Pre-school vows to turn things around after Ofsted highlights areas in need of attention

Shelf Pre-School and Out of School Club — at Youth And Community Centre, Wade House, HX3 7PB — was inspected on July 2 and a report published on October 7.

While staff were praised as being “nurturing and attentive”, the report said that “safety is not always prioritised as well as it should be due to inconsistencies in risk assessments and their failure to effectively minimise risks".

It said safeguarding standards at the setting were met, but that it did not meet the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register, or the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register.

One area — Behaviour, Attitudes and Establishing Routines — was judged to be at the expected standard, with praise for how “leaders work closely with families and explain the importance of children's regular attendance at the setting and how it promotes their learning and development".

It said children enjoy their learning, behave well, and that staff support children to be resilient.

But the report said the remaining five areas — Achievement; Children’s Welfare and Wellbeing; Curriculum and Teaching; Inclusion; and Leadership and Governance — need attention.

Under the area of Achievement, the report highlighted inconsistencies in the support received by younger children compared with older children.

It said: “The planning of experiences for younger children is not as well considered, in order to consistently support their next steps in learning.”

There was praise, however, for what the setting offered babies and older children.

Under the area for Children’s Welfare and Wellbeing, the report said that risk assessments were not implemented well enough, referencing staff stepping over a partitioned baby area, and brambles which had been allowed to grow in the main play area.

However, the inspector did praise the setting’s approach to safer eating and sleeping.

Under Curriculum and Teaching, the report said the curriculum for the youngest children is “not as consistently well planned and thought out as it is for the older children in the setting".

It added: “Learning for these children is more incidental than planned for, in any meaningful way, to encompass the different areas of learning.”

The report did, however, praise the curriculum for older children, saying it was “much more considered” and that “learning priorities are clear and well understood".

Under the area of Inclusion, the report said leaders do seek support and guidance where they have “concerns about children’s development” but acknowledge that they would benefit from further training on how best to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities “as they have limited experience of this".

Under the area of Leadership and Governance, the report acknowledged that leaders understand there are areas that they need to improve on, but said they do not take “swift action to address these in order to quickly bring about improvement".

It said that recent staff changes have “had an impact” and that “consequently, the qualification requirements for working with under twos are not currently being met".

The report acknowledged that leaders “understand that this needs to be addressed” and that they are in the process of “considering how best to meet this requirement".

The report did praise leaders for proactively working “in partnership with parents".

In response to the report, a spokesperson for Shelf Pre-School and Out of School Club said: “Following our recent inspection, we have been working proactively to address the five areas identified for improvement, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to providing a safe, supportive and high-quality learning environment for all children.

“We are committed to investing in our team and ensuring children receive high-quality care and education from knowledgeable, experienced and qualified practitioners. We have strengthened our team by ensuring that a member of staff working with children under the age of two is fully qualified and has relevant experience in caring for this age group.

“Alongside our qualified staff, we also have apprentices who are actively working towards their qualifications, gaining valuable hands-on experience and developing their skills within the nursery. One of our apprentices is completing her EPA in two weeks and another is already over halfway through their training journey, and we are proud of the progress being made across our team.

“Over the next six months, we anticipate that more than 80 per cent of our workforce will hold their full qualifications. This reflects our ongoing commitment to staff development, professional growth and maintaining high standards of care and education for every child.

“To further strengthen our support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), two members of staff are currently undertaking the Dingley's Promise training, enhancing their knowledge and understanding of inclusive practice.

“We are continually reviewing and improving our outdoor environment to ensure it remains safe, secure and suitable for the children. Following the inspection, risk assessments have been updated across all outdoor play activities. Any activities or equipment identified as presenting a potential risk or hazard have been removed until they can be appropriately reviewed, ensuring children's safety remains our priority.

“Some of the risks identified related to the existing condition of the outdoor area, including a wall and sections of flagstone paving that had begun to lift. These issues relate to the condition of the outdoor environment and were not necessarily caused by the nursery due to being in a community building. We have taken the concerns seriously and arranged the necessary remedial work, including repairs to the fencing and flagstones. We have also identified the need to remove an established blackberry bush, which will be completed alongside the planned outdoor improvements. This work is scheduled to begin during the first week of November.

“These actions demonstrate our proactive approach to risk management and our commitment to providing children with a safe, stimulating and enjoyable outdoor learning environment.

“We recognise the importance of supporting young children's communication and language development from an early age. Relevant training opportunities have been sourced for staff, and a team meeting has taken place to discuss practical strategies that can be implemented consistently in everyday nursery practice.

“To ensure children's learning and development are effectively supported, we have identified planning and curriculum templates for staff to use. These will help the team make better use of observations to identify each child's starting points, plan appropriate next steps and provide learning experiences tailored to individual needs.

“We remain committed to continuous improvement, staff development and providing a safe, nurturing and stimulating environment in which every child can thrive and hope that when our Ofsted review is complete this will be shown in our rating.”