Canopy Shrewsbury

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is inadequate

Children's safety is compromised. This is because leaders do not ensure that staff fully understand the action they must take to keep children safe from harm.

For example, staff do not actively listen when children attempt to make a disclosure about a safeguarding matter. Staff repeatedly send them away, as they are not confident and lack the knowledge of how to effectively respond during this time. This does not promote children's confidence in knowing that they will be listened to or make them feel valued and safe.

These significant weaknesses impact on how safe and secure children are at the setting. Although ...the curriculum covers all areas of learning, staff do not ensure that children are provided with enough challenge as they play. Consequently, children are able to complete activities with ease.

In addition, staff do not differentiate their teaching practice to suit the different ages and/or stages of children's development. This results in times where children do not fully understand what is being asked of them. That said, children enjoy sensory activities, such as water play.

They use their hands and different tools, such as cups and tubes, to transport the water. Staff talk to children about how their actions affect others. This helps children to start to understand what is expected of them.

Staff offer babies lots of cuddles and reassurance when they become unsettled. Despite safeguarding weaknesses, overall, staff work well in partnership with others to meet children's developmental needs. This ensures children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive the specialist support they require.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders and staff, including those designated to take the lead for safeguarding, do not follow effective procedures to keep children safe. Leaders lack the confidence to challenge staff who do not follow the correct procedures when children disclose a safeguarding concern to them. Staff fail to recognise the importance of actively listening to what children have to tell them.

In addition, leaders fail to maintain effective safeguarding records. These weaknesses place children at risk of harm. It also impacts on children's overall well-being and their trust in staff to take the correct action to keep them safe.

Leaders do not have a sharp enough focus on using training and supervisions to ensure staff understand their roles and responsibilities. This is especially in regard to safeguarding children and supporting staff to raise the overall quality of teaching and learning children receive. Consequently, the activities staff plan do not challenge children to extend their current level of thinking.

In addition, staff do not tailor their questions or teaching practice to suit each child's level of understanding. These weaknesses limit children's ability to fully flourish in their development. That said, staff speak positively about the support they receive from leaders.

They share that leaders place focus on staff's well-being.Children's communication and language is well supported. Staff use a range of strategies to assess children's communication and language.

This helps them to identify where children require additional support. Staff read stories to children using lots of expression and enthusiasm. Children also enjoy joining in with the actions and words from familiar songs.

The setting's special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) is knowledgeable. She speaks passionately about her role in supporting children with SEND to make progress. Staff regularly observe and assess children's development.

They use this to identify any gaps in children's learning. Where concerns arise about a child's development, the SENCO works well in partnership with parents and other professionals. This ensures children with SEND receive timely support.

Parents comment positively about the setting. They explain that their children are settled. Staff tailor settling-in sessions to suit the individual needs of the children who attend.

They keep parents fully informed of their child's learning, and share ways that they can continue to support their children at home.Staff promote children's good health and hygiene. They provide children with a range of balanced meals and encourage them to wash their hands before and after meals.

Staff provide children with lots of opportunities to get active outside. This helps to develop children's physical skills.Staff plan a variety of activities for children to learn about what makes them unique.

They celebrate a range of different festivals throughout the year, so that children learn about other celebrations that may be different to their own. This helps children to start to understand about their wider world.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

Leaders and staff do not fully understand and follow the setting's safeguarding procedures. Staff lack the knowledge and understanding of the action they should take if children make a disclosure to them. They also do not understand what action they should take if suitability concerns arise about a member of staff.

In addition, those appointed to take the lead for safeguarding demonstrate weak understanding of the local safeguarding partners' procedures they need to follow to keep children safe from harm. Moreover, records for safeguarding are not robust. There are missing records for when referrals have been made to other professionals, and staff omit essential information from the records they do complete.

These weaknesses place children at significant and unnecessary risk of harm. That said, staff's knowledge of safer sleeping is sound. Staff also complete risk assessments to identify and remove potential hazards in the environment.

The setting is clean throughout. Staff find out about children's medical and dietary requirements from parents and adhere to these closely. Staff deploy themselves well to ensure children are supervised as they play and eat.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

The provision is inadequate and Ofsted intends to take enforcement action.

We will issue a Welfare Requirements Notice requiring the provider to: Due date train all staff to ensure they are aware of their roles and responsibilities to safeguard children and the action they must take if they are concerned about a child's welfare or about the suitability of a member of staff 24/11/2023 improve the knowledge and confidence of all those designated to take the lead for safeguarding, to ensure they are familiar with the local safeguarding partners' procedures they need to follow if a concern arises about a child's welfare or the suitability of a member of staff 24/11/2023 improve and maintain effective safeguarding records to ensure the safe and efficient management of the setting 24/11/2023 ensure the arrangements for the supervision of staff include appropriate support, coaching and training, which improves the quality of teaching and provides children with a positive learning experience.24/11/2023 To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage, the provider must: Due date ensure children are provided with sufficient challenge during activities, to enable them to make the best possible progress in their learning 08/12/2023 ensure staff adapt their teaching practice to suit the different ages and/or stages of children's development.

08/12/2023