St. Michaels Pre School

St. Michaels Pre School St. Michaels Church Hall, 2 High Road, DARTFORD, DA2 7EG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 7 July 2015 29 November 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 complete assessments of children's individual learning regularly. They use the information well to identify and plan for their next steps in learning. This helps to ensure they make good progress from their starting points. Staff share children's achievements with their parents so they are well informed about their progress.  Staff act as positive role models to children and support their understanding of behaviour well. They talk calmly and give meaningful praise and encouragement.  The manager and staff have established good relationships with other professionals, such as school teachers, to support children's move to school.  A well-established key-person approach helps children to form good relationships with staff. As a result, children feel safe and secure.  Staff deploy themselves well and supervise children effectively. This enables children to explore independently as they choose to play indoors or outside.

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This provision is good

 The manager and staff work closely with other settings children attend. They share appropriate information about children's development. Therefore, they support children consistently and this helps to continue their learning and progress well.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 The manager has not fully considered how to use the monitoring of the progress of groups of children to strengthen teaching further to help all children to make rapid progress.  Staff do not always support children's understanding of why it is important to have a healthy diet during snack time routines.

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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

 enhance monitoring of the progress of groups of children and use the information gained to further raise the good quality of teaching to consistently help all children to make rapid improvement in their learning from their starting points  strengthen opportunities for children to learn about why it is important to have a healthy diet.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector toured the areas of the premises.  The inspector observed staff and children's interactions both indoors and outdoors.  The inspector discussed the setting's self-evaluation process and spoke to children, parents and staff.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector sampled some documentation, including children's records, suitability checks, and policies and procedures.

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who attend. This is good

The quality of teaching is good. Staff know the children very well. They regularly observe their play and use this information well to plan what children need to learn next. Children engage in activities well as staff offer an enjoyable variety that captures their interest. They learn to count, recognise numbers and use mathematical language to talk about shapes and sizes. Staff take every opportunity to develop children's vocabulary and communication skills. Children learn to link sounds to letters. Older children write their names and younger children recognise their written name. Children show a strong interest in books and they regularly take books home to share with their families. This helps to support children's learning at home and develops their early reading skills well.

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good

Children are happy and settle easily into the pre-school routine. Staff support children to develop their independence and self-help skills. For example, children choose when to have a snack, pour their drinks and put on aprons. Children learn good manners because staff successfully model this in their interactions with children. Staff complete comprehensive safety checks and risk assessments. This creates a safe environment for children. Children have good opportunities to be active and engage in outdoor play. They learn to coordinate their bodies as they ride on bicycles, and throw and catch balls.

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provision is good

The manager has a good understanding of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She has addressed all previous recommendations effectively. The manager and staff continue to review the quality of their provision and identify areas for further improvement. For example, staff attended training to enrich children's imaginative play, which has improved their role play experiences. The manager has a good overview of children's individual learning to ensure they make good progress. She monitors this and staff practice closely through effective supervision meetings. These help to identify and address any areas that need development in staff practice or children's individual learning needs. All staff are confident about child protection procedures and their role and responsibilities to promote children's welfare. Staff keep parents well informed of their children's time at the pre-school through effective communication and 'stay and play'

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provision is good

sessions. Parents comment positively about the pre-school and that they feel well supported and informed about their children's care and learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 127613 Local authority Kent Inspection number 840681 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 42 Name of provider St Michaels Pre School Committee Date of previous inspection 29 November 2011 Telephone number 07765 024181

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Setting details

St Michael's Pre School registered in 1977 and operates from one room in a church hall. It is situated in the village of Wilmington in Dartford, Kent. The pre-school is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 9.15am to 12.15pm, during term time only. The pre-school employs seven members of staff. Of these, four including the manager hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and 3. The pre-school receives funding for free early education for children aged two, three and four years old.

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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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