Jiminy Crickets Pre-School

Jiminy Crickets Pre-School Ashford Hill Cricket Club, Chapel Lane, Ashford Hill, Thatcham, Berkshire, RG19 8BE

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 11 October 2017 2 October 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 management team, staff and committee work well together and have recently re- formed following some absences. Self-evaluation methods are in place and management is fully aware of areas requiring future improvement.  Staff know their key children well. They observe, track and check the children's learning and development to ensure children make good progress from their starting points.  Children are settled and happy at the pre-school. Staff plan and provide a variety of activities to help support children's interests and aid their ongoing learning.  Staff effectively support children's personal, social and emotional development. For example, they praise and reward children for their good manners and kindness to each other.  Partnerships with parents are good. Staff keep parents well informed about their children's day, and they talk and meet regularly with parents to share children's achievements.

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This provision is good

 Recruitment and induction procedures are robust. All staff undertake the required checks to ascertain their suitability to work with children.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not consistently support children's thinking skills to help them to solve problems or fully express their own ideas.  Staff's performance management is not sharply focused on developing and raising the quality of teaching to the highest level.

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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

 create more opportunities to challenge children's thinking, to help them find solutions to problems and express their ideas  assess the impact of training and improvements made, to build on and help achieve the highest quality teaching practice.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children's involvement in activities in the pre-school and outside.  The inspector looked at a sample of children's records and discussed these with staff.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day.  The inspector looked at and discussed documentation in relation to safeguarding, risk assessments and daily attendance registers.  The inspector undertook a joint observation with the manager.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. Staff have a confident awareness of the procedures to follow in the event of a safeguarding concern. They are secure in their knowledge of child protection issues and confidently understand their role and responsibility for referral. Staff benefit from regular appraisals and team meetings which help to keep them up to date about the pre-school policies and procedures. The management team has recently introduced new systems to monitor and assess staff's practice and, as part of this reflection, has started to offer more training. For example, staff have undertaken training on 'children's voices', which has helped them to capture children's opinions through observations. Staff have used this training to pinpoint children's interests to link with next steps in learning. Staff have positive relationships with other professionals involved in children's care, which promotes continuity in children's development.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

The management team reviews children's learning and development regularly, to ensure all children are making good progress from their starting points. Management and staff work together well to identify children's learning needs, plan for their next steps and support children's ongoing progress. Children are happy and confident in the pre-school. They play and explore with a good range of toys and resources that supports their interests well, inside and outside. Staff support children's imagination very well. For instance, staff provide children with china tea sets and encourage them to make cups of tea. Staff are good at supporting children and promoting their sensory play. For example, staff offer children warm water and a wide range of tea bags to allow them to explore, smell and observe the effects as they mix them in china cups.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff provide a welcoming environment for children, who show that they feel safe and secure. For instance, they show confidence as they explore inside and outside of the pre- school and select toys independently with self-assurance. Staff support children's understanding about healthy lifestyles. For example, all children learn the importance of handwashing before cooking and at mealtimes. Staff provide daily opportunities for all children to play outside. Children have good opportunities to be physically active, such as when digging in mud, kicking balls and climbing on large apparatus.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children make good progress from their starting points and develop valuable skills for their next stage in their learning. Children demonstrate good listening skills and concentrate well. For example, they respond eagerly when staff read stories in a way that engages them. Children are developing good mathematical skills. For example, they are beginning to count and compare sizes confidently as they explore and play with toy bears.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 507959 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 1070416 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 18 Name of registered person Jiminy Cricket's Pre-School Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 2 October 2014 Telephone number 01189 810333

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reference number

Jiminy Crickets Pre-School registered in 1990. It operates from Ashford Hill Cricket Club, Thatcham in Berkshire. The pre-school is run by a parent committee. The pre-school is open from 9am until 3pm every weekday during term time, with the exception of Friday when children attend from 9am until 1pm. Children attend for full days or a variety of sessions. The pre-school receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are six members of staff, five of whom hold recognised early years qualifications, including one staff member who has qualified teacher status.

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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

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