Homesteads Pre School

Homesteads Pre School Abbotts Hall Primary Academy, Abbotts Drive, Stanford-Le-Hope, Essex, SS17 7BW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 19 June 2018 24 November 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

 Staff undertake regular and thorough checks of the premises and resources to ensure children engage in safe play during indoor and outdoor activities. Staff are vigilant, well deployed, and adult-to-child ratios are well maintained.  The management team routinely checks children's progress. This helps it to identify any gaps in learning and respond where further support may be needed for children. Additional funding has been used effectively to narrow the gaps in children's outcomes.  The learning environments are very thoughtfully organised and provide children with rich and enjoyable learning experiences. Children make choices about their play and move around the pre-school confidently and enthusiastically.  The well-established key-person system helps children to build strong relationships with staff quickly. Staff are kind, nurturing and reassuring. They take the time to get to know every child and ensure children's emotional and physical well-being is met.

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This provision is good

 Staff support children who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities well. They work in partnership with parents and other professionals to promote children's learning and development.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 The current systems to supervise and support staff do not focus sharply enough on evaluating and enhancing their teaching skills to the highest level.  Staff gather a wealth of information from parents when children first start. However, not enough information is gathered regarding what children already know and can do.

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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

 evaluate the quality and impact of teaching more precisely to help staff develop their practice and raise the quality of teaching to the highest level  gather more detailed information from parents when children first start at the setting to help staff to plan even more precisely from the beginning.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to parents during the inspection and took account of their views.  The inspector spoke to members of staff and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector completed a joint evaluation of an activity with the provider.  The inspector held a meeting with the pre-school management team. She looked at relevant documentation, such as the pre-school's self-evaluation and evidence of the suitability of staff working at the pre-school.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff have a good understanding of how to keep children safe and they are clear about the procedures to follow should they have concerns about a child's welfare. The managers carry out robust recruitment, vetting and induction procedures to ensure all staff working with the children are suitable to do so. The managers and staff evaluate the setting, encouraging parents and children to share their views. Parents are very positive in their reviews of the pre-school. They feel well informed about their children's day and feel their children are settled and enjoy their time at the setting immensely.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Well-qualified and enthusiastic staff have a thorough knowledge of each child's current achievements and their next steps in their learning. They keep parents well informed about their children's progress and provide good information and guidance to help parents support their children's learning at home. Children enjoy playing musical instruments and singing songs. Staff play alongside them, offering children praise and encouragement to persevere at their chosen activities. Children demonstrate an enjoyment of books and enthusiastically join in with stories. Staff use good expression when reading stories, which helps to capture and focus children's listening skills. Children demonstrate their memory recall abilities and predict what happens next in stories.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children learn about the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle. Staff effectively encourage children to follow good hygiene practices. Children know they need to wash their hands before they eat and after using the toilet. Children thoroughly enjoy exploring the outdoor play areas and learn to manage appropriate levels of risk, such as climbing, riding wheeled toys and balancing. Positive values are interwoven into every aspect of the setting. Staff are good role models who encourage children to use manners, consider the feelings of others, negotiate and take turns. Children behave well, and they develop good social skills and friendships from an early age. Staff have developed strong links with other settings and the host school. Their well-established information sharing practices effectively promote continuity in children's learning and care.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children, including those who have SEN and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language, make good progress. Children count and recognise numbers in their play. They use mathematical language and compare shapes and sizes. Children of all ages make marks spontaneously, and older children practise writing their name. They develop an awareness of the sounds that letters represent. Children are sociable, inquisitive and eager to try out new things. They are developing the skills they need for their future learning and in readiness for school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY365252 Local authority Thurrock Inspection number 1104705 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 44 Number of children on roll 86 Name of registered person Homesteads Preschool Partnership

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 24 November 2014 Telephone number 07754 589389

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reference number

Homesteads Pre School registered in 2008. The pre-school employs 11 members of childcare staff. Of these, three hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 4, and six staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday, during term time only. Sessions are from 9am until 3pm. The pre-school provides funded 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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