The Ark Montessori Pre- school

The Ark Montessori Pre- school Carshalton Beeches Baptist Church, Banstead Road, Carshalton, SM5 3NL

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 29 November 2017 13 June 2013

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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 setting promotes very good partnerships with parents and carers. Parents make positive comments about the caring and sympathetic settling-in procedures that help children to be confident in their play environment. Staff work closely with other carers to provide consistent approaches towards children's learning and care.  Children's self-help skills are supported well in readiness for school. They develop strong independence skills. They choose where to play, when to have snacks and are able to change their shoes for outdoor play. They show confident personal skills, such as disposing of tissues after blowing noses and using the bathroom independently.  Children thoroughly enjoy exploring and experimenting with the outside world. Children search for insects and bugs, use additional resources to name what they find and use expressive language to tell others about their findings.  The staff team is eager to make continuous improvement to the provision. It uses

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This provision is good

ongoing reflective practice and evaluations to recognise its strengths and areas to develop.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not always use existing information about how children learn best to fully support some children's communication and language development.  Children's use and understanding of mathematical concepts are not consistently supported through play and practical routines.

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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 existing information to further support children, particularly those who speak English as an additional language, to have more confidence to express themselves through play  extend children's use and understanding of mathematical concepts through everyday routines, inside and outside.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector observed activities and play indoors and outdoors.  The inspector spoke with staff and children when appropriate.  The inspector spoke with parents and carers.  The inspector took into consideration the setting's self-evaluation.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff have an up-to-date knowledge of the procedures to follow if they have a concern about a child in their care. Children develop a very good sense of safety due to staff acting as good role models. Staff carry out routine safety checks and involve children in discussions about safety. Staff work cohesively with other settings to provide a consistent approach to children's learning and care. Staff are supported well to continue to develop their skills, qualifications and practices. They access online training and use information from other settings to update their knowledge and make positive changes to their work with children and their families.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

The setting's assessment programme successfully helps staff to plan, observe and evaluate children's progress. Staff work closely with parents to gain information about children's development when they start at the setting. They use this to plan for children's next steps and to support parents on how to help their children learn at home. Staff provide a consistent approach to teaching. In the main, staff level their questions and teaching according to each child's stage of development. They know the children well, recognising how individual children learn best. They use inside and outside environments effectively to promote all the areas of learning. The setting is well resourced to entice children into adult-led and child-initiated play.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children are courteous towards each other, showing care for their friends. They take turns and cooperate well during group activities. Their behaviour has a positive impact on their relationships with each other and the staff. Children are motivated to learn, showing an eagerness to ask questions and to absorb the information staff give them. Children develop skills, indoors and outdoors, to support their physical development. They balance, using their arms, on planks of wood and learn to stamp on equipment to catapult balls into the air. They learn about how to keep warm, running up and down and clapping their hands together. This helps to support their physical well-being.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children are making good progress. They enthusiastically participate in exploring ice, linking letters and sounds to their experiences. For example, children use words, such as 'freezing' and 'frozen', to link to the letter of the week. They make marks in the salt with their fingers, forming the letters of their names. Children use repetitive actions to complete complex puzzles, naming colours as they confidently carry out their task. Children develop skills required to share conversations. They listen to others and wait their turn to express themselves through signs, gestures and speech.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY319634 Local authority Sutton Inspection number 1061962 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 26 Number of children on roll 30 Name of registered person Brenda Lorraine Barron

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 13 June 2013 Telephone number 020 8660 1921

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reference number

The Ark Montessori Pre-school is one of two pre-schools that are privately owned. It registered in 2006 and operates from Carshalton Beeches Baptist Church Hall, in Carshalton Beeches. It is open each weekday during term time from 9.15am until 12.15pm. An optional lunch club is available until 1.15pm. There are five members of staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications to level 3. In addition, a member of staff who works at both settings holds early years professional status. The setting works within the Montessori philosophy and is in receipt of funding for free 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

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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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