St Michael's Pre-School

St Michael's Pre-School St. Anthony RC School, Genoa Road, London, SE20 8ES

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18 January 2018 15 January 2013

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate 4

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This provision is inadequate

 The manager does not have robust procedures to check the suitability of new staff. She has not obtained enhanced criminal record checks for the staff she has employed. Staff who have not been checked thoroughly are allowed unsupervised contact with children. The manager is not safeguarding children effectively.  Staff do not consistently employ effective teaching techniques to help children extend their ideas or develop more advanced language skills as they express their thoughts.  While staff promote early number skills using resources which are aimed at this, they do not act on opportunities to promote counting in other activities or during their interactions with children.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff use effective assessment systems to monitor children's progress. They understand well the progress the children are making and how to move them forward.  Children progress well from their starting points and most meet the typical outcomes for their ages. When progress is slower, staff take appropriate action to help children catch up. This includes working with other professionals, including speech therapists, and acting on their expert advice.  Staff help children to learn about healthy practices. For example, children enjoy cooking activities which include fruit and vegetables. Staff ensure children have frequent exercise. For instance, they make effective use of the school playground to allow them to run and take part in more physical challenges.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage the provider must:

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Due Date

 ensure that effective procedures are in place to check the suitability of all persons who have regular contact with the children 24/01/2018

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Due Date

 obtain an enhanced criminal records check for every person who works directly with the children in the setting 24/01/2018

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Due Date

 ensure that any person who has not had an enhanced criminal record check obtained by this setting does not have unsupervised contact with children. 24/01/2018

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Due Date

To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

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Due Date

 develop further the teaching skills used to help children extend their thoughts and use more advanced language  introduce more opportunities for children to develop counting and number skills in play and interactions.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities inside and outdoors.  The inspector talked with staff, children and the manager at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documentation and checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of staff.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day of the inspection.  The inspector carried out a joint observation of children's learning and staff practice with the manager.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

Safeguarding is not effective. The manager does not understand the safeguarding requirements for checking suitability of employees. She does not obtain the required criminal record check for all staff, including those she has employed, and she allows staff who have not been adequately checked to have unsupervised contact with children. This puts children's safety and welfare at risk. That said, the staff and manager understand how to recognise if a child's welfare is at risk and know what do if they are concerned. The manager carries out evaluations of staff practice and acts on these to improve the outcomes for children. For example, she has improved the way staff observe children to help them develop a wider view of children's interests and abilities. However, her general evaluations, including a safeguarding audit, have not identified weaknesses in recruitment and safeguarding procedures. The manager encourages and supports staff to develop

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

their skills and qualifications. Staff share new ideas and knowledge with each other. This has a positive effect on the quality of teaching. The manager monitors staff practice and helps them to develop. For instance, she works with staff to improve the way they promote learning in the different areas of the room, including through role play. The manager monitors children's progress and uses this to improve outcomes. For example, she has created more opportunities for boys to engage in activities which promote early writing skills after noticing they make less progress than girls in this area.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff work in close partnership with parents to help support children's development. They listen to the information that parents give them about children's interests and incorporate these into activities. For example, when children enjoy a family visit to a museum, staff provide resources, such as dinosaurs, which reflect what children saw and learned about. Staff provide opportunities for children to lead their learning and make choices. For example, when they create large pictures for displays, children choose how to decorate them. Staff promote diversity well. When children come from diverse cultural backgrounds, their additional languages are represented in writing around the setting. Children learn about the wider world and understand that people have different beliefs. They learn about festivals, including Diwali and Chinese New Year.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

Weaknesses in leadership and management mean that children's safety is not assured. Children do however form relationships with the staff and grow in confidence. Staff follow settling-in procedures which help children to feel happy to come to the setting. Staff help children to develop independence. For example, children choose resources they want to use in their play. Staff prepare children for the move on to other settings, including school. They help them to concentrate for longer periods and support the development of social skills. Staff promote positive behaviour well. They encourage children to develop important values, such as accepting that people may have differing opinions.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children focus intently on their play. They demonstrate curiosity and make discoveries. For example, when they choose resources, they look at them closely, shake them and turn them upside down to work out their purpose. Children demonstrate an understanding of shape and space as they play. For example, they build tall towers and carefully line up squares as they create a dress for a nursery rhyme character with collage materials. Children develop early writing skills in different ways. Some strengthen their muscles as they mould and squeeze play dough, and others notice the marks they make and draw circles in their free play. Children also enjoy stories and share them with staff.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY447916 Local authority Bromley Inspection number 1062646 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 17 Name of registered person Barbara Evans

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 15 January 2013 Telephone number 07837527807

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reference number

St Michael's Pre-School has been established since 1983 and registered in 2012 when it relocated to its current premises. It operates from St Anthony RC School in the Penge area, within the London Borough of Bromley. The pre-school opens Monday to Friday during term time. Sessions are from 9.15am to 12.15pm. There are six members of staff, including the manager, four of whom hold childcare qualifications. The group is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children and for children who are on the two-year-olds' funding programme.

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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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