Sutton Valence Pre-school Group

Sutton Valence Pre School Group The Parish Rooms, Chart Road,Sutton Valence, Maidstone, Kent, ME17 3AW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 20 March 2015 23 May 2011

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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

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This inspection: Good 2

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

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This inspection: Good 2

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

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This inspection: Good 2

The setting meets legal requirements for early years settings

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This provision is good

 Staff provide a welcoming environment. Children benefit from a wide range of stimulating activities to support their learning, both indoors and in the outside area.  Staff are kind and caring. They establish good relationships with families and involve them in their child's learning. Therefore, children make good progress.  Staff plan effectively for individual children and identify their next steps in learning. They support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are learning English as an additional language very well.  The manager monitors the practice at the pre-school effectively. She has clear plans for the future and is committed to developing staff practice in order to improve outcomes for children.  The manager is supported by a committee who are fully aware of their roles and responsibilities. As a result, the leadership is strong.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not always consider the two-year-old children's varying levels of  development when organising activities. This means that some of the younger children lose interest during free play in the large hall.  Staff do not always monitor the noise levels closely. This means that at times when older children are playing and expressing themselves freely, the noise levels become too high. As a result, some of the younger children become overwhelmed.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 review the daily routines in order to manage noise levels and to ensure that the two- year-old children are able to be fully involved in all activities  enable children to spend more time in organised group activities with an adult if they choose to do so.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed practice indoors and in the outside area.  The inspector looked at evidence of suitability of staff and their qualifications.  The manager and the inspector conducted a joint observation.  The inspector sampled a range of policies, risk assessments, records of meetings, children's records and the pre-school's self-evaluation form.  The inspector spoke to the manager, members of the committee, staff, parents and children and took account of their views.

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who attend. This is good

Staff provide a good range of learning experiences to promote children's development. Children are able to choose from many resources, both indoors and outdoors, to support their learning. Following recent training, staff use key words, visual prompts and signing to support communication with children who have additional needs. Staff promote literacy very well and there are many opportunities for children to enjoy books, to practise early writing skills and to link letters and sounds. Staff develop children's early mathematical skills and extend their thinking. For example, staff encourage children to put numbers in order and to sort, match and weight items. This prepares children well for starting school. Parents contribute to the regular observations and photographic records of their children's achievements. They comment that they feel fully involved with their child's learning and that their children make very good progress.

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good

There is an effective key-person system in place and children form strong bonds with their key person. Staff gather good information from parents before children start to find out about their needs and interests. Most children arrive confidently and play happily throughout the session. Children gain in confidence and they establish good friendships. They respect each other and they behave well. Staff promote healthy lifestyles. They teach children about good hygiene and healthy eating. Children benefit from fresh air and exercise. They wash their hands regularly, they pour their own drinks and they serve themselves at snack time. This promotes their independence and self-care skills well. Staff encourage children to use good manners and snack time is a sociable experience. Children sometimes help to prepare the food, which supports their physical and self-care skills further.

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provision is good

The manager and staff have a secure understanding of their responsibilities. They use daily checks to keep the environment safe. All staff have completed safeguarding training. They are aware of the procedures to follow in the event of a concern arising about children, to promote their welfare. The quality of the teaching is good. Staff work in close partnership with other professionals to support each child's learning needs well. The manager uses effective supervision to evaluate staff performance and to identify their training needs. The self-evaluation process successfully involves parents', children's and staff's views and opinions to help shape the service provided. Staff have good links with local schools, which help to support children as they move onto school. Parents' speak highly of the staff and say that they are very happy with the care and learning experiences their children receive.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 127665 Local authority Kent Inspection number 840692 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 55 Name of provider Sutton Valence Pre School Group Committee Date of previous inspection 23 May 2011 Telephone number 01622 842388

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Setting details

Sutton Valence Pre-School opened in 1981. It operates from Sutton Valence Parish Rooms in Sutton Valence, near Maidstone, Kent. The pre-school is open five days a week during school term times only from 9.15am until 3pm. The pre-school supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. The provider is in receipt of funding to provide free early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. There are ten members of staff who work with the children, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. One member of staff is a qualified teacher. The manager is currently studying for a level 5 qualification.

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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.

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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.

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Setting details

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Setting details

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

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