Mote Park Pre-School

Mote Park Pre-School The Scout Hut, Oxford Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 8DD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 28 April 2016 Not applicable

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Outcomes for children Requires improvement

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This provision requires improvement. It is not yet good because:

 The provider has not identified all possible hazards to children's safety in the outside environment. This does not help to promote children's confidence as they engage in outdoor activities.  Staff do not consistently apply their training knowledge and skills effectively to promote all aspects of children's learning. For example, they do not consistently help children to learn about the behavioural expectations at the setting. Occasionally, this hinders children's uninterrupted play.  Staff do not always manage group activities effectively to fully value children's contributions and further promote their individual engagement.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff know the children well and share information effectively with parents to plan for children's learning. Parents express the view that their children are happy to come to the setting and that staff are welcoming and approachable.  The manager monitors children's progress effectively and works in close partnership with professionals to help reduce gaps in children's learning.  Staff use a range of strategies to motivate children's interest in books. For example, children enjoy using finger puppets to act out stories as staff read to them.  The manager invites staff from the local school to the setting and attends meetings with them to help ensure continuity in children's learning when they transfer to school.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage the provider must:

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Due Date

 ensure that the outdoor space and resources are free from all hazards to help enable children to explore activities freely and safely 13/05/2016

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Due Date

 improve staff knowledge and skills to equip them to provide clear and consistent messages to children about expected behaviour. 13/05/2016

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Due Date

To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

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Due Date

 review the organisation of group activities to help promote individual children's engagement and enjoyment further.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the children at play, inside and outside, and their interactions with the staff.  The inspector held discussions with the staff and manager as appropriate.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and children.  The inspector viewed a sample of documents, including the setting's policies and procedures and children's learning records.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

The manager has not identified some hazards in the outside environment, such as tree stumps and tight spaces that sometimes hinder children's free movement during activities. However, staff supervise children effectively, which helps to minimise the impact on children's safety. The manager takes account of the views of staff, parents and children to plan for improvements. For example, she has revised the arrangements for dropping off and collecting children to strengthen interaction between parents and their children's key person. She uses funding effectively, for example, to provide additional resources that help improve children's learning experience. The manager supports staff well and they attend a range of training. However, there are occasional inconsistencies in the quality of teaching. For example, staff do not provide consistent messages to children about expected behaviour. Safeguarding is effective. Staff understand the procedures to follow

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

to identify and report concerns about children's welfare.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Occasionally, staff do not manage the organisation of group activities effectively to promote individual children's engagement and fully value their contribution. For example, staff did not closely support younger children to share their ideas with the group during a construction activity. Staff encourage children's early reading skills during routine activities, for example, children find their name labels to register when they arrive and before they have snacks. Staff provide interesting opportunities to help children learn how their bodies work. For example, children explore toy models of internal parts of the body, such as the heart and lungs, and they comment that they can feel their heart thump.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

Children do not always have consistent opportunities to explore confidently, for instance, when they play outside, and occasionally staff do not support their good behaviour effectively. For example, some staff do not consistently prompt children to walk indoors to be safe, and noise levels are sometimes high, which occasionally interrupts children's learning. Nevertheless, children enjoy regular opportunities to play in the fresh air and enjoy sharing experiences with the staff and other children. They learn good hygiene practices, for example, they learn about the importance of keeping their teeth clean.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Children develop their imagination in play, for example, as they give a 'shower' to toy models of people by pouring water out of a teapot. They learn to use mathematical language, such as 'top' and 'bottom', for instance, as they wheel their toy cars up and down a play car park. Overall, children progress steadily in most areas of their learning and develop skills that help to prepare them for school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY482174 Local authority Kent Inspection number 1049057 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 46 Name of provider Ellen Elizabeth Purvis Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 07891756883

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Setting details

Mote Park Pre-school registered in 2014. It is located in Maidstone, Kent. The pre-school is open Monday to Friday, term time only. The morning sessions are from 9am to midday and the afternoon sessions are from 12.30pm to 3.30pm. The setting operates a lunch club for children who wish to bring a packed lunch. Nine members of staff work with the children; the manager is a qualified teacher, and five members of staff hold appropriate childcare qualifications. The setting is in receipt of early years pupil premium and early education funding for children aged two, 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

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Setting details

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Setting details

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Setting details

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