SS Ltd @ Stantonbury

SS Ltd @ Stantonbury

Unique reference number (URN): 2789945 Address: Stantonbury Leisure Centre, Milton Keynes, MK14 6BN Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 30/04/2024 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Sporty Scholars Limited

p.1

Safeguarding standards not met

Leaders have not ensured that there is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that adequately protects children from harm.

p.2

Safeguarding standards not met

Safeguarding knowledge and understanding are not secure across the staff team. Although leaders provide training, staff do not consistently develop the knowledge and understanding needed to appropriately safeguard children.

p.2

Safeguarding standards not met

Staff do not always recognise signs that a child may be at risk of harm and have limited understanding of how to escalate concerns externally. While they know how to report concerns internally and follow these processes when needed, some staff do not view safeguarding as everyone's responsibility or feel confident to challenge practice.

p.2

Safeguarding standards not met

Leaders do not provide effective supervision to offer targeted support to address gaps in staff's safeguarding knowledge. Although leaders understand their responsibilities as designated safeguarding lead, they do not give safeguarding sufficient priority in the setting. As a result, children are not always consistently protected from harm.

p.2

How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

p.2

How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Overall, children behave appropriately. They typically respond well to staff's guidance and generally follow the club's expectations and boundaries. Children enjoy their time at the club and develop positive relationships with staff and their peers.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders have established clear expectations for behaviour. Staff explain the club's rules and boundaries at the beginning of each session and regularly remind children of these throughout the day. This means that children understand what is expected and remind each other of the rules. They eagerly explain that they can choose one item for their snack. However, staff do not consistently reinforce this expectation, and children sometimes take 3 or 4 items for their snack. This inconsistency means children do not always receive clear messages about expected behaviour.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children generally have positive attitudes towards activities on offer and engage in them enthusiastically. They communicate confidently with staff and demonstrate respect towards adults and their peers. Children understand and communicate their needs appropriately. For example, they tell staff when they need to use the toilet and explain where they are going

p.2

Urgent improvement

and why. Children work cooperatively and support one another. For example, they work effectively as a team during dodgeball games and encourage each other during LEGO construction. Children also enjoy creative activities, including designing and making posters.

p.3

Urgent improvement

Staff remind children to sit appropriately when eating and not to share their food. They model respectful interactions and promote kindness and cooperation. At times, staff do not always gain children's attention effectively. Leaders recognise this and are considering strategies, such as using tambourines, to improve this.

p.3

Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders do not ensure that staff consistently have the information they need to understand children's individual needs and circumstances. As a result, staff do not always identify or reduce barriers to children's learning and/or wellbeing. This leads to inconsistent experiences and has a negative impact on some groups of children.

p.3

Inclusion Needs attention

Staff receive appropriate training to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, leaders do not ensure that staff consistently apply this knowledge in practice. Leaders have identified appropriate strategies to reduce barriers, but these are not yet embedded across the staff team.

p.3

Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders recognise the importance of identifying and understanding children's individual needs and circumstances. However, they do not monitor these arrangements effectively or ensure that staff caring for the children consistently receive accurate and timely information. Staff understand how to make appropriate adaptations, but they do not always implement these effectively because they lack sufficient information about individual children.

p.3

Inclusion Needs attention

Staff understand the needs of children who attend regularly. They respond appropriately and provide suitable support and guidance. Leaders are willing to work with external partners when required, although they have not yet had the opportunity to do so. Leaders recognise weaknesses in their current arrangements. They have identified appropriate actions to improve assessment, information-sharing and the consistent support for all children.

p.3

Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Leaders do not ensure that important information about children's individual needs, including allergies and dietary requirements, is consistently shared with and understood by staff. This means that staff caring directly for the children do not always have the information they need to keep children safe.

p.3

Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Routines are not consistently planned for or implemented effectively. For example, children wait outside in the rain for their snack due to closed buildings. Once buildings are open, children then wait again while staff set the room up. This causes confusion and has a negative impact on children's welfare and wellbeing, particularly as they are eager to eat their snack.

p.3

Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Leaders recognise the importance of promoting children's health and wellbeing, but staff do not consistently implement these expectations. Children bring sweet foods for snack, such as packets of sweets, doughnuts and lollipops, and staff do not use these opportunities to promote healthy choices or good manners. Children do have some opportunities to learn about healthy choices through activities such as the 'fruit salad' game with the parachute. However, these opportunities are not consistently reinforced in practice.

p.4

Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Typically, children have opportunities to develop independence by choosing activities. They enjoy working collaboratively with others. They take pride in their achievements, such as showing their LEGO structures and drawings. Staff respond positively, offering encouragement and support.

p.4

Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Leaders recognise the weaknesses in information-sharing, routines and the promotion of healthy choices. They have identified appropriate actions to address these. However, leaders must ensure that these actions are implemented effectively and consistently so that children's welfare and wellbeing remain a priority at all times.

p.4

Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Leaders' oversight of the provision is not effective. Although leaders understand the club's strengths and areas for development, they do not take sufficiently precise action to secure the necessary improvements. Leaders do not consistently identify or address the underlying causes of weaknesses. Leaders' expectations for staff knowledge and the consistent implementation of policies are not securely embedded. Staff do not have sufficient safeguarding knowledge, and important information about children, including dietary and allergy needs, is not consistently shared. As a result, weaknesses in leadership have a serious impact on children's safety and wellbeing.

p.4

Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Leaders do not monitor practice effectively to identify when arrangements are not working, or to ensure that appropriate action is being taken. For example, previously, staff were provided with 2 walkie-talkies, but one was left in an unoccupied room. As a result, when a staff member radioed for support, no one was there to answer the call. Leaders share to overcome this. They have now provided all staff with a walkie-talkie. However staff are not yet aware of this change, limiting its effectiveness.

p.4

Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Leaders recognise that practice is inconsistent and that urgent improvements are needed. They have developed an appropriate action plan but have not yet implemented it. Leaders provide staff with appropriate training when they start and respond appropriately when concerns are brought to their attention. However, they do not consistently monitor practice to ensure that arrangements remain effective and are implemented as intended.

p.4

Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Staff do not receive effective supervision and monitoring to ensure that they have the knowledge, understanding and support needed to keep children safe and promote their wellbeing. Leaders need to strengthen oversight, implement identified actions and rigorously monitor the impact to ensure arrangements consistently promote children's best interests.

p.4

Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has not met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

p.5

Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

p.5

Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has not met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.

p.5

Register

When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

p.5

What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children's experiences are inconsistent. Leaders do not ensure that sufficient, important information about children is shared effectively with all staff. For example, staff are not made aware of children's allergies. As a result, staff do not always know children well enough to consistently promote their best interests and keep them safe.

p.5

What it's like to be a child at this setting

Staff do not have a sufficiently secure safeguarding knowledge. They recognise some signs of possible harm and know how to report concerns internally, but their understanding of external safeguarding procedures is limited. Some staff do not recognise all indicators of harm and view safeguarding as the managers' responsibility.

p.6

What it's like to be a child at this setting

Leaders identify appropriate expectations for the experiences they want for all children, but these are not consistently embedded into practice. Leaders gather information about children and identify appropriate adaptations and support to meet their individual needs. However, this information is not shared clearly or consistently with all staff. Consequently, staff do not always have the information they need to provide consistent support and experiences for all children.

p.6

What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children have the opportunity to take part in a wide range of experiences, including swimming, dodgeball, Lego and drawing. They generally understand the rules and boundaries and respond well to reminders. Children form positive relationships with staff and their peers, particularly when they attend regularly. They enjoy playing cooperatively with their peers. For example, children work together during parachute games, building on each other's ideas and developing shared narratives.

p.6

What it's like to be a child at this setting

Leaders recognise the need to ensure all staff understand and consistently implement the club's aims and expectations. This is necessary to ensure that all children receive consistent care, support and opportunities to enjoy their time at the club and remain safe throughout the day.

p.6

Next steps

To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date:

p.6

Action Completion Date

establish an open and positive safeguarding culture where all staff understand that safeguarding is everyone's responsibility 19/10/2026

p.6

Action Completion Date

ensure all staff are supported and confident to carry out their safeguarding responsibilities effectively 19/10/2026

p.6

Action Completion Date

ensure all staff are aware of local and wider safeguarding issues and that they can identify and recognise indicators that children have been or may be at risk of harm or in need of early help 19/10/2026

p.6

Action Completion Date

implement a system of regular supervision for all staff to support and monitor their practice 19/10/2026

p.6

Address:

Stantonbury Leisure Centre Milton Keynes MK14 6BN

p.7

Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

p.7

Address:

Registered person: Sporty Scholars Limited

p.7

Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 17:30

p.7

Action Completion Date

ensure that all relevant information about children, particularly allergies or special educational needs and/or disabilities, is effectively shared with all staff 19/10/2026

p.7

About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, the special educational needs coordinator, the designated safeguarding lead, parents and children during the inspection.

p.7

About this inspection

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.

p.7

About this inspection

We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. The provider will be able to give parents further information about this. Local authority: Milton Keynes

p.7

Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

p.8

Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

p.8

Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

p.8

Expected standard

The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

p.8

Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

p.8

Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

p.8

Urgent improvement

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.9

Urgent improvement

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Urgent improvement

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9