The Owl & Pussycat Pre- School

The Owl & Pussycat Pre- School The Mobile Building, Bapchild & Tonge C of E Primary School, School Lane, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 9NL

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 14 March 2018 30 January 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

 All staff establish positive partnerships with parents and help keep them fully involved in their children's learning. For instance, they regularly share activity ideas with them.  The manager and staff effectively review their current practice together. For example, they have daily discussions to reflect on how well the day's events engaged children in their learning. Staff use the feedback to support their future activity plans.  Staff are positive role models. All children are polite and behave well. For instance, they maturely follow rules and boundaries and learn the difference between wrong and right.  All children have good opportunities to challenge their physical skills. For example, they confidently negotiate different ways to move, such as balancing and walking on stilts. Children balance and climb on larger equipment, such as wooden step ladders.  Children develop good independence to support their future learning. For example, they

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This provision is good

confidently choose their own play and meet their own self-care needs.  Staff skilfully help prepare children to manage their eventual move to school. For instance, children understand what to expect as they regularly use the school facilities.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not always give children enough time to think and respond to thought- provoking questions to support their communication and language skills even further.  Staff miss some opportunities to help children gain further respect and understanding of other people's similarities and differences in the wider world.

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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

 extend the time given to children to think and respond to challenging questions more consistently to help develop their speaking and listening skills further  build on children's opportunities to develop their respect and understanding of other people's similarities and differences outside of their own communities even further.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed staff interacting with the children and assessed the impact on children's learning.  The inspector viewed the indoor and outdoor environments.  The inspector looked at written documentation, including a sample of policies and procedures, risk assessments and staff training records.  The inspector spoke to children, parents and staff and considered their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The manager closely monitors the consistency of the quality of care and teaching that staff provide children. For example, she regularly observes staff interact with children and provides them with helpful advice to support their future performance. The manager holds individual meetings with staff to highlight any training needs. All staff are keen to extend their knowledge and skills further. They attend a good range of training that they find beneficial to practice. For instance, they learned about different ways to interest children in investigation using simple science experiments. Staff establish positive relationships with other early years professionals. For example, they regularly share children's achievements with other settings that children also attend. This helps provide children with a good consistent approach to their shared care and learning experiences. Safeguarding is effective. The manager and staff have a good understanding of the

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

safeguarding and child protection procedures to follow to help protect children's safety and welfare. They know whom to contact to seek advice and follow up any concerns.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

The manager and staff closely monitor the progress of individual children and specific groups of children, including those who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities. This enables staff to quickly highlight any gaps in their development. Staff provide children with good support to close them quickly and move on to the next stages of their learning promptly. Staff extend children's interests well. For instance, children who are excited by an upcoming holiday enjoy a book about aeroplanes. Staff encourage them to help create a travel agent role play to help bring their ideas alive.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff establish positive relationships with children. They get to know their individual personalities well. This helps children settle quickly and confidently into their play. Children are happy. They have a good sense of belonging and positive levels of well-being and self- worth. Children develop a good understanding of the importance of healthy lifestyles. For example, they confidently meet their own needs as they choose to exercise in active play or engage in quieter and calmer activities.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children, including those who have SEN and/or disabilities, make good progress in relation to their individual starting points. Children develop good mathematical skills to support their future learning. For example, they confidently count as they play. Older children confidently write letters and simple words. Younger children give meaning to the marks they make as they draw. Children enjoy learning about the natural world. For example, they enjoy making bird feeders and watching the birds visit them.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY374766 Local authority Kent Inspection number 1068881 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 24 Number of children on roll 37 Name of registered person The Owl & Pussycat Pre-School Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 30 January 2014 Telephone number 07981 576143

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reference number

The Owl & Pussycat Pre-School registered in 2008. It operates from a mobile building on the site of Bapchild and Tonge C of E Primary School in Sittingbourne, Kent. The pre- school is open on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9am until 3pm and on Wednesday and Friday from 9am until 12 pm, term time only. The provider receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The pre-school employs nine members of staff, eight of whom hold a relevant early years qualification at level 2 and above.

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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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