The Beeches Pre-school

The Beeches Pre-school 136 St. Andrews Avenue, Colchester, Essex, CO4 3AQ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 2 July 2018 11 December 2015

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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

 Planning, observation and assessment arrangements are detailed and purposeful. Staff successfully incorporate children's individual needs into the planning system, so every child learns in ways that suits their preferred learning styles and through activities that have meaning to them.  Staff have very good partnerships with parents. Parents are warmly welcomed into the setting. Various strategies are used to engage parents, share information and further support children's learning at home. Parents highly praise the care and learning their children receive.  Children have assured relationships with staff. Staff have high expectations for each child and a good awareness of their learning and development points on starting at the pre-school. As a result, children make good progress which prepares them well for school, especially with their literacy and mathematical skills.  Children learn to behave well. Staff act as positive role models as they help children to

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This provision is good

learn to share and take turns with each other.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 The organisation of some areas of the pre-school does not fully support children to follow their own interests, try new experiences and widen their interests.  Monitoring of staff performance is not always sharply focused to ensure that staff receive supervision of the highest quality to raise children's attainment to outstanding.

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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

 review the organisation of the provision more precisely so that all children's interests are considered and planned for with even greater success  continue to build on the good programme of professional development for staff to maintain and extend their skills even further.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector spoke with staff and children during the inspection.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the pre-school manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the pre-school manager. She looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the pre-school.  The inspector spoke to a number of parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff have a clear understanding of the child protection procedures and how to report any concerns they may have about the welfare of a child. Recruitment and induction procedures are robust. All staff members hold a paediatric first-aid qualification. This helps to support children's well-being in the event of an accident. Children are well supervised and kept safe through the use of effective policies, procedures and risk assessments. Systems for evaluating what is working well and what needs to improve are good. This contributes to the good standards of care and learning and helps to continually improve the service provided for children and their families. The manager precisely targets the use and impact of additional funding so that children are able to make good progress. Partnership with other professionals are good and make a contribution to meeting every child's needs.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff recognise the uniqueness of each child and consistently use good teaching skills. Staff take time to build strong partnerships with parents and this helps to engage them in their child's learning and development, at the pre-school and at home. Staff make regular checks on children's progress. They use these well to identify how to support children to move on to the next stage in their learning. Staff have high expectations of children. They question and listen to children effectively and demonstrate and model, play and learning well. This helps to engage children for longer periods of time and extend their learning.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff create a warm and welcoming atmosphere where children and parents feel at ease. Staff are caring, kind and approachable. All children show that they feel safe and secure, and settle well. The well-established key-person system means children quickly grow in confidence to explore the environment and lead their own play. Children develop very good risk assessment skills as they navigate around obstacles and show good control of their bodies, being careful not to bump into each other when running around the outside play area. They develop a good awareness of healthy lifestyles. Staff encourage conversations about being healthy and children enjoy a healthy snack menu.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, thoroughly enjoy learning. They make good progress from the time they start at pre- school. They enjoy a variety of activities that inspires them and helps to prepare them for school. For example, children are starting to independently write their own name using paints and brushes on a large wall mural in the garden. Children demonstrate wonderful imaginations as they work together and create structures using plastic bottles and milk crates. Children are consistently well behaved and respond well to praise from staff for their cooperative play and good manners.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 203708 Local authority Essex Inspection number 1139775 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 14 Number of children on roll 25 Name of registered person Elaine Joy Beecham

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 11 December 2015 Telephone number 01206 866615

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reference number

The Beeches Pre-school was registered in 1990. The pre-school employs eight members of childcare staff. All of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 1 or above, including one with qualified teacher status. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday for 42 weeks of the year. Sessions are from 9.15am until midday and from 1pm until 3.30pm, with a lunch club from midday to 1pm. The pre-school also provides care from 8am until 5.30pm as required. It 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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