The Ark Pre School

The Ark Pre School Crowthorne Baptist Church, 144 High Street, Crowthorne, Berkshire, RG45 7AT

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 22 September 2016 26 September 2012

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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

 Staff provide children with an exceptional environment in which to learn. Children are extremely happy, highly engaged and motivated to learn. All children, including those who have special educational needs, make excellent progress from their starting points.  Staff know the children extremely well. Partnerships with parents are excellent. Staff have very high expectations for all children and fully involve parents in their learning, through comprehensive and regular sharing of information.  Highly effective monitoring of children's progress enables staff to build on children's interests and continually extend learning. Children flourish in their care.  Staff use excellent behaviour strategies and teach children to respect one another exceptionally well. Children play cooperatively and their behaviour is exemplary.  Staff provide highly effective support for children when they first start and when they

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This provision is outstanding

move on to school. This enhances children's emotional well-being exceptionally well.  The inspirational manager continuously strives for excellence. She observes and monitors staff practice rigorously and offers a comprehensive programme of professional development that benefits outcomes for children.  The provider, manager and staff successfully evaluate their practice and use parents and children's views to drive improvements exceptionally well.

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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 firm foundations in information technology, to extend even further children's understanding and use of technology in their learning.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector had a tour of the pre-school.  The inspector spoke with parents, staff and children to gain their views.  The inspector observed staff and children during play and completed a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager and provider and discussed the pre- school's self-evaluation process.  The inspector examined a sample of policies, documents and children's records.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

Safeguarding is effective. The manager and staff have an excellent understanding of their responsibilities and the procedures to follow if they have concerns for a child's welfare. Staff are very aware of their duty to prevent children being drawn into situations that put them at significant risk of harm. The manager has high aspirations for children and staff. The team is constantly looking for ways to extend children's learning. For example, improvements in the way that staff support children's mathematical development have had an extremely positive impact on children's learning. Staff's next step is to build on children's understanding of technology to extend learning even further. Highly effective partnerships with other settings prepare children exceptionally well for school.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff are highly qualified and use their knowledge and skills to plan exceptional activities to move children on to the next stage in their learning. They expertly guide children to investigate and explore their environment. Children are inquisitive and highly motivated to learn. Staff encourage children successfully to try new things. For example, some children were reluctant to touch shaving foam. Staff made the activity exciting by adding hidden items to encourage them to take part. Staff support children's communication and language skills exceptionally well. For instance, they skilfully question children to help them think, such as recalling details of stories. Children develop a keen interest in writing, singing, and they learn about their local community and other cultures.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Staff provide a very nurturing and caring environment for children. Children enjoy very positive attachments with staff. Staff have an excellent knowledge of children's preferences and interests. For example, parents share information with staff extremely well before children start. This enables staff to create highly effective plans for children from the outset. Staff include healthy lifestyles in their planning. For example, children enjoy an excellent range of nutritious foods and activities to support their physical well- being. Children develop exceptionally good hygiene practices and an awareness of how to keep themselves safe through a variety of activities.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children gain excellent language and mathematical skills. They speak confidently and complete complex mathematical tasks, such as adding and subtracting items as they play. Children develop a very strong awareness of literacy and learn to recognise and write familiar words, such as their names. Children are exceptionally confident and independent, and they develop a caring and respectful manner towards others. They are extremely well prepared for their eventual move to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 119271 Local authority Bracknell Forest Inspection number 1058732 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 26 Number of children on roll 21 Name of registered person The Ark Pre School Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 26 September 2012 Telephone number 07827 892397 or 07999 550674

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reference number

The Ark Pre School registered in 1998. It is situated in Crowthorne, Berkshire. The pre- school is open Monday to Friday, term time only. Sessions last from 9.15am to 12.15pm. There are currently five members of staff. Of these, two hold relevant qualifications at level 3 and two hold teaching degrees. The pre-school receives funding for the provision of free early education to 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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