Preston Tower Primary School Nursery
Recorded Key Question grade range: 2–4 — Weak View on Care Inspectorate
Key Question scores
Requirements & recommendations
1. By 29 June 2026, to ensure that children’s care and support needs are met, the provider must ensure staffing arrangements are effective to meet the needs of all children in the service. To do this, the provider must, at a minimum: a) Assess the current staffing situation and develop a plan to ensure they have consistent staff with the appropriate skills, knowledge and expertise working in the setting. b) Ensure there are adequate senior staff in place to support the improvement of the setting. This is in order to comply with section 7(1)(a) of the Health and Care (Staffing)(Scotland) Act 2019. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: ‘My needs are met by the right number of people’ (HSCS 3.15).
2. By 31 December 2026, the provider must ensure children's health, welfare, and safety. To do this, the provider must, at a minimum ensure: That areas identified through the risk assessment process as posing a risk to children’s safety are addressed. This is to comply with Regulation 4 (1) (a) (Welfare of Users) of The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011 (SSI 2011/210). This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: 'My environment is safe and secure' (HSCS 5.17).
1. By 31 August 2026 , the provider must ensure each child receives appropriate care and support and their wellbeing needs are met. To do this the provider must at a minimum ensure: a) Personal plans reflect children’s current needs and how they will be met. These must be developed in partnership with families and children (where appropriate). b) Ensure that strategies for support are clear and regularly assessed to ensure that evidence-based assessments can be made. c) Ensure all staff are aware of and understand the information within the personal plans and use this to effectively meet each child’s needs. d) Ensure that the procedures around the management of children's medication and medical needs are regularly updated to meet best practice guidelines. These should be consistently shared with staff. This is to comply with regulation 4(1)(a) and regulation 5 of The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services)
1. To promote consistent high quality practice the service should ensure that quality assurance and self-evaluation processes are further developed. This should include the monitoring of medication, personal plans, play spaces, resources and children’s experiences. These should be meaningful, evaluated and highlight the impact on outcomes for children and families This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: ‘I benefit from a culture of continuous improvement, with the organisation having robust and transparent quality assurance processes’ (HSCS 4.19).
1. Staff should regularly review the environment, resources and core provision to ensure children of all ages have access to rich, engaging and appropriately differentiated learning opportunities. This will support progression, inclusion and sustained engagement by meeting children’s varying developmental stages, abilities and interests. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS), that state: 'As a child, my social and physical skills, confidence, self-esteem and creativity are developed through a balance of organised and freely chosen extended play, including using open-ended and natural materials' (HSCS 1.31) and 'As a child, I can direct my own play and activities in the way that I choose, and freely access a wide range of experiences and resources suitable for my age and stage, which stimulate my natural curiosity, learning and creativity' (HSCS 2.27)
2. Children’s play and learning experiences should be supported through effective staff deployment and high-quality interactions that extend children’s thinking, creativity and curiosity. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS), that state: "As a child, I have fun as I develop my skills in understanding, thinking, investigation and problem solving, including through imaginative play and storytelling" (HSCS 1.30) and 'As a child, I can direct my own play and activities in the way that I choose, and freely access a wide range of experiences and resources suitable for my age and stage, which stimulate my natural curiosity, learning and creativity' (HSCS 2.27)
1. To support children's health, welfare and safety needs, leaders and staff should review the structure and flow of the day. Transitions should be calm, meaningful and child centred. This should include clear planning for transition, group times, consistent access to indoor and outdoor play spaces. These routines would support children to feel secure, settled and improve wellbeing. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: 'I experience high quality care and support because people have the necessary information and resources' (HSCA 4.27).
Conditions of registration
Number(s) and Age(s) of person(s) to whom service may be provided:
1. To provide a care service to a maximum of 104 children at any one time aged between 2 years and primary school age entry, of whom a maximum of 44 children including a maximum of 20 children aged between 2 and 3 years, may be cared for at Prestonpans Early Learning and Childcare Centre, Kirk Street, Prestonpans, EH32 9DY.