St Ambrose Pre-School

St Ambrose Pre-School St. Ambroses Catholic Primary School, Leswell Street, KIDDERMINSTER, Worcestershire, DY10 1RP

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 27 June 2017 1 May 2014

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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 dedicated manager and her experienced team are deeply committed to providing children and their families with the best possible care and learning experiences. Since the last inspection, rigorous attention has been given to the outdoor environment and monitoring of children's progress to drive changes and raise standards even further.  Partnerships with parents are excellent. Parents are exceedingly well supported by conscientious staff to ensure their children's learning and welfare needs are fully met. Comments from parents are highly supportive of the staff who they say are exceptional and play a significant role in the care and development of their children.  Staff develop highly effective partnerships with external professionals and other services. Together, they achieve the best possible outcomes for all children, particularly those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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This provision is outstanding

 All children are aware of the importance of being healthy and leading healthy lifestyles. Daily opportunities for outdoor play and weekly physical education sessions help promote exceptional physical skills. The exceedingly rich outdoor learning environment greatly extends the range of skills children acquire and promotes how they learn about growing and tending vegetables and herbs.  Staff use highly effective approaches to promote positive behaviour based on children's age and stage of development. Children develop a deep understanding of the ground rules and receive consistent praise from staff.  The environment is highly stimulating and motivating, and allows children to make their own choices. Children are highly challenged to explore and develop their own ideas.

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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

 continue to target professional development opportunities to support staff in maintaining aspects of their already outstanding practice.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities indoors and outdoors, and staff interaction with the children.  The inspector spoke to children, staff and some parents during the inspection and took into account their views and comments.  The inspector took part in a joint observation of children's activities with the manager.  The inspector checked evidence of the suitability of staff working in the pre-school and various documentation.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff are extremely vigilant in supervising children and ensuring they are safe in their care. Staff demonstrate a robust knowledge of child protection and know how to report any concerns about the welfare of a child. The enthusiastic and motivated manager provides exceptional support for staff. Regular peer observations are carried out on staff as they work with children. This helps to identify aspects of their already outstanding practice that can be shared with the team. Further opportunities for coaching and mentoring help to ensure that all staff are extremely confident in their roles. The manager is now considering training opportunities for staff to attend in the future to continue their professional development. Staff are highly effective in monitoring children's progress and act quickly to close any gaps in achievement. For example, all children make rapid progress due to the individual, tailored

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

support for boys as they develop their interest in outdoor mark making.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff use their accurate observations of children to plan meaningful and highly innovative activities for their next steps in learning. Parents are given clear and meticulous information to extend their children's learning even further at home. Staff act as playful partners in children's learning. They are exceptionally skilled in identifying the learning potential in the activities children choose. Staff talk with the children about what they are doing and ask open-ended questions that inspire children to think critically and make links in their learning. Staff capture children's curiosity in fascinating experiments with an exceptional and unusual range of resources.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Staff are outstanding role models to the children. They provide a very warm and welcoming environment in which children thrive. Children develop exceptionally close and trusting bonds with all staff. Children are encouraged to develop their independence skills in every way. They persevere when getting changed by themselves for their physical exercise session, and serve food and pour their own drinks at mealtimes. Staff give the utmost priority to ensure that they promote children's all-round development. Children's confidence in different social situations is exceptional. Children are given opportunity to speak within small groups. They are beginning to develop a sense of their place in the world as they enjoy visits from various professionals who help us.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

All children, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language, make excellent progress from their starting points. Children develop a very wide range of important skills that ensures they are exceptionally well prepared for their future learning and eventual move on to school. Older children are extremely confident and self-assured as they enjoy trying new things. They play cooperatively, solving problems, asking questions and challenging each other.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 205482 Local authority Worcestershire Inspection number 1087628 Type of provision Full-time 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 36 Number of children on roll 48 Name of registered person St Ambrose Playgroup Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 1 May 2014 Telephone number 07980182741

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reference number

St Ambrose Pre-School registered in 1982. The pre-school employs five members of childcare staff. Of these, four hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and one with qualified teacher status. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday, term time only. Sessions are from 8.45am until 3.15pm. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children, supports children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, and children who are learning English as an additional language.

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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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