Thomas's Battersea Kindergarten

Thomas's Kindergarten The Crypt, St Mary's Church, Battersea Church Rd, London, London, SW11 3NA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 23 March 2016 9 December 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 manager is a truly inspirational leader. Her enthusiasm and continuous drive for improvement is reflected in all aspects of the setting. She leads a highly impressive team that works extremely hard to maintain the highest quality of practice.  Staff make expert use of detailed assessments to ensure that they provide the highest levels of challenge to all children. They monitor children's progress and achievements extremely closely and quickly identify any children who may benefit from additional support. All children make excellent progress.  Staff provide parents with extensive support. For example, they suggest exciting activities and lend helpful resources to parents to support their children's learning and development further at home. Parents are exceptionally complimentary about the staff and comment on how completely involved they are in their children's learning.  Staff provide an extremely welcoming and well-planned environment. There is an

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This provision is outstanding

excellent range of highly stimulating resources and activities available indoors and outdoors. Children have inspiring opportunities to explore and experience new things and are extremely willing to give things a go.  The children behave exceptionally well. Staff use exemplary methods to encourage children to listen and respect each other's views. Children play together extremely well and thoroughly enjoy working together to complete tasks and challenges.

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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

 build on the already excellent opportunities for younger children to manage even more everyday tasks by themselves, to develop further their high levels of independence.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed teaching practices and the impact this had on children's learning.  The inspector held discussions with the manager, staff, children and parents.  The inspector read some of the setting's documentation, including the safeguarding policy and procedures.  The inspector sampled children's development information and records.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

The inspirational manager works extremely effectively as part of an enthusiastic and highly qualified team. For example, she recognises individual skills and supports staff to review their work and access training to benefit children's learning. This significantly contributes to the outstanding quality of teaching and continuous improvements. Self- evaluation is extremely effective. The nursery has excellent links with local schools and encourages thorough information sharing to support children's moves. Safeguarding is effective. The manager ensures all staff receive high levels of training to develop their excellent understanding of how to deal with any child protection concerns.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Children flourish in the pre-school. Staff are extremely enthusiastic and consistently encourage children to explore and investigate their own ideas. For example, children delight in discussing the lifecycle of a frog as they excitedly observe real tadpoles. Staff plan extremely stimulating and challenging activities that relate directly to the interests and specific learning needs of each child. For example, children enthusiastically take on the roles of astronauts in the role-play space station. They skilfully identify the different planets using information books and busily work together to plan missions into space.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

All staff develop excellent bonds with children. They are extremely nurturing and sensitive to children's needs. Children arrive exceptionally happy and have an excellent understanding of the routine. For example, they independently self-register and excitedly write their names down for their favourite activities, such as cooking. On occasion staff do not fully encourage younger children to further develop their already excellent levels of independence in managing some everyday tasks by themselves. Staff enthusiastically motivate children to learn and use consistent praise to recognise children's achievements. There are inspiring activities outdoors. For example, children delight in working together using natural objects, such as sticks, to carefully build complex structures.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

All children make excellent progress in all areas of their learning. Children count with confidence during play and have impressive mathematical skills. They show excellent control over creative equipment, such as scissors, and pay great attention to detail. Children develop an exceptional understanding of early literacy. For instance, they skilfully write their names and read simple words with staff's support. There are extensive physical challenges indoors and outdoors. For example, children thoroughly enjoy daily exercise sessions, where they learn new skills and body movements. Children are extremely confident communicators and gain the skills needed for their next stages in learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY405271 Local authority Wandsworth Inspection number 822534 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 38 Number of children on roll 45 Name of provider Thomas's London Day Schools Partnership Date of previous inspection 9 December 2010 Telephone number 02077380400

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Setting details

Thomas's Kindergarten opened in 1992 and re-registered in 2010. It is located in Battersea, London. The kindergarten is open from 8.45am to 3pm on Mondays to Thursdays, and from 8.45am to 11.45am on Fridays, during term time only. The setting employs seven staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications and three hold Qualified Teacher Status. The setting receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged three and four years.

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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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