Marden Pre-School Playgroup

Marden Pre - School Playgroup Memorial Hall, Goudhurst Road, Marden, Tonbridge, Kent, TN12 9JX

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 30 June 2015 21 March 2011

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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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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children Requires improvement The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision Requires improvement The setting does not meet legal requirements for early years settings

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This provision requires improvement. It is not yet good because:

 The provider has not ensured that all staff have completed Disclosure and Barring Service checks as required. This is also a breach of the Childcare Register.  Staff do not consistently encourage children to add and subtract objects during everyday activities. This means they do not fully promote this aspect of children's early mathematical development.  Occasionally, staff do not ask children questions that encourage them to think and express themselves more fully. Therefore, they do not fully extend children's communication and language skills at such times.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff have warm relationships with parents and children. As a result, parents value the service that staff provide and children form positive relationships with staff. This helps children to develop good levels of confidence and promotes their emotional well-being.  Overall, staff teach children well and help them to gain the skills and attitudes they need for school. Therefore, children make good progress from their unique starting points.  The new manager leads the staff team well and understands the Early Years Foundation Stage requirements. She works closely with staff to ensure that they meet the diverse learning and development needs of the children.  Staff work well with other professionals involved in the care and education of the children. These effective partnerships result in consistency of care and learning for children, and help them to make as much progress as possible.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage the provider must:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 obtain a Disclosure and Barring Service check for every adult working with the children, or who works on the part of the premises where childcare takes place to fully promote children's welfare.

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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

 provide more opportunities for children to learn about simple addition and subtraction during everyday activities to fully extend their mathematical skills  increase staff's use of more interesting questions in different situations to strengthen children's communication and language skills.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 obtain an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check for any person caring for, or in regular contact with, children, to ensure their suitability and to promote children's well- being (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  obtain an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check for any person caring for, or in regular contact with, children, to ensure their suitability and to promote children's well-being (voluntary part of the Childcare Register).

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Inspection activities

 The inspector met with the deputy chairperson and the manager, and spoke to staff at convenient times during the visit.  The inspector observed staff interactions with children to assess the quality of teaching.  The inspector viewed a range of documents, including information relating to self- evaluation, staff suitability and children's progress.  The inspector conducted a joint observation of an activity with the manager.  The inspector spoke to children and parents to gain their views about the pre-school.

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who attend. This is good

Staff encourage children to follow their interests and to test out their ideas well. For example, children used their imaginations to construct objects with large blocks. Staff motivated them to try different ways of putting the pieces together. This fully encouraged children to explore and extend their learning further. Staff promote children's language abilities well, overall, although they do not consistently ask questions that encourage children to fully express themselves as they respond. Staff teach children about numbers and counting; for example, they use pretend money during role play activities and recognise numbers during water play. However, they do not take all opportunities to teach children about simple addition and subtraction to fully extend their mathematical skills. Staff observe and assess children's learning well and invite parents to contribute to their children's development. Therefore, they help all children, including those with identified

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who attend. This is good

needs to make good progress in readiness for school.

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requires improvement

The provider does not fully promote children's well-being because of weaknesses regarding staff suitability checks. However, staff help all children to feel settled and secure. As result, children become confident and independent so they are ready to learn. Staff are good role models and encourage children to play well together and teach them to respect the differences between people, including their friends. Therefore, children behave well. Staff encourage children to help themselves to fruit and chopped vegetables for snacks, and to wash up their own plates and beakers. They also encourage them to take part in outdoor activities, such as energetic ball games. Therefore, they teach children to do things for themselves and effectively promote their understanding of healthy living.

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provision requires improvement

The provider has not ensured that all staff have completed Disclosure and Barring Service checks, so has not fully checked their suitability to work with children. However, this does not significantly affect children's welfare because staff are never left alone with children, in line with the provider's child protection procedures. Staff are clear about safeguarding issues and the action to take in the event of a concern about a child. The manager conducts monthly staff supervision meetings, which encourage staff to discuss children's needs and their professional development. The manager encourages staff to attend regular training and to update their qualifications which improves practice. The provider has met the recommendations from the last visit. The manager effectively evaluates staff practice and the learning outcomes for children. Recent changes include improved security and snack times. Parents, children, staff and others are involved in the evaluation process.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 127367 Local authority Kent Inspection number 840650 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 8 Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 67 Name of provider Marden Pre - School Playgroup Committee Date of previous inspection 21 March 2011 Telephone number 01622 832857

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Setting details

Marden Pre-School Playgroup first opened in 1967. The pre-school operates from the Memorial Hall in Marden, Kent. It is open each weekday during school term times only. Sessions are from 9am to 1pm on Mondays, 9am to 3pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with an optional lunch club, and from 9am to 12 noon on Wednesdays and Fridays. The provider is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education to children aged two, three and four years old. The provider employs 11 members of staff to work with the children. Of these, four staff hold qualifications at level 3 and one member of staff holds Qualified Teacher Status.

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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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