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Shelton Lock Pre-School Our Reference EY347673 Community Centre Road DE24 9AD

Dear Mrs Marcia Maxine Patterson

Monitoring for provision judged as inadequate

An Ofsted inspector, Melanie Arnold, monitored your provision on 04/02/2014 following your inspection where the provision was judged to be inadequate.

Outcome of monitoring

As a result of our inspection on 05/11/2013, we sent you a notice to improve. The actions you were set are included at the end of this letter.

During the monitoring visit the inspector discussed with you the steps you have taken to address the actions raised in the notice to improve. She looked at your safeguarding procedures and staff and managements understanding of these and the implementation of risk assessment checks to ensure hazards are identified and minimised. The inspector discussed how the management teams knowledge of their roles and responsibilities had been improved. She observed the security of the outside play area, staff's engagement and teaching of children and had a discussion with several staff members. The inspector also spoke to you as the manager and to a representative from the local authority. The inspector also looked at the evidence you maintain to confirm the full suitability of staff and the processes used to support the development of staff's skills through supervisions. This included checking the effectiveness of planning, observation and assessment to check how you are supporting staff to improve their teaching practice.

The inspector found that you have a clear action plan in place detailing the improvements you have taken and are continuing to make to the actions raised at the last inspection. You have explained that this is a working document, which you are continuing to update with the representative from the local authority. You have described how the improvement plan will be more thoroughly shared with the staff team to ensure continuous improvements are made in all areas.

The inspector observed that the setting, including the outside play area was securely

Our Reference EY347673 maintained and improvements to risk assessment checks now ensure the outside area remains safe and secure for children at all times. Risk assessment checks are completed on a daily basis and the setting has a clear safeguarding children policy and procedure in place. The manager and staff understand how to implement this procedure should they have any concerns about a child in their care. They are also well aware of the procedures to follow if allegations are made against a member of staff, including notifying Ofsted of this and of the outcome of any investigation. You explained that you have accessed training relating to safer recruitment practices and the roles and responsibilities of the committee, which you have relayed back to the current committee to ensure they are now aware of their legal responsibilities. You confirmed that you are now the Nominated Person for the committee and that a new committee was currently in the process of completing relevant paperwork and submitting this to Ofsted so that once all suitability checks are back, they will take over from the old committee. You have made sure that the new committee are aware of their roles and responsibilities and will continue to develop their knowledge through further training. This all contributes to ensuring children remain safe and well cared for.

The inspector found that you are now recording more information about the suitability checks obtained on staff, which supports their suitability to work with children. Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Services checks have always been undertaken and recorded on staff. Other suitability checks including identification checks and reference checks are now also recorded in staff files. The inspector scrutinised the newest member of staff's file and found evidence of these checks now fully recorded. You are also planning to further develop the robustness of induction and reference procedures by adopting a specific checklist which staff or the referee will go through. This will further ensure the suitability of staff working with children.

The inspector found that the process of supervision is still being further developed and embedded in practice. There is a clear format used for supervision of staff and this is being used to support staff in developing their skills through ongoing coaching and support. Peer observations have recently been introduced to enable you as manager to more effectively evaluate the teaching practice of staff. This will help you to provide more targeted support to further develop staff's teaching skills. You are also aware that the setting needs to further develop how observational assessments are used when identifying and planning for individual children's next steps for learning. The deputy has a clear awareness of how the setting's planning system needs to be enhanced to more effectively support good teaching and learning for all children. You plan to work with the deputy and local authority advisor to ensure improvements are fully made in this area. Observations made by the inspector on the day of the monitoring visit showed staff to be engaging in children's play and supporting their learning through the use of appropriate teaching strategies. You are well aware that performance management of staff through supervision still needs to be more robustly implemented to fully ensure that the quality of practice is continually enhanced. However, you are aware of what still needs to be done and are making improvements in these areas.

Our Reference EY347673

Having considered all the evidence, the inspector is of the opinion that the setting has taken prompt and effective action to address the points for improvement.

Next steps

The next step will be a full inspection.

I hope that you have found the visit helpful in promoting improvement in your setting. If you have any further queries please contact us on the number at the top of this letter.

Yours sincerely

Nick Hudson National Director, Early Education

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Actions

Action Due date Closed date develop the knowledge of the 04/02/2014 04/02/2014 management team to ensure that roles, responsibilities and accountability arrangements are clear and fully implemented, particularly in relation to safeguarding procedures ensure safer recruitment procedures are 04/02/2014 04/02/2014 fully implemented so that there is sufficient evidence to demonstrate that staff are suitably employed improve working practices and 04/02/2014 04/02/2014 procedures so that all risks are sufficiently identified, minimised and monitored to ensure that children are kept safe put appropriate arrangements in place to 04/02/2014 04/02/2014 support staffs' professional development through ongoing support, coaching and training, so that teaching is enhanced and the overall quality of practice is raised.