A HARLOW pre-school has been rated “Inadequate” following an inspection by Ofsted.
The inspection at Sunflower Maunds pre-school on Maunds Hatch took place on October 4th.
The report contained plenty of positive comments and feedback regarding staff. It is the leadership and management whom Ofsted are most critical of.
The report states:
What is it like to attend this early years setting?
The provision is inadequate
The provider rarely visits the setting and provides little useful support to staff. Staffhave tried hard to improve the curriculum and focus on what children need to learnnext. However, the provider does not provide useful guidance and feedback toensure changes are implemented and developed well enough. While children enjoytheir time at the setting, there remain too many missed opportunities for staff tosupport their development and prepare them fully for their next steps in learning.
Children are happy and enjoy their time at the setting. Staff are friendly, kind andcare for the children well. Children feel safe as they settle easily into the settingwhere the atmosphere is calm and welcoming. Staff offer praise when childrenachieve their self-care goals to help develop their confidence and self-esteem.
Children build close and affectionate relationships with staff. This helps to givethem a sense of belonging. Staff give children clear guidance and explanations andchildren behave well. However, staff interactions do not sufficiently encouragechildren’s learning and communication skills.
What does the early years setting do well and what does itneed to do better?
New staff, including those with management responsibilities, have not receivedappropriate induction or training to help them fulfil their roles. Concerns raisedby staff are left unresolved. Staff are left to work out how to fulfil their roles,and this has led to some staff feeling isolated and under pressure. Staff moraleis low, and their well-being is not supported.
The provider does not ensure that there are sufficient professional developmentopportunities to help staff deliver high-quality learning experiences to meetchildren’s needs. There is an online learning platform, although staff are not ableto access this to help develop their skills. Since the last inspection, some traininghas been provided by the local authority. However, the provider does not monitorand support staff effectively to ensure that a high-quality curriculum is beingdeveloped.
Documents are not adequately kept. While appropriate checks are made, theprovider does not make sure that current information relating to checkscompleted on staff is readily available. Some paperwork is chaotic. Children’srecords are disorganised and not easily accessible. This does not help the safeand efficient management of the setting.
Staff have a secure understanding of the signs that would cause them concernabout a child’s welfare and know the processes to follow. They know what to doif they had a concern about another member of staff, including escalating theirconcerns to the appropriate agency. This helps to keep children safe from harm.However, the provider has not ensured that documented procedures in relationto the local safeguarding partner’s processes are up to date.
The provider does not make sure that all staff, including allocated key persons,have the relevant experience or information to manage children’s specific needs.Guidance from professionals to help support children with additional needs is notroutinely shared with staff. As a result, staff are unable to fully support thesechildren’s development.
Despite weaknesses in the provision, children enjoy exploring the resourcesavailable and leading their own play. Staff read books with children and promotetheir independence well. Staff encourage children to put on their coats andwellies, and they wait in a line until they can play outside. However, staff do notmake sure that the garden and equipment are ready for them to use, whichleads to children having to wait. As a result, they become restless anddistracted.
SafeguardingThe arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
YH has been in contact with the management and invited the to respond