St Francis Pre-School

St Francis Pre-School The Vicarage, Galahad Avenue, Rochester, Kent, ME2 2YS

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 14 July 2016 1 July 2015

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

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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

 Children behave well. Staff are consistent in their approach to behaviour management.  Leadership and management of the pre-school are strong. They work together with staff to set achievable targets for children to work towards. They gather the views of the parents and use these well to help make improvements. For example, they taught children about 'stranger danger' as requested by the parents.  Children have good access to physical activities. For example, they are able to choose where they would like to play, inside and outside.  Children make good progress with their learning and development.  Staff use children's interests well to plan exciting activities that help extend their learning.  Staff teach children effectively about their health and physical well-being. For example, they remind children to wear hats when playing outside to protect their heads from the sun.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not always make the most of children's interest in technology and extend their understanding further.  At times, staff do not manage some daily routines well to ensure that children are not interrupted unnecessarily when they are engaged in an activity.

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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 children's interests and improve opportunities for them to select and use technology  review how staff manage some daily routines to ensure children are not interrupted unnecessarily when they are engrossed in their learning or engaged in an activity.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children in the main hall and the garden.  The inspector spoke with the committee, the manager and staff at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector reviewed records of staff suitability checks and sampled documents to support safeguarding.  The inspector and the manager carried out a joint observation.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. The management team carries out regular checks to ensure all staff are suitable to work with children. Staff have a good understanding of the safeguarding and child protection procedures to follow. Management supports staff well and provides individual meetings to discuss their development needs. Staff keep their knowledge up to date to help them improve outcomes for children. For example, they attend courses that improve their teaching skills, such as recent training that has helped staff to track children's progress more accurately. This enables them to identify better next steps in children's learning. Management and staff work closely with others to reflect on their practice and identify areas they need to work on, to improve outcomes for children.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff use their good quality assessments on children's learning effectively to inform planning of well-matched activities that help staff to support all children's learning. When relevant, staff work well with other early years professionals to share information about children's learning and development for a consistent approach. The manager monitors children's files to ensure that staff clearly identify the progress children make and have plans to close any gaps. Staff extend children's learning well. For example, as children manage to throw bean bags and balls accurately, staff move the buckets to strengthen children's skills. Additional funding is used well to purchase equipment to support individual needs.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff encourage children's independence well. For example, staff teach children how to spread butter on their toast and prepare their own snack. Children enjoy using a large range of resources that help support their physical development. For instance, young children quickly learn how to use the steps up to the slide and confidently use different ways to come down. Children have a great time at the pre-school and behave well. Staff build good relationships with children. For example, they provide cuddles of reassurance for children as they settle in. Children learn about the importance of accepting people who are different from themselves.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children gain the necessary skills they need to help them progress to the next stage in their learning. They develop their mathematical awareness as they support each other in counting how many children are present during morning group time. Children use their vivid imaginations during role play, such as eagerly describing how they will get to a particular theme park and what they want to see when they get there. Children develop their communication and language skills well. For example, they willingly respond to questions that make them think.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 103842 Local authority Medway Towns Inspection number 1021501 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 32 Number of children on roll 37 Name of registered person St Francis Pre-School Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 1 July 2015 Telephone number 01634 301188

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reference number

St Francis Pre-School registered in 1996 and is in Strood, Kent. The pre-school is open each weekday from 8.30am to 3pm, during term time only. There are nine staff; of these, seven hold appropriate early years qualifications, including five staff who hold a level 3 qualification. The pre-school is in receipt of funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years.

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reference number

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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reference number

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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reference number

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reference number

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reference number

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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