GattenandLake Childcare

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is inadequate

There are weaknesses in the oversight of the provision and in the providers', who are the managers, understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Systems for recruitment and vetting of staff are not robust.

In addition, there are some weaknesses in the curriculum and teaching practice.Despite these weaknesses, children come into pre-school happily. Staff have caring relationships with the children, which helps them to settle easily.

Children develop friendships with their peers. They are learning how to share and take turns with the toys and resources.Staff know the children well and provide a range of activ...ities for them.

For example, children enjoy pouring the water and mixing the sand in the outside area. They play together, lining up the cars and trains on the mat. This helps to develop their physical skills.

However, staff do not link the activities they plan specifically to what children need to learn next, and often learning is incidental rather than intended. This does not ensure all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language, make the best possible progress.Staff place a focus on children's mathematical development.

They include the names of colours at regular opportunities during the day. However, at times staff do not take children's prior learning and stage of development into account. For example, younger children who cannot yet recognise colours become restless and confused, when staff use this method to direct them to wash hands or collect their lunch boxes.

As a result, they lose attention and behaviour is not consistently good.

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

There are not effective recruitment procedures in place to check staff and ensure their ongoing suitability. This does not assure children's safety and, therefore, impacts on their personal development.

The managers do not have sufficient knowledge and oversight of planning. Although staff complete regular assessments of children's learning and development, they do not identify precisely enough what children are ready to learn next. In addition, the next steps that they do identify for children's learning are not implemented and reviewed regularly, to ensure children make consistently good progress.

Children take part in small focus groups to develop their knowledge. They use magnets to see if materials will stick. However, staff sometimes do not differentiate their teaching to meet the different needs of the children.

They do not support some children well enough to help them remain still. Staff have to remind them to sit and take turns, which disrupts learning for the other children. As a result, all children do not always enjoy meaningful learning experiences.

The pre-school is secure, and staff demonstrate a good understanding of how to keep children safe. They know the procedures to follow if they have concerns about children in their care, or adults working in the setting.Staff report their well-being is good and they feel valued.

They comment they can attend additional training to support their development. For example, some staff have undertaken specific training to support families in crisis.The managers know the demographics of the area well and understand the needs of the families.

Parents say they are happy with the pre-school and the activities that children take part in. They comment positively on the support their children receive. They value the ideas and activities shared on online platforms to support their children's learning at home.

Older children show a good command of language and converse well. They enjoy make-believe play and confidently talk to each other about what they are doing. For example, children say, 'we need to put the money in the money house' as they post coins into the pig-shaped money box.

They confidently say, 'now I need to do one more' as they add another coin. This demonstrates an understanding of addition, which is a daily activity during registration time.Staff promote good hygiene practice as they direct children to wash their hands before meals.

They remind children to eat their sandwiches first. Children then repeat this to their friends, telling them to 'eat their sandwiches first'. This helps children start to learn about healthy lifestyles.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.There is not an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must: Due date improve recruitment and vetting procedures of staff to ensure they are, and remain, suitable for their roles 20/02/2024 improve the monitoring of staff practice and provide them with effective support and coaching to help them adapt their teaching to meet the needs of younger children 20/02/2024 improve the arrangements for reviewing children's progress and using information gained from assessments to identify more precisely what they need to learn next 20/02/2024 ensure required documentation is in place and available for inspection.

20/02/2024

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