Eccles Pre-School

Eccles Pre-School Methodist Church Hall, Bull Lane, Eccles, Aylesford, Kent, ME20 7HE

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 20/10/2014 23/03/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 3 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Children are making good progress in their learning and development. Staff know children well and provide exciting play opportunities to meet their interests and needs.  Staff closely monitor children's development to ensure they all receive effective support to reach their full potential.  Children are well protected at the pre-school due to staff's good understanding of the safeguarding policies and procedures.  Children are confident and happy attending the pre-school and they have good relationships with staff. As a result, their behaviour is good and they are kind and respectful.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not consistently provide a good range of resources to enable children explore with print in the outdoor environment.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities inside and outside.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the pre-school manager.  The inspector held discussions with the manger and staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, and sampled a range of policies and procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with the children and discussed the pre-school's self-evaluation.

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Information about the setting

Eccles Pre-School registered in 1975 and is run by a committee. The pre-school operates from a hall attached to the Methodist Church in the village of Eccles, on the outskirts of Maidstone in Kent. All children share access to an enclosed outdoor play area. The group opens five mornings and two afternoons a week during school term time. Sessions are from 9am until 12pm. The setting is operating a lunch club from 12pm to12.30pm and afternoon sessions from 12.30pm to15.30pm, Mondays and Thursdays only. There are currently 24 children attending in the early years age range. The pre-school is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who learn English as an additional language. There are three staff employed to work with the children, all of whom hold a level three qualification.

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 enhance the opportunities for children to explore print in the outdoor environment.

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who attend

All children are making good progress in their learning and development because staff know the children very well. Staff know children's likes, dislikes and interests and use these to motivate them to learn. Staff seek information from parents about children's needs and interests when their children first begin at the pre-school. This means children are supported well to make consistent progress from their starting points. Children are regularly observed and their next steps in learning are clearly identified. Staff have a good knowledge of each child and their current interests. For example, children demonstrate a keen interest in space. Staff actively support and extend children's interests to making rockets and share stories linking to this particular interest. This means children are challenged in their play and fully supported. Staff track children's progress and are aware of any gaps in their learning. Consequently, staff clearly know how to support children to

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who attend

Children are provided with a wide range of activities to stimulate their interests. They happily engage in free play with small world resources, construction, puzzles, role-play and craft materials. Children enjoy using their imaginations as they paint colourful pictures at the easel. In the outdoor area, children use large apparatus to develop their physical skills, balance and coordination. They visit the local schools' sensory garden to develop an understanding of the natural world by caring for living things. Staff make good use of the end of session to teach children listening and attention skills and encourage them to interact with a story book. Consequently, children are gaining confidence and learning skills required for their next stage of learning, such as starting school.

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who attend

Staff liaise with parents and outside professionals to ensure children are fully supported to reach their individual potential. This means that children with special educational needs and /or disabilities make good progress from their starting points. Children who learn English as an additional language are supported well by staff. Staff obtain words from parents in children's home language to ensure they communicate effectively.

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who attend

Parents are welcomed into the pre-school by staff. Parents state they are very happy with the progress their children are making. They feel their children are happy and settled. Staff communicate information about children's day and new achievements, which enables parents to know what their children are doing and their achievements. Termly written assessments, including the progress check for children aged two years, are shared with parents, to ensure a consistent approach between the pre-school and home environment. The good partnership with parents ensures consistency of care and learning.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Staff are warm, welcoming and caring. They greet each child and their carer as they arrive and take time to ensure all children are settled before the session starts. Each child is assigned a special person who knows them very well. Staff know children's routines and emotional care needs. If children arrive upset, they seek comfort in their special person who instantly knows how to soothe and reassure them. This means children's self-esteem and emotional development is supported well. Plenty of time is given to supporting parents to help their children settle into the pre-school. For example, a gradual settling-in process enables children to feel safe and secure in parting from their parents.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Staff set up the hall before the children arrive to create an interesting and welcoming learning environment. A wide range of age appropriate resources are available. Children show good levels of confidence and independence as they select a variety of easily accessible play equipment. Staff make daily checks of the hall and outdoor area in order to ensure all areas are safe for children.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Behaviour is managed well because staff are positive role models. Children are gently reminded of the rules and boundaries. Staff explain the reason behind the instructions given to children. For example, children are reminded to walk indoors, with staff explaining the dangers of what could happen if they run.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children have made good friends with each other. They happily greet one another as they arrive. Staff encourage children to develop good hygiene practices in order to reduce the risk of infection. For example, staff teach children to wash and dry their hands before snack and lunch. Staff encourage children to explore the outdoor area and use a range of equipment, such as, a climbing equipment, balls and bean bags to develop their physical abilities. As a result, children are learning to enjoy activities and experiences that support their well-being. Children take challenging risks as they run around outdoors negotiating space and avoiding obstacles.

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provision

Staff are very clear about their roles and responsibilities to safeguard children. They know the possible signs and symptoms to be aware of and what to do should they have any concerns. There are clear procedures to follow and appropriate documentation is in place to record any concerns the staff may have about children in their care. All staff have attended safeguarding training. Staff ensure the environment is safe and secure through daily safety checks. The manager regularly updates written risk assessments to monitor and minimise any potential hazards within the pre-school. As a result, children remain safe at all times. Fire drills are regularly carried out so that children and staff can evacuate the building quickly in an emergency. All staff have completed paediatric first aid training. This means that staff are able to administer appropriate treatment in the event of an accident.

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provision

The manager clearly understands the importance of implementing an effective recruitment procedure. All staff are qualified and have been vetted to ensure they are suitable to work with children. Staff have regular supervision meetings to discuss children's progress and their own personal development. The team is very small and they constantly discuss their practice and positive changes they can make to the pre-school. The manager monitors children's individual progress through regular tracking system. This clearly identifies any gaps in learning and development to allow all children the opportunity to reach their full potential. Assessment records are good and clearly show children make good progress in their learning and development.

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provision

The preschool has established links with the local school, this enables children and staff to visit and exchange information prior to children move into school. Partnership with parents are good. Parents are extremely positive in their praise, commenting on the welcoming staff and how their children love coming to the preschool. There is a good commitment to self-evaluation and improving outcomes for children. The manager and staff work effectively together to help raise the quality of provision.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are Met

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Requires improvement The provision is not giving children a good standard of early years education and/or there are minor breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. We re-inspect nurseries and pre-schools judged as requires improvement within 12 months of the date of inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement action. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or

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Grade Judgement Description

is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. Met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 127166 Local authority Kent Inspection number 842847 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 8 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 24 Name of provider Eccles Pre School Committee Date of previous inspection 23/03/2011 Telephone number 07986259293

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Setting details

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children,

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Type of provision

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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