St Mary's Pre-School

St Mary's Pre-school St Mary's School, Cookham Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 7EG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 15 March 2016 12 July 2012

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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

 Staff work well with parents to meet children's needs. They share information about children's progress and suggestions about how to support learning further at home.  The manager effectively supports staff to improve their teaching skills. She organises a wide range of training and meets regularly with each member of staff to discuss their performance.  Staff help all children to make good progress with their speaking and listening skills. They successfully help children who are learning English as an additional language to feel welcome and to develop their use of the English language.  Staff meet the needs of more active learners well. They organise an exciting range of experiences outdoors to support children's all-round development. Children make good progress.  Staff promote children's physical well-being well. Children help to prepare snacks and have plenty of opportunities to be out in the fresh air.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 On occasions, staff do not organise movement between activities well. For example, children have fewer resources to use when staff are tidying up before a change of activity. At these times children's learning is interrupted.  At times, staff do not make the most of opportunities to extend children's mathematical understanding through play and daily routines, such as during mealtimes.

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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

 improve the organisation of the day to ensure children's learning is not unnecessarily interrupted and to further promote children's well-being  ensure staff make better use of opportunities to extend children's mathematical understanding.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children and staff, indoors and outdoors.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector took account of the parents' views.  The inspector spoke with staff about their understanding of safeguarding, child protection and first aid.  The inspector sampled documentation, including children's records, the provider's policies and staff qualifications.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The manager routinely reflects on how to develop the provision still further. She gathers the views of staff, parents and children as part of this process. She successfully implements the identified improvements. For example, she has organised more opportunities for children to develop their literacy and technological skills. She reviews children's progress rigorously, quickly identifying when children are not making expected progress. Staff work effectively with other professionals to help these children catch up with their peers. Safeguarding is effective. The manager follows robust recruitment procedures to ensure staff are suitable to work with children. All staff understand their responsibility to safeguard children. They ensure the premises are safe and secure and know what to do if concerned about a child's welfare.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

The good quality teaching has a positive impact on outcomes for children. Staff provide puppets to encourage children to re-enact favourite stories, which helps to develop children's speaking and listening skills. Staff organise lots of opportunities for children to explore different materials and play cooperatively, for example, in the pretend builder's yard and the 'mud kitchen' outdoors and the 'home corner' indoors. These activities help children's developing social and creative skills. Staff are alert to children's needs. They make good judgements about when to lead the learning and when to allow children to play and explore independently.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff support children's emotional well-being effectively. They get to know children and their families well before children start, which helps to ensure that starting pre-school is a positive experience for all concerned. Children, generally, behave well for their age. Staff are patient and encouraging as they help children learn to share and consider each other's needs. Children are confident in meeting their own needs; they wash their hands before snacks and after handling the pet guinea pigs and make choices about what to do and where to play. Staff successfully create a happy, stimulating, safe environment, and children thoroughly enjoy their time there.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children enjoy taking part in the broad range of activities on offer. They make good progress. They gain the skills needed for their future learning, including the move to school when the time comes. For example, older children learn to form recognisable letters and begin to develop an understanding of letter sounds. Just as importantly, children learn how to share, take turns and make choices about what to do. Children form a positive view of learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 108463 Local authority Windsor & Maidenhead Inspection number 984993 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 25 Number of children on roll 53 Name of provider St Mary's Pre-school Committee Date of previous inspection 12 July 2012 Telephone number 01628 627013

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Setting details

St Mary's Pre-school registered in 1990. It is situated in Maidenhead, Berkshire. It is open from 9am to 12 noon and from 12.30pm to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday, term time only. The provider receives funding to provide free early years education to children aged two, three and four years. There are eight members of staff, of whom seven hold relevant qualifications at level 3 or above.

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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

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