Sunbeams Pre-School

Sunbeams Pre-School St Mary's Church Hall, St Mary's Road, Swanley, Kent, BR8 7AQ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 9 February 2018 7 March 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

 Children benefit from the small group size and high adult-to-child ratios as they receive plenty of individual attention to support their learning.  Younger children settle in quickly and are ready to learn. They participate in activities alongside their older peers with confidence and enthusiasm.  Children's mathematical knowledge is developing well. Older children can count reliably and recognise numerals.  Children remain busy throughout the session as the large play space is well organised with ample, easily accessible resources to keep them engaged.  Behaviour is good. Children play alongside each other, needing only minimal guidance from staff to help them share and take turns.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 There are mark-making materials readily available for children to select but staff do not encourage and support children as much as possible to practise their early writing skills.

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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

 increase encouragement and support for children to practise their writing skills.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with children and staff throughout the inspection.  The inspector undertook a joint observation alongside the manager.  The inspector observed teaching and learning throughout the session.  The inspector viewed a sample of documentation, including accident and medication records, and assessments of children's learning.  The inspector spoke with parents and took into account their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The manager monitors the effectiveness of the pre-school and tracks the progress of different groups of children. This allows her to reliably identify areas for improvement and put in place effective strategies to help ensure children make steady progress. Safeguarding is effective. Staff recognise the importance of children's regular attendance. Their emphasis on this helps them to support children's well-being effectively. Staff have a secure knowledge of the signs which might indicate a child is at risk of harm and the reporting procedures to follow. Regular staff supervision and appraisals are undertaken. These give staff opportunities to discuss children's development and identify any training needs.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff quickly recognise children's interests and extend activities by providing resources to support investigation and exploration. For example, when a child asks how to make the colour purple, staff bring out a pallet and paints, and encourage her to experiment with making different colours. Key persons know their children well. Regular observations and assessments help them to accurately identify the next steps in children's learning. Children's literacy skills are developing well. All children join in enthusiastically during group story sessions and older children know that they can use non-fiction books to find out the information they need. For example, one child asked a member of staff to help him identify a particular dinosaur using a reference book.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children have opportunities to play outside every day. Staff have worked to overcome difficulties with the current outdoor space to ensure children receive fresh air and exercise while remaining safe. Children are secure and happy. There is plenty of fun and humour throughout the session. For example, children laugh delightedly as they pretend to scare staff with a crab from the sea-world set. Children display high levels of independence. The youngest children need very little support as they confidently put on their coats to play outside. The addition of a portable sink in the main play-room means that children can wash their hands independently before mealtimes and most do so without prompting from staff.

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Outcomes for children are good

When children start at the setting, staff quickly assess their needs and where necessary engage with outside agencies to support children's well-being. This helps to ensure any gaps in children's learning and development are closing quickly and children soon begin to thrive in the pre-school environment. The pre-school builds strong relationships with parents. They provide ideas for parents to support children's learning at home and help with toilet training. Staff also guide parents through the application process when children are due to move to Reception class. This helps to ensure that children and parents are well prepared for the transition to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 127656 Local authority Kent Inspection number 1068459 Type of provision Full-time 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 20 Number of children on roll 10 Name of registered person Sunbeams Pre-School Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 7 March 2014 Telephone number 07788 536384

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reference number

Sunbeams Pre-School registered in 1999 and is open during term time only, from 9am to 3pm on Mondays and Fridays, and from 9am to midday on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The pre-school is in receipt of funding for free early education for children aged three and four years. Five staff are employed, two of whom hold a relevant childcare qualification at level 3 or above. Two staff members are unqualified. The manager has achieved early years professional 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

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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