Smiley Centre For Children

Smiley Centre For Children The Salvation Army, Glendale Gardens, Leigh On Sea, SS9 2AR

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 6 September 2017 Not applicable

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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 staff team’s successful and determined drive to provide children with an outstanding pre-school experience has continued with the new registration. Children flourish in the exceptionally well-resourced environment. The stimulating indoors and outdoors areas are used to provide children with a wealth of inspirational and innovative learning experiences.  Management and staff have the highest expectations for themselves and every child. Children make significant progress from their starting points. They show increasingly high levels of confidence and self-esteem. All children are rapidly developing the skills and attitudes to support their future learning.  A wide range of successful strategies are used to ensure parents are fully involved, and very well informed about their child's learning. Parents are highly complimentary of the pre-school. They particularly praise the wonderful, warm and caring atmosphere; and

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This provision is outstanding

staff. They comment that the pre-school has exceeded their expectations by providing exactly what their children need.  Exceptional systems of performance management ensure that each member of staff is supported to deliver the highest quality teaching experiences to every child. Staff are extremely responsive to children's individual needs and the different ways they learn.  All staff, children, parents and partners are involved in actively reviewing and evaluating all aspects of the pre-school. Parents' and children's views are actively sought and acted on to drive continual improvement.  Staff have an expert knowledge of how children learn best through play and first-hand experiences. They ensure that activities provide optimum challenge and are sharply focused on what individual children need to learn next. This helps to promote the highest level of achievement for children of all ages.

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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 monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching, so that staff's skills, knowledge and expertise is maintained at the highest level.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector completed joint observations of staff practice.  The inspector held a meeting with the pre-school manager, deputy manager and the nominated person.  The inspector looked at relevant documentation, such as the pre-school's self- evaluation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the pre-school.  The inspector spoke to parents during the inspection and took account of their views. She also viewed parents' comments contained in the questionnaires and feedback sent to the pre-school.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

The management team leads a very strong and well-qualified staff team who is highly skilled at planning activities that ignites children's curiosity and imagination. Management's accurate and meticulous evaluation of staff practice, leads to rigorous performance management, supervision and successful professional development. The owner is dedicated to continuing to seek further ways of enhancing the outstanding teaching practice within the pre-school. The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. All staff are very confident and knowledgeable about their individual responsibilities to keep children safe from harm. Extremely vigilant procedures are in place to monitor staff's ongoing suitability.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff are exceptionally well deployed to support children's play and learning. They all use skilful questions to successfully encourage children to work out their own ways of doing things. Staff involve children in meaningful discussions that inspire them to share their ideas and experiences. Activities are extremely well delivered to promote children's enthusiasm for learning. For example, children delight in taking part in measuring, weighing and creating patterns; while exploring the different textures within the variety of grains, pasta and rice put out in the large sensory tray. Staff make exceptional use of this activity to help children learn to work together, while promoting their understanding of fairness. Excellent systems are in place to observe, monitor and track children's progress. The knowledge staff gain is used exceedingly well to provide targeted strategies to rapidly close any identified gaps in children's learning.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children's social and emotional development are given the highest priority. Staff are extremely effective in promoting children's growing understanding of how to keep themselves safe and healthy. Children quickly form very strong attachments to staff and each other. Staff work very closely with parents to follow their wishes and to mirror children's routines from home. Staff skilfully support children's transitions, both within the pre-school and move on to school. Very well-established routines, combined with the excellent layout of the pre-school, help promote children's independence and self-esteem to the highest level. Parents are provided with meaningful guidance and advice to help them support their children's learning, both at home and in the pre-school.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children make consistently high rates of progress in relation to their starting points and capabilities. They are extremely well prepared for their future learning and eventual move on to school. Children show high levels of curiosity, imagination and concentration. They are confident to share their ideas, while understanding the need to listen to the views and feelings of others. The children show genuine care and concern for their friends. They are exceptionally confident and self-assured for their age. They proudly take responsibility for small tasks. For example, they eagerly step up to help with the preparations for snack, setting out the places with the right number of plates and cups.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY487003 Local authority Southend on Sea Inspection number 1012201 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 35 Number of children on roll 41 Name of registered person Salvation Army Trustee Company (The)

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01702 478092

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reference number

Smiley Centre for Children was registered in 2015. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday during term time only. Sessions are from 9.15am until 12.15pm. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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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

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/, write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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reference number

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our website for news, information and updates at www.ofsted.gov.uk/user.

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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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