St.Teresa's Pre-School

St.Teresa's Pre-School Parish Centre, 109 Ashingdon Road, Rochford, Essex, SS4 1RF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18 May 2015 29 April 2010

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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 Outstanding 1

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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

 Teaching is good and sometimes outstanding, because staff provide children with a wide range of opportunities that take account of their individual needs and interests.  The excellent use of the outdoor environment helps to promote children's exploratory and investigative skills, as well as their physical development.  Arrangements for safeguarding are firmly embedded in practice. Strong policies and procedures are consistently implemented to effectively promote children's safety and welfare.  The excellent key-person system helps children to form extremely close emotional attachments as staff effectively support them in their play. Consequently, children feel very safe and secure in the pre-school environment.  Children are prepared exceptionally well for their move on to school because excellent links exist with the teaching staff at the nearby school.  Self-evaluation is effective and there is a shared vision between the manager, staff and

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This provision is good

committee for the constant need for improvement of the pre-school. The recommendations from the last inspection have successfully been addressed.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Opportunities for the older children to extend their early writing skills have not been fully explored.  Sometimes staff miss opportunities to give the parents of the younger children comprehensive information about their children's progress.

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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

 extend the opportunities for older children to develop their early writing skills, for example, by consistently encouraging them to write their names on artwork or by writing words on captions and labels for display  strengthen the evaluation of the already good assessment process to ensure reports for the younger children consistently contain precise information about the level of every child's development, to enable staff and parents to work together to accelerate children's progress.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the indoor and outdoor learning environments.  The inspector accompanied staff and children on a transition visit into the Reception class of the nearby school.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector held discussions with the manager, staff and children.  The inspector viewed a sample of the children's development records.  The inspector looked at evidence of the suitability and qualifications of the staff, self- evaluation, risk assessment and policies and procedures.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day and from their responses to surveys organised by the pre-school.

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who attend. This is good

Staff have a good understanding of how to promote children's learning. They talk to children continuously while asking questions, making suggestions and joining in with activities. Children benefit from a wealth of interesting hands-on learning experiences. For example, they explore and view the life cycle of caterpillars and can explain this process in detail to others. As a result, they demonstrate a good understanding of natural growth and development. Children are capably developing the skills they need in readiness for starting school. They listen attentively to stories and look at books for pleasure. Children are learning to form letters correctly and use clipboards to make notes, both indoors and outside. However, the staff are not consistently encouraging children to enhance their emerging skills by practising writing for display.

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outstanding

Staff are deployed exceptionally well to meet children's needs. They are extremely positive role models and give consistent guidelines that support children to manage their emotions and to adjust their behaviour around other children. As a result, children are very well behaved, kind and helpful. Snack time offers ample opportunities for children to increase their self-help skills and independence. Staff use the outdoor area extremely well to promote physical exercise and to teach children about leading a healthy lifestyle. For example, children learn to grow fruit and vegetables and recycle their food waste in the compost bin. Staff have a comprehensive knowledge of each child and their family circumstances. Parents report that they and their children have benefited from special care, guidance and support during difficult periods.

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provision is good

The manager effectively leads a very experienced and appropriately qualified staff team. They have a good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and there is a very positive team spirit. All staff complete first-aid courses and safeguarding training. Consequently, they have a good understanding of the procedures to follow should they have any concerns about the safety of the children. The manager also holds regular one- to-one supervision meetings with staff to help support their professional development and raise the quality of teaching. Staff attend weekly planning meetings to discuss the individual needs of their key children and to review their progress. Parents regularly get to see and contribute to their children's development records. However, there is room to enhance the information shared with parents of the newer and younger children. This is because the manager is not rigorously checking that initial reports constantly contain a

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provision is good

sharply focused picture of the level of every child's development, to help hasten progress even more. Nevertheless, parents speak very positively about the care and education their children receive. The pre-school is well established within the community, with many parents returning with younger siblings.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY270968 Local authority Essex Inspection number 860767 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 12 Number of children on roll 30 Name of provider St Teresa's Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 29 April 2010 Telephone number 07980 388786

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Setting details

St. Teresa's Pre-School was registered in 1979 and is run by a committee. The pre-school employs four members of childcare staff. Of these, two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and one holds level 2. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday, during school term times. Sessions are from 9am until 12 noon and from 12.30pm to 3.30pm every afternoon except Thursday. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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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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