Essex Park Community Pre-School

Essex Park Community Pre-School Essex Hall, 5 Essex Park, Finchley, N3 1ND

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16 March 2016 3 May 2011

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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 management team and pre-school staff are all very experienced, well qualified, highly motivated and enthusiastic. There is a strong commitment to raising the standards of care and education, and staff are well supported to build their skills. This helps to continually improve outcomes for children.  Parents speak highly of the welcoming staff and how much their children enjoy their time at the pre-school. Partnership working with parents is effective, resulting in a united approach to meeting individual children's needs and helping them to develop relevant skills for the future.  Accurate systems are in place to evaluate the progress of different groups of children. This helps to promptly identify any need for early intervention and supports all children, including those with additional needs, to make good progress in their learning.  Effective support is provided for children who speak English as an additional language.

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This provision is good

 Staff promote children's language and communication skills particularly well. Regular opportunities for signing words help children to develop speech and confidence in their use of language.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff are sometimes too eager to gain a response to their questions and so do not always give children enough time to think.  The monitoring and evaluation of teaching are not always rigorous enough to clearly identify specific areas for improvement for individual staff.

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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 children with more time to respond to questions so that they can think and respond in a timely manner  strengthen the monitoring and evaluation of staff's teaching so that specific areas for improvement for individuals can be identified and supported through targeted professional development.

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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.  The inspector looked at relevant documentation, discussed self-evaluation and viewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the pre-school.  The inspector spoke to a small selection of parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The manager and staff work well together and they are motivated to provide a high- quality setting. Staff meet regularly to evaluate practice and reflect on the ongoing needs of the pre-school. Safeguarding is effective. All staff complete regular safeguarding training. This enables them to identify the signs or symptoms that may indicate a concern in relation to children's welfare. The manager ensures that all staff understand their roles and responsibilities through effective induction and supervision arrangements.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Children play in a stimulating and vibrant environment. They benefit from a wide range of resources that is easily accessible and reflects their interests. There are many opportunities for children to practise mark making, both indoors and outdoors. Children use chalks, paint and pencils to make marks and begin to form recognisable letters. Learning is enhanced as children excitedly prepare real vegetables in the role-play area and use a wide range of tools to explore the play dough. The quality of staff interaction and teaching is good. Staff are full of fun and enthusiasm, helping to keep children interested and motivated to learn. They have a secure knowledge of child development and the needs of children they care for. Staff make good use of the accurate information they obtain from observations to find out what children can do. They carefully track individual children's progress so they can quickly identify any gaps in their learning and

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children's emotional well-being is given high priority. Settling-in arrangements and transitions to school are well planned and facilitated according to the individual needs of children. Staff are very good role models. They use consistent praise and encouragement to promote children's confidence and self-esteem. Daily routines are well embedded, and children follow good hygiene routines and manage their personal care needs well. Staff skilfully promote children's independence skills. For example, children help to prepare healthy snacks and pour their own drinks. They move freely with confidence from indoors to outside. The outdoor learning area is a particular strength of the pre-school. Children have many opportunities to develop their physical skills and learn about the world around them. They grow flowers and vegetables and have immense fun playing in the mud, using a variety of tools.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children, including funded children, disabled children and those with special educational needs, make good progress based on their starting points. They are effectively supported to reach identified next steps in their development. Children are prepared well for their future learning, such as school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY417294 Local authority Barnet Inspection number 1024264 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 38 Number of children on roll 34 Name of provider Essex Park Community Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 3 May 2011 Telephone number 0208 346 5490

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Setting details

The Essex Park Community Pre-School was registered in 2010. The pre-school employs 6 members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at levels 3, 5 and 6. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday during term times only. Sessions are from 9am to 12.30pm, with an optional breakfast club at 8.30am. The pre- school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The playgroup supports disabled children and those with special educational needs, and children who speak English as an additional language.

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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

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Setting details

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Setting details

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Setting details

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