Thorpe le Soken Pre- School

Thorpe le Soken Pre- School Little Saints House, Rolph School Grounds, High Street, Thorpe-le-Soken, Essex, CO16 0DY

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16 March 2016 13 May 2010

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1

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This provision is outstanding

 The management has a dynamic approach to achieving extremely high standards. They rigorously monitor and audit every aspect of the provision. Managers meticulously implement changes and improvements to help to raise the quality of the pre-school.  Children are extremely settled, confident and independent. Staff are highly skilled at understanding the importance of enhancing children's emotional well-being. They make excellent use of training on attachment theories and use their expert knowledge to create an environment of trust, whereby children feel safe.  Staff's enthusiasm for teaching and nurturing children's natural curiosity is apparent in every element of their working day. They are skilful at pitching questions to help children to plan and guide their own learning. They successfully encourage children to solve problems and to consider different ways of achieving their goals.  Meticulously astute assessment of every child's learning, ensures that even the smallest

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This provision is outstanding

of gaps in children's development are swiftly recognised and acted upon. Exceptional partnership working with outside agencies and parents helps to ensure that every child and family receive the support they need.  Partnerships with parents are unquestionably strong. Parents are highly complimentary of the pre-school practitioners and management. They are all extremely knowledgeable about their child's key person and state that the level of communication between themselves and their child's key person is exemplary.

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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

 continue to develop links with other early years settings that children attend, to strengthen the already exemplary partnership working so that outcomes for children can be raised to an even higher standard.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the pre-school manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the pre-school manager and deputy. She looked at relevant documentation, such as the pre-school's self-evaluation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the pre-school.  The inspector spoke to a selection of parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

Arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff and management have extremely secure knowledge of their responsibility with regards to referring any concerns to the appropriate authority. Staff ensure that the pre-school environment remains safe through rigorous daily safety checks. Extremely effective monitoring of staff's professional development ensures that all staff operate to an extremely high standard. Managers consistently work towards awards that improve their specialist knowledge, for example, working with children on the autistic spectrum and in the area of communication and language. Links with other settings children attend are extremely strong. Management is considering ways of further enhancing this partnership working to fully complement every child's learning.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Highly qualified staff use their expert knowledge of how children to learn to provide an exciting and innovative range of activities. Children flourish as they enthusiastically participate in activities, both indoors and outdoors. Children expertly put their mathematical and construction skills to good use as they use the exciting range of real building materials in the garden. They transport sand and mud from the mud kitchen to create cement to make their tiles stick to the plastic roof of the playhouse. They measure and estimate how much water they will need to make the correct consistency. Staff enhance their learning by introducing appropriate language and using their expert questioning skills to encourage children to consider what materials they may need.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Key persons meet every child with a kind smile and gentle touch of the hand or face. This creates beaming smiles from the children in return. Key persons foster children's individual needs superbly. Staff have extremely high expectations of children and set clear and consistent boundaries. Children are caring and respectful of each other. They are provided with excellent opportunities to learn about their local environment and the wider world. For example, regular correspondence with the pre-school's pen pal in Africa, provides superb opportunities for children to learn about him and his family. Children understand the importance of keeping healthy as they follow staff's extremely clear directions. They enjoy physical exercise in the pre-school garden and surrounding areas.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children, including disabled children and those with special educational needs, achieve extremely well and in some cases make exceptional progress. Children become strong, independent young people, who guide much of their own learning. Children are proficient speakers and communicate well. They relish the vibrancy of the pre-school and demonstrate their motivation to learn by being keen, active and excited. Excellent links with the local primary schools provide superb opportunities for children to learn about going to school and the skills they will require. Many children proficiently write their names. Some children decide to write their name using two different coloured pens. They know that this means they have created a recurring pattern.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 203779 Local authority Essex Inspection number 864068 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 - 5 Total number of places 22 Number of children on roll 40 Name of provider Thorpe Le Soken Pre-School Playgroup Committee Date of previous inspection 13 May 2010 Telephone number 01255 863070

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Setting details

Thorpe le Soken Pre-School was registered in 1971. The pre-school employs eight members of childcare staff. Of these, all eight hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2, 3 or above, including the manager with Early Years Teacher status. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday, term time only. Sessions are from 8.50am until 11.50am, 12 noon until 3pm or 8.50am until 3pm. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports disabled children and those with special educational needs.

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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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