesses, staff provide support to new children who are settling in. They give children space to gain confidence in the setting but stay close by to offer reassurance when they need it. Staff provide resources and activities for children that follow their emerging interests. For example, children enjoy catching bubbles outside in the garden and staff give children the opportunity to blow the bubbles themselves. Generally, children are happy and confidently access the resources they require for their play. However, the curriculum is limited and although children play happily with the resources available, they offer little challenge to older and most-able children.

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The provision is inadequate

Staff encourage children to practise different physical skills, such as jumping. They ask children to jump like different animals and encourage them to think about other animals that can jump. Children are keen to take part and laugh together. Staff encourage children to take turns to use binoculars to look for bubbles as they float up to the sky.

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need to do better?

n Leaders have failed to notify Ofsted of changes to the committee. This means Ofsted has not been provided with the information required to assess all committee members suitability. This is a breach to the requirements. Through discussion, leaders understand they need to notify Ofsted of any change to the individuals who make up the body of the committee. n There are inconsistencies in leaders' and staff's understanding of the setting's safeguarding policy and procedures. For example, the procedure for storing staff mobile phones is not followed consistently. In addition, not all staff understand the whistle-blowing procedure. This means safeguarding procedures are not implemented effectively to help keep children safe. n Weaknesses in the leadership and management of the setting mean that safeguarding procedures have not been followed correctly, and concerns about children have not been referred to safeguarding services in a timely way. This is

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need to do better?

a breach of requirements and compromises children's safety. n Leaders obtain a criminal records check for each member of staff working with

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need to do better?

16 September 2025 children. However, they do not always obtain written references for all staff before they start employment, in order to verify their suitability. This means they cannot be assured all staff working with children are suitable. n Roles and responsibilities are not clearly defined. This includes roles within the leadership team and the role of designated safeguarding leads. For example, staff are not always clear on who will lead on safeguarding concerns. In addition, they do not have a secure knowledge of, or feel confident to, implement the setting's safeguarding procedures. This has an impact on the overall effectiveness of safeguarding. n At the time of the inspection, not all documentation was accessible. For example, some paediatric first-aid certificates were missing. Therefore, it was not possible to verify if the requirements for paediatric first aid are met at all times. n The curriculum is not designed well enough to provide all children with

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need to do better?

meaningful learning opportunities. Although staff interact well with children, and activities successfully encourage children to join in, limited challenge is offered. This particularly impacts on the older and most-able children. While these children engage well and enjoy playing with their friends, they do not benefit from the extension they need to continually build on their knowledge and development. n Staff use an online platform to monitor children's progress. Delays in children's learning are identified, and referrals are made to other professionals when needed. Additional funding is used to buy equipment, such as sensory resources, to support children's development further. n Parents know who their child's key person is. Staff use the online platform to update parents on the progress their children make. They also use a more informal communication system. Parents feedback they do not always know who

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need to do better?

they are communicating with. Nonetheless, they feel staff share strategies they can use to help their child's development at home, and report their children are making progress.

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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

16 September 2025 implement an effective safeguarding procedure that all staff understand, including whistle-blowing and the storage of mobile phones 30/09/2025

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Due date

ensure all concerns about children's safety or welfare are reported to the local authority children's social care team immediately and in line with local reporting procedures 30/09/2025

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Due date

implement robust recruitment processes to ensure references are obtained for all staff before they start employment 30/09/2025

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Due date

ensure support, advice and guidance is provided for all staff so that they understand their roles and responsibilities, particularly in relation to safeguarding issues 30/09/2025

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Due date

ensure records are easily accessible and available for inspection 30/09/2025

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Due date

plan and implement an ambitious curriculum that is challenging for all children. 17/10/2025

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2772149 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 10419008 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 40 Number of children on roll 26 Name of registered person St John's Sunshine Pre-School

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reference number

Telephone number 07963501762 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

St John's Sunshine Pre School registered in 2023 and is located in Copthorne, West Sussex. The setting is open from 8.45am to 2.15pm, Monday to Friday, term time only. There are six members of staff, of whom five hold a childcare qualification. The setting provides funded early education for all eligible children.

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Inspection activities

n We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. n The deputy manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want the children to learn. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation. n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector.

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Inspection activities

16 September 2025 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

16 September 2025 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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