Saltdean Preschool

Saltdean Pre-School St Nicholas Church Hall, Saltdean Vale,Saltdean, Brighton, East Sussex, BN2 8HA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 13 October 2015 11 September 2014

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

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This inspection: Good 2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

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This provision is good

 The manager and staff have made good use of the support of the local authority to develop and improve their provision. They have taken effective steps to address previous areas of weakness and make further improvements. For example, they have worked towards a quality assurance award. This has had a positive impact on children's care and learning.  Staff plan a good balance of activities for children based on their interests and needs. Children choose from a wide range of resources that they can easily select for themselves. They make good progress in their learning and development.  Staff promote children's safety effectively and supervise them well at all times.  Staff are sensitive to children's individual needs. They work well with other professionals when needed so that children benefit from a consistent approach.  The manager and the chair of the committee implement robust recruitment procedures.

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This provision is good

This helps to ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children and committee members are suitable for their roles.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not always make full use of information from assessments, for example, to help them swiftly identify any gaps in groups of children's learning so they make the best possible progress.  Staff have not fully developed systems for gathering the views of all parents about any areas for improvement, to support their self-evaluation process.

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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

 strengthen further the use of assessments of children's learning to develop the monitoring of the overall progress of groups of children  increase the involvement of parents in identifying areas for improvement, as part of the ongoing evaluation of the pre-school.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed staff and children taking part in activities both inside and outside.  The inspector had discussions with the manager, committee members and staff about their practice and about children's learning and development.  The inspector sampled paperwork, including staff records, children's files and policies and procedures.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector spoke to parents and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. All staff have attended child protection training. They understand how to identify possible signs of abuse or neglect and know what steps to take to protect children. The manager monitors staff performance and children's learning experiences soundly; for example, she observes staff practice and holds regular supervision meetings with them. Overall, the staff constantly reflect on their practice. They show a positive attitude to making improvements to help raise the quality of teaching and children's learning further. Partnerships with parents are mostly effective. Parents speak highly of the provision and value the friendly, caring staff team. They are happy with the care staff provide and feel their children are safe and well cared for.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff observe individual children's learning and plan for their next steps in learning well. They provide good quality teaching and, in particular, support children's communication and language skills effectively. For instance, they encourage conversations and talk to children as they play, ask questions and give everyone time to answer, such as during circle time. They guide children well and give them time to solve problems by themselves. For example, children had fun working out how to fit the pieces of the train track together to make the shape they wanted. Staff encouraged them to persevere with the task, offering suggestions and praise to motivate them. Children concentrated well and were thrilled with their achievement. Staff encourage children to use their imaginations. For example, children turned giant cardboard boxes into boats and trains. Children develop their literacy skills well, such as learning to recognise their names and listening to stories.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children are confident and settled due to the effective key-person system. Staff provide gentle guidance and praise, which helps children behave well. They encourage children to think about how to behave safely, such as not running inside. Children learn independence skills; for example, they pour their drinks at snack time. They develop their large physical skills well, such as using a range of equipment indoors and outside, which promotes their good health. Staff act as good role models, which helps children learn to treat each other with respect. They encourage children to develop their understanding of the wider world, such as learning about other people's backgrounds and experiences.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children make good progress overall, based on their starting points. They learn useful skills that help prepare them for the next stage of their learning and for school. Funding is used effectively; for example, staff completed training and computer tablets were purchased to help develop children's communication and language skills further.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 130769 Local authority Brighton & Hove Inspection number 990525 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 22 Name of provider Saltdean Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 11 September 2014 Telephone number 07938970623

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Setting details

Saltdean Pre-School registered in 1994. It operates from St Nicholas Church Hall, in Saltdean, East Sussex. The pre-school is open each weekday from 9am to 12 noon during term time, with a lunch club until 12.55pm every day except Tuesday. The pre-school receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are five staff; of these, four hold qualifications at level 3 and one holds a level 2 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

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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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