St. Mark's Pre-School

St. Mark's Pre-School St. Marks Church Hall, Guildford Road, Normandy, GUILDFORD, Surrey, GU3 2DA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 14 July 2017 24 June 2014

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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

 The manager and staff supervise children vigilantly. They create a safe and supportive learning environment for all children. Children demonstrate a strong sense of self- assurance and confidently explore activities alongside their friends.  Parents build good relationships with staff and share ideas about what their children have been doing at home. This helps to provide a continued approach to children's learning.  Staff make regular observations and assessments of children's learning. They use this information to review and plan effectively for children's future development.  Staff teach children to adopt healthy lifestyles. For example, children take part in a wide range of physical experiences in the garden and as part of activity sessions in the woods to develop good physical skills.  The manager seeks the views of parents and children well. She evaluates the setting successfully and recognises the strengths and any areas for further development.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 The manager does not use assessment information to monitor the progress of groups of children as effectively as she does for individual children, to ensure any gaps in learning are consistently closing across the pre-school.  On occasion, group activities do not fully meet the learning needs of younger children.

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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

 use information from assessments more effectively to monitor the progress being made by different groups of children  ensure group activities consistently meet the learning needs of younger children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took into account the views of parents spoken to on the day.  The inspector observed the quality of teaching and the impact on children's learning.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector held discussions with the manager, children and staff at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector looked at various documents, including policies and procedures, risk assessments, staff training records, records for children and evidence of the suitability of staff.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The manager follows rigorous recruitment and induction procedures to help ensure all staff are suitable for their roles. Safeguarding is effective. The manager and staff demonstrate a very good understanding of how to respond to any concerns they may have about the welfare of a child. They keep up to date with changes in guidance and are knowledgeable about local safeguarding procedures. The manager holds one-to-one supervisory meetings and closely monitors staff to improve the quality of their practice successfully. She ensures staff have targeted professional development opportunities to help develop their expertise, for example, in supporting children's language development.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff promote literacy development well. For example, children look at books and photographs. They talk about where food comes from and the homes people live in. Staff make good use of children's interests to extend their learning further. For example, children position objects in front of remote-control cars and learn to think about the concept of 'light' and 'heavy'. Staff gather information from parents and other professionals well, to provide a clear understanding of each child's development needs. This ensures staff can identify any gaps in individual learning quickly and address them with precise next steps to support children's good progress.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children behave well. They engage well with their friends and staff and are encouraged to work out their own minor disputes effectively. Staff encourage children to set their own challenges during play. For example, children work collaboratively with one another to build a wall. They learn to problem solve and to use tools, such as hammers, for a specific purpose. Staff sensitively guide children to help them follow instructions well. For example, children selects bolts and pieces of wood to build a ladder. They show good control and screw in the bolts with focused attention.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children make good progress from what they know and can already do when they first start at the setting. Children develop good mathematical language. For example, they collect sticks to build a campfire and discuss differences in size. Children develop a good understanding of the natural world. They delight in feeding birds and thoroughly enjoy investigating the garden. Children develop early writing skills well. For example, older children can recognise letters and write their own name. All children acquire skills that prepare them well for the next stage in their learning and going to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY461229 Local authority Surrey Inspection number 1069246 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 30 Number of children on roll 43 Name of registered person St. Mark's Pre-School Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 24 June 2014 Telephone number 07717078435

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reference number

St Mark's Pre-School registered under its current private ownership in 2013. The pre- school operates from 9.15am to 12.15pm each weekday during term time. On Thursdays and Fridays, there is an additional lunch club session from 12.15pm to 1.15pm. The pre- school is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. There are five members of staff working directly with the children. The manager and a second member of staff hold degrees in early childhood and education, and two members of staff hold early years qualifications at level 3.

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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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