Tiny Explorers Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is inadequate

Weaknesses in leadership and management have a detrimental impact on the quality of the care and education that children receive. The managers, who are also the designated safeguarding leads (DSLs), do not fully understand their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe. They do not share all relevant safeguarding information relating to children with their key persons.

This means staff do not have all the knowledge they need to help keep children safe from harm. In addition, the managers do not always ensure that they obtain all relevant information when making decisions about staff suitability to assure childr...en's safety.Managers do not ensure the curriculum meets the needs of all children.

Expectations for all children are the same and staff do not have the support they need from managers to adapt their teaching to meet the needs of younger children. As a result, toddlers do not receive targeted input from staff to build on what they already know and can do. Staff concentrate their interactions on older children, resulting in the younger ones wandering around without the support they need to immerse themselves in learning.

Children's play is often interrupted by staff who want them to join in with group activities. This impacts negatively on children's ability to concentrate in meaningful self-directed play. Children behave well and share resources with others.

When minor disagreements occur, staff support children to understand the consequences of their actions to help them learn to manage their own behaviour. Children arrive confidently and build strong bonds with staff. They enjoy plenty of fresh air and exercise and trips into the community to learn about the world around them.

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

The DSLs attend multi-agency meetings regarding the welfare of children. However, they do not share all relevant information with key staff. This prevents staff from being alert to specific signs that a child may be at risk of harm.

The managers join the necessary meetings with external agencies regarding the suitability of staff. However, they do not follow the advice of the local authority designated officer to ensure they have all the information they require to make robust decisions about the suitability of staff to work with children.The curriculum is poorly designed and does not meet the needs of younger children.

The curriculum is focused on getting older children ready for school and does not take into account that younger children need the necessary underpinning skills.Children are not given the time they need to play, explore and make independent choices to nurture their interests and explore their own ideas. For example, younger children enjoy looking at books independently but staff interrupt their learning prematurely and take the books away to move on to the next activity, saying story time has finished.

Staff support older children to learn new words. For example, they say the train track is straight as children add new pieces. However, younger children are not supported to develop their communication and language skills.

Staff do not adapt their interactions to give toddlers the support and encouragement they need to engage in meaningful learning. For example, they give younger children play dough but do not demonstrate how to use the tools to make marks and they quickly lose interest. When toddlers try to gain the attention of staff to help them fit building blocks together, staff do not acknowledge them.

As a result, children do not persevere and wander away.Managers undertake appraisals and supervisions of staff to help identify training needs. However, they do not spend enough time with staff while they are working with children to identify weaknesses in teaching.

For example, they are not aware that staff interactions with younger children do not meet their needs.Children generally follow the rules of the pre-school. However, staff do not give clear instructions to younger children when it is time to tidy up, which means that they are not always aware of the expectations and continue to play.

Staff encourage children to share with their friends and model kindness to others to help develop children's social skills.The special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator works closely with parents, staff and other professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).Managers spend any additional funding effectively, for example to buy sensory toys which soothe and calm the intended children with SEND.

Children learn to attend to their own self-care. For example, they wash their own hands. Children learn to take responsibility for small tasks to build their self-confidence.

After snack time, children work together to wash up the plates and cups and put them away.Managers provide opportunities for parents to borrow books and resources from the pre-school to enable them to support children's learning at home. Parents report that staff are caring and that they value the time their children spend outside.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.The managers do not keep children safe because they do not handle all safeguarding issues effectively. Despite this, staff have a good understanding of the signs and symptoms that might indicate that a child is at risk of abuse.

They know how to record and report their concerns. Staff record accidents appropriately and share information with parents in a timely way.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage, the provider must: Due date ensure that those with lead responsibility for safeguarding share information regarding children's welfare with relevant staff to help keep children safe 08/12/2023 ensure that all available information is considered when making decisions about staff suitability 08/12/2023 review and improve the organisation of activities and routines so that children's learning is not unnecessarily interrupted 31/12/2023 improve the processes for monitoring staff practice to ensure that all children benefit from good-quality interactions to meet their care and learning needs 07/02/2024 plan and implement a broad and balanced curriculum that meets the needs of younger children to ensure they make good progress.

29/02/2024

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