Little Greenfields Preschool CIC

Inclusion: Needs attention

Leaders do not ensure that the support provided for children who face barriers to their learning and wellbeing is implemented effectively enough to reduce those barriers. Leaders identify children who require additional support and work with families and other professionals to assess needs and plan appropriate provision. Funding is used to provide targeted support and additional resources. It is spent on providing one-to-one adult support and specialist sensory resources that help children access some learning opportunities. However, weaknesses in teaching and staff's management of children's behaviour reduce the effectiveness of this support. Planned interventions and strategies are not implemented consistently enough and children do not always receive the support intended to help them learn, engage and participate.

Leaders work with families and external professionals to identify needs and plan support. Staff are aware of speech and language recommendations and have introduced some strategies to support children's communication and language development. However, these approaches are not implemented effectively enough to help children make the progress they are capable of. As a result, children who face barriers to their learning and wellbeing do not benefit fully from the provision leaders have put in place to help them make progress from their starting points.

Curriculum and teaching: Urgent improvement

Leaders do not identify or address significant weaknesses in the quality of teaching and the implementation of the curriculum. Staff do not implement the curriculum effectively, particularly for babies and younger children. Babies share the same learning environment as children up to 4 years of age. Staff provide babies with a small mat area and a limited range of resources. Planning for their learning is minimal and does not provide sufficient opportunities for babies to move, explore, investigate and develop emerging skills. Staff planning for the indoor learning environment for older children is also ineffective. Staff provide a narrow range of resources and experiences that do not support all areas of learning effectively. Children do not consistently access meaningful learning experiences that build on what they already know and can do.

Although leaders and staff gather assessment information, they do not use it effectively to plan learning experiences that meet children's individual needs or support their next steps in learning. Children do not receive the quality of education they need to make progress from their starting points.

Overall, teaching is weak. Outdoor learning provides older children with more opportunities to be active, explore and follow their interests than the indoor environment. Although leaders have identified that the outdoor area is not safe for babies, they do not ensure that staff plan alternative outdoor experiences that support babies' developmental needs. Staff carry babies outdoors or place them in a playpen rather than providing opportunities for them to move, explore and investigate independently.

Some children with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from more personalised planning and support intended to address their individual needs. Nevertheless, weaknesses in teaching mean that staff do not implement strategies and interventions effectively enough to secure the intended impact for all children. Children do not receive teaching and learning experiences that meet their individual needs.

Achievement: Urgent improvement

Children do not develop the knowledge and skills they need across the areas of learning to prepare them for the next stage of their learning, including school. Low expectations for children's behaviour and a chaotic learning environment significantly hinder their achievement. Children do not develop the social skills, self-regulation and understanding of boundaries expected for their age and stage of development. As a result, they become disengaged from learning experiences and do not make the progress they are capable of.

Achievement is particularly hindered for babies and younger children. They do not receive the experiences needed to develop emerging physical and thinking skills. Opportunities to explore, investigate and learn independently are significantly reduced.

Children who face barriers to their learning benefit from more personalised support and planning intended to meet their individual needs. These approaches help a minority of children make some progress from their starting points.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Urgent improvement

Leaders have not identified significant weaknesses in staff practice that affect children's behaviour, learning and safety. Staff do not implement behaviour management approaches effectively. As a result, children do not receive the support and guidance they need to understand expectations, manage their behaviour and engage in learning, particularly when they are indoors. Older children hide, run around the room, scream, play fight and roll on the floor because learning experiences do not capture their interest or meet their developmental needs. Weaknesses in behaviour management also compromise the safety and wellbeing of babies within the mixed-age environment.

Leaders do not ensure that children experience a calm and purposeful learning environment. During group activities, staff do not engage children effectively or adapt experiences to meet their developmental needs. Staff seat babies in high chairs outside of mealtimes while older children participate in adult-led focus activities. Staff do not provide babies with appropriate resources or experiences to support their engagement during these periods. This prevents babies from moving freely and provides them with no opportunities to explore, investigate and develop skills through play. These youngest children do not receive the support they need to become curious, engaged learners. Older children demonstrate more positive attitudes to learning outdoors, where they engage with one another, develop some collaborative play and sustain their involvement in activities for longer periods.

Children form positive relationships with familiar adults and leaders promote regular attendance. Some children who face barriers to their learning benefit from tailored approaches intended to support their participation and engagement. However, weaknesses in staff practice reduce the effectiveness of these arrangements. Consequently, children do not benefit from the clear routines, positive behaviour support and guidance needed to help them learn and develop.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Urgent improvement

Leaders do not ensure that children receive the care and supervision needed to support their welfare and wellbeing. Leaders do not identify or address significant weaknesses in staff practice. As a result, children's safety and wellbeing are compromised.

Staff do not supervise children effectively. For example, babies climb onto, and crawl across, tables without staff noticing, placing them at significant risk of injury. Older children's behaviour is not managed appropriately and staff do not take sufficient action to reduce risks within the mixed-age environment. For example, they do not intervene when older children crawl underneath babies' high chairs, creating additional risks to babies' safety. Babies have sustained injuries from older children because staff do not supervise children closely enough or respond effectively to unsafe behaviour. As a result, children do not experience a safe and well-managed environment.

Children's emotional wellbeing is affected by weaknesses in staff practice. Children do not receive the support and guidance they need to feel secure, regulate their behaviour and develop positive relationships. Although children form relationships with familiar adults, staff do not provide the guidance children need to understand boundaries, manage their behaviour or develop the social skills needed to interact safely with others.

Staff follow appropriate procedures to support children's safe sleep and ensure children eat safely during mealtimes. Leaders have identified that the outdoor area is not suitable for babies. However, they do not ensure that alternative arrangements support babies' wellbeing and development. Consequently, children do not receive the quality of care needed to support their safety, welfare and wellbeing.

Leadership and governance: Urgent improvement

Leaders do not have an accurate understanding of the quality of education, care and supervision provided. They do not identify or address significant weaknesses in teaching, behaviour management and the curriculum. As a result, weaknesses in practice remain unresolved and have a detrimental impact on children's safety, wellbeing and development. Although leaders have identified some concerns, such as the unsuitability of the outdoor area for babies, they have not made alternative arrangements to meet children's developmental needs.

Leaders gather information about children's learning and development and monitor aspects of practice. However, they do not use this information effectively to identify weaknesses or drive improvement. For example, leaders have not identified significant weaknesses in the planning of the learning environment, the quality of learning experiences provided for babies and younger children, or the effectiveness of staff's management of children's behaviour. Although assessment information is collected, leaders do not ensure that staff use it effectively to plan learning experiences that meet children's individual needs and support their next steps in learning.

Leaders identify children who require additional support. They have put some targeted arrangements in place, including additional adult support, specialist resources and more personalised planning for some children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Nevertheless, leaders do not evaluate the effectiveness of these arrangements to ensure they have the intended impact on children's learning and development.

Leaders provide staff with professional development opportunities, including monthly staff meetings, SEND training and training relating to younger children. However, leaders do not evaluate the impact of this professional learning for staff. As a result, significant weaknesses remain in staff practice, including behaviour management, supervision of children and curriculum implementation.

Leaders maintain appropriate communication with families and work with external agencies, when additional support is required.