Top of the Hill Pre-School

Top of the Hill Pre-School 64 Windward Road, Rochester, ME1 2NB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 21 February 2018 3 April 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 provider, who is also the manager, uses self-evaluation well to continually improve practice. She has met the recommendations set at the last inspection and uses the views of staff and parents to shape the provision and children's experiences.  Staff form good partnerships with parents to keep them well informed about their children's care and learning. Parents feel the key-person system is good, that staff are very welcoming and they enjoy contributing towards their children's learning.  Staff work well as a team and effectively engage children as they play. Overall, they plan and provide a good range of activities that helps children to learn and develop well.  The provider monitors the curriculum well. She tracks the progress of individual and groups of children, including those who speak English as an additional language and those who have special educational needs (SEN), to quickly close any gaps in their

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This provision is good

learning.  Staff are warm and caring towards the children and meet their emotional needs well. Children are confident, independent and motivated learners.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not consistently help children to discover more about electronic equipment and how things work, to further encourage their early technology skills.  Staff occasionally fail to maintain children's interest and concentration in some activities, to take their learning to a higher 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

 encourage children to learn more about how electronic resources operate, to further develop their early interest in information and communication technology  find ways to further maintain children's interest and concentration in the activities they take part in, to help them make higher rates of progress.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector had a tour of the setting with the provider.  The inspector spoke to a number of parents and children to gain their views about the provision.  The inspector conducted a joint observation of an activity with the provider.  The inspector sampled documentation, including policies and procedures, children's records and evidence of staff suitability.  The inspector observed the quality of teaching and the impact this has on children's learning.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. The provider and staff have an up-to-date understanding of safeguarding children. They are vigilant and know how to manage any concerns about a child's welfare. The provider uses effective risk assessments to help keep children safe. She has also improved fire drills to ensure all children are accounted for quickly. She keeps the necessary records for children and shares the required information with parents. Staff record accidents appropriately and keep parents informed of the action they take. Recruitment and vetting procedures are effective and the provider supports staff well to develop their professional knowledge and teaching skills. Recent training has strengthened staff interactions with children to help extend their thoughts and ideas.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff use mathematical language well in children's play. They help children to explore language for size, shape and number as they engage in their preferred activities. They also encourage older children to practise simple subtraction, for example, as children choose and sing their favourite songs. Staff model language well and teach children new words, such as 'transformer' and 'emperor', as children take part in different discussions and activities. They facilitate learning well and know when to help children learn new skills and when to allow them to lead their own play. For example, staff helped some children to find blocks of the correct shapes and sizes to construct a model, while other children persevered and built their own towers without help.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff are good role models who praise children often and encourage them to share, socialise and behave well. Older children include the younger ones in their play and behave respectfully towards others. Staff encourage children to be active and to manage many tasks for themselves. For example, children readily wash and dry their bowls and cups after their healthy snacks. They check in a mirror to carefully wipe their noses, put the tissues in a bin and go to wash their hands, without prompting. The provider ensures that staff work within the required ratios. Staff are well deployed to supervise children as they enjoy their play, indoors and outdoors, to meet their needs throughout the day.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children, including those for whom the provider receives additional funding, progress well. Older children recognise their names in print and persevere as they complete tasks, such as cutting paper with scissors or working out how to best stick two components together to make a rice shaker. They practise their early writing skills well, for instance, as they attempt to write their names in a diary. Younger children enjoy exploring play dough and feeling the texture of uncooked rice as they develop their hand and finger movements. They enjoy role play and imitate what older children do as part of their learning. Children learn about diversity through the resources and activities that interest them. They are respectful and helpful, and well prepared for their next stages in learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY476475 Local authority Medway Towns Inspection number 1069996 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 32 Number of children on roll 52 Name of registered person Lisa Helen Kane

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 3 April 2014 Telephone number 01634 407110

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reference number

Top of the Hill Pre-School registered in 2014. It is privately owned and operates from a hall in Rochester, Kent. The pre-school is open five days a week, from 8am to 4pm, during school term times only. A lunch club operates from 11.30am to 12.30pm. The pre-school receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are eight members of staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. The provider holds early years professional status. Of the remaining staff, three hold qualifications at level 3 and four hold qualifications at level 2.

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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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