Cliffe Woods Pre -School & The Acorn Club

Cliffe Woods Pre -School & The Acorn Club Cliffe Woods CP School, View Road, Rochester, Kent, ME3 8UJ

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 24 February 2015 20 January 2010

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Good 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend Good 2

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children Good 2

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision Good 2

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

The setting meets legal requirements for early years settings

p.1

This provision is good

 Children's care, welfare and learning are enhanced by the effective way the pre-school is led and managed.  Managers regularly evaluate the quality of the pre-school and continuously implement improvements for the benefit of children.  Staff use robust assessment systems to ensure they are aware of the developmental stages for each child, and effectively plan their next steps in their learning.  Children form secure bonds and strong relationships with the staff. As a result, children settle well and are happy.  Management implement an effective programme of professional development to help staff improve their knowledge and practice. This includes an annual appraisal, and regular supervision sessions. Staff are passionate and enthusiastic about their roles.  Staff respond well to the interests of each child and reflect this in the activities they make available.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not always label storage boxes with words and pictures so that children know what is available and can independently choose resources for themselves.  Some staff do not use conversations and questions as children play to extend their communication and language skills fully.  Staff do not always provide a wide range of resources to cover all areas of learning fully in the outdoor area.

p.1

What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

p.2

What the setting needs to do to improve further

 strengthen all children's communication and language skills fully through more conversations and skilful questions as they play  help children develop their independence further and make more choices in their play  extend the variety of activities and experiences outdoors to promote children's learning fully across all areas of their development.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching and activities, indoors and outdoors, and completed a joint observation with one of the managers.  The inspector sampled children's observations, planning and assessment records.  The inspector held conversations with the managers, staff and children throughout the inspection.  The inspector spoke to parents during the inspection and took account of their views.  The inspector checked evidence of staff suitability and qualifications, and relevant policies and procedures.

p.2

who attend. This is good

Staff use their knowledge of how children learn and their expertise in teaching to provide a broad range of learning opportunities. Children have free access to a range of high quality resources that allow them to learn and progress. However, staff do not always use picture and word labels so that children can see what resources are available and choose them independently. Overall, staff use precise and sharply focused assessments to plan for every child's needs. They ensure they match activities well to the likes and dislikes of each child so that all children are fully engaged in their learning, such as when they made cakes in the sand pit. Staff challenge children in all areas of learning and record their progress in learning journals, which they share with parents. Children have opportunities to learn indoors and outdoors. However, staff do not always provide a wide range of resources outdoors to fully cover all areas of learning. Most staff effectively promote

p.3

who attend. This is good

children's communication and language skills. They use skilful questioning to extend children's vocabulary and thinking. Occasionally, some staff miss opportunities to do so. Nonetheless, children make good progress and staff prepare them well for the next stage in their learning.

p.3

good

Staff provide a happy and welcoming environment for children. They implement effective arrangements to care for children and promote their well-being successfully. Children benefit from learning outdoors in all weathers, which helps promote their physical and emotional well-being. They settle well in the setting and show confidence in their understanding of behaviour and routines. Staff are deployed effectively and respond to children's individual needs quickly and efficiently. Management and staff value children's views and comments, which gives them the confidence to approach staff for support. The managers have an excellent understanding of their responsibilities to safeguard children. They ensure that all staff implement policies and safe working practices to support children's health, safety and well-being. Staff promote children's independence well during daily routines, such as snack time when children pour their own drinks.

p.3

provision is good

Staff have an extensive knowledge of how children learn and are fully aware of a range of learning styles. Management monitor the delivery of the educational programmes to ensure children are challenged, highly motivated and achieving well. Management follow effective arrangements for recruiting staff and checking their ongoing suitability. Management and staff develop positive relationships with parents. They involve them in all aspects of children's care and learning, which contributes towards children feeling safe and secure.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number EY241306 Local authority Medway Towns Inspection number 832912 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 8 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 55 Name of provider Cliffe Woods Pre School Committee Date of previous inspection 20 January 2010 Telephone number 01634 222667

p.4

Setting details

Cliffe Woods Pre-School and The Acorn Out-of-School Club registered in 1989 and operates from one classroom within the primary school. It is situated in Cliffe Woods, Rochester, Kent. The pre-school is open each weekday from 9am to 3pm and the out-of- school club is open from 8am to 9am and 3.15pm to 6pm, during term time only. The setting employs nine members of staff, of these, five hold early years qualifications at level 3 and three hold early years qualifications at level 2. The pre-school receives funding to provide free early education for children aged three and four years.

p.4

Setting details

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.

p.4

Setting details

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

p.4

Setting details

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

p.5

Setting details

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

p.5