St James Church Pre- School

St James Church Pre- School St James' Church Centre, Kingfisher Drive,Woodley, Reading, Berkshire, RG5 3LH

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 17 March 2017 3 February 2015

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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 use their excellent skills to provide rich and stimulating experiences for children. Children are extremely enthusiastic learners and enjoy exploring the wide range of exciting activities that staff design. This helps children to further explore ideas and develop their imaginations.  The manager combines her excellent understanding of how young children learn with her nurturing skills to support and develop all staff's knowledge and skills. This helps staff to plan creative and inspiring activities that help children to flourish. For example, children practised their language and counting skills when they played a game of 'pirates' on the climbing frame.  Children have very high standards of behaviour and confidence. They help themselves to toys to extend their play. Children are very respectful and well-supported by staff to learn how to share. Staff nurture children's very high levels of emotional well-being.

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This provision is outstanding

 Partnerships with parents are very effective. Close working relationships help parents to be fully involved in their children's learning and care. For example, parents celebrate how confidently their children learn to be in new situations.  The relationships between professionals and other settings, including schools the children attend, are excellent. All children make exceptional progress from their individual starting points and are very well-prepared for their next stage in learning.

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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 more everyday opportunities for children to enhance their growing independence skills.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the children at play indoors and talked with the children about their activities.  The inspector held discussions with the supervisor in relation to observing a group learning activity and assessed the children's progress.  The inspector looked at a range of documentation, including suitability checks, qualifications and children's records.  The inspector held discussions with parents, the chair and vice-chair of the committee and all staff.  The inspector observed children at play outside.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

The manager is highly motivated with very high expectations. This helps the staff to constantly challenge each other to improve. The manager's very close monitoring of the key worker's knowledge and practice helps her to provide extensive training. This helps staff ensure children's progress is rapid and consistent. For example, children with additional needs attain the expected level in basic skills and excel in their physical development. Safeguarding is effective. The manager and vice-chair of the committee place a high priority on ensuring that staff's safeguarding knowledge is up to date. All staff know where to seek help for any concerns regarding children's welfare or care.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff's exceptional assessments and their excellent knowledge of each child helps them to extend the adult planning effectively, developing children's own ideas. This helps children to be eager to play and learn. For example, when learning about water, children washed dolls, chose to build a car wash and visited the local lake with their parents. Staff support all children be successful in all aspects of learning. For example, they help children to hunt for mini beasts and frogs in the garden. Staff suggest different places to search, such as in the 'bug hotel', under leaves in the corners of the garden and in the soil. Children's determination was rewarded when they eventually found a worm. This very effective staff involvement helps children to learn to keep trying and not to give up.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children build very strong relationships. They settle quickly and this helps them to be happy, imaginative learners. For example, they fetch soil, leaves and small sticks to make a 'mud pie' for the 'giant' that lives over the hedge. Children play very well together and include other children in their games, such as when the 'pirates' climb into the 'castle' to explore the 'princess' treasure'. Children use high-quality language skills to organise, sequence and clarify their thinking and understanding. High standards of behaviour and staff's consistent expectations help children learn to consider others.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children are extremely well-prepared for the next stage in their learning. They talk with confidence to express ideas and ask questions. For instance, in the playhouse when visiting children ask for a 'cup of tea', they are told they have to 'build a fire to heat the kettle'. Children's mathematical language skills are very well-developed. This helps them to solve problems. Children enjoy singing songs they have learnt. They run, skip, catch balls and ride on wheeled toys. They use a balance bike with confidence and skilfully ride this in the outdoor area.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 148676 Local authority Wokingham Inspection number 1085767 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 - 4 Total number of places 16 Number of children on roll 25 Name of registered person St James Church Pre-School Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 3 February 2015 Telephone number 0118 966 2568

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reference number

St James Church Pre-School registered in 1974. The pre-school operates from St James' Church in Woodley, Berkshire. It is managed by a voluntary committee. The pre-school opens four days a week during school term times. Morning sessions are from 9.15am to 11.45 am on each week day except Wednesday. Afternoon sessions are from 1pm to 3.30pm on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The pre-school is in receipt of funding for the provision of 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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