Aardvark Preschool

Aardvark Preschool The R J Mitchell Primary School, Hornchurch RM12 5PP

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Inspection date 19 October 2018 Previous inspection date Not applicable

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Previous inspection: Not applicable Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1 Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1 Outcomes for children Outstanding 1

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The provision is outstanding

n The manager meticulously monitors groups of children. She is extremely passionate about providing the highest quality provision to enhance learning experiences and improve outcomes for all children. The manager involves staff and parents in evaluating the pre-school to ensure continually that she drives improvement. For example, she makes decisions with parents about how to spend additional funding to meet children's needs. n The manager has built excellent partnerships with other local provisions to support children fully who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities. For instance, staff work closely with other settings that children attend, to provide outstanding care and learning opportunities. This helps children to prepare for their move to school. n Staff are highly skilled at encouraging children to learn in ways that excite and motivate them. For instance, staff encourage boys who want to play with cars to develop their

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The provision is outstanding

early writing skills. Staff tape pens to vehicles that children push along and children enjoy making marks, as they develop their dexterity successfully. n A highly engaging and inviting environment builds children's enthusiasm for learning, and supports them to develop their imagination and creativity exceptionally well. Children excitedly 'perform' on the stage, delivering puppet shows for their peers. n An extremely effective key-person system is in place. Children form secure attachments with staff. This helps them to develop the confidence to attempt challenging physical activities. This is seen when children progress from holding onto staff as they carefully balance on wobbly bricks, to walking successfully to the end of the bricks after several attempts, proudly exclaiming, 'Look, I can do it on my own!' n Staff encourage older, more-experienced children to support younger children to use a camera correctly. Children respond well to one another and laugh at the photographs

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The provision is outstanding

they take. This helps children to form positive relationships and develop a strong sense of achievement as they learn to work together. Children develop key skills needed for future learning.

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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

n continue to build on children's already excellent awareness of others in their local community.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

Inspection activities n The inspector spoke with children, the manager, staff and parents at appropriate times throughout the inspection. n The inspector and manager carried out a joint observation of a story-time activity. n The inspector observed activities and play indoors and outdoors, and looked at the range of resources available. n The inspector sampled documents, including policies, planning, training certificates and children's learning records.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

Safeguarding is effective. Staff are highly vigilant at recognising signs of potential abuse. Staff follow policies and procedures meticulously to protect children's welfare. An extremely effective programme of supervision and professional development supports staff to improve practice continually. For example, staff use skills from mathematics training to enhance children's understanding of numbers, space and measures successfully. Children excitedly dig for numbers in the sand, count as they fill cups in the mud kitchen and confidently tell staff the numbers they recognise as they paint on the garden easel. The manager has identified a need to continue to extend children's awareness of other people. For example, she is exploring ways to build positive relationships between the pre-school and older members of the community.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff work exceptionally hard to build and maintain excellent partnerships with parents. Staff complete home visits to gain an understanding of a child's home life and starting points, prior to their first session. These contribute to precise early assessments of each child and enable staff to provide highly stimulating activities. Staff help children to make sandwiches for mothers to have afternoon tea and offer Saturday stay-and-play sessions to involve fathers in their child's pre-school experience. This helps to ensure continuity of care and learning between home and pre-school, and contributes towards developing extremely positive relationships between staff and families. Staff complete accurate observations and use their excellent knowledge of the early years, to plan activities expertly according to children's individual abilities. For example, staff skilfully share a 'Three little pigs' story basket with young children, encouraging them to listen, choose

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

the correct prop and attempt to 'huff and puff' as the wolf does. Staff support children exceptionally well to develop early communication skills.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children mirror the kind, positive behaviour of staff and treat those around them with respect. Staff gently help children to consider risks and take responsibility for their environment. For example, children happily sweep away sand with staff, after realising it could cause an accident if left on the floor. Staff provide a wide range of stimulating resources and activities that fully engages children within the setting and during outings. Children develop an extremely positive understanding of why healthy lifestyles are important. For example, they enjoy choosing the fruit for the snack on a visit to the shops with staff, and are thoroughly engaged as they learn about moving their bodies during a weekly sports sessions, delivered by an outside provider.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children develop key skills to prepare them for their eventual move on to school. For example, older children manage their own self-care needs extremely well. They remember to wash their hands before snack time, blow their nose with a tissue and place it in the bin, and master zips on their coats independently. Gaps in attainment are closing rapidly, including for children who have SEN and/or disabilities. Children make exceptional progress in their learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY539556 Local authority Havering Inspection number 10079268 Type of provision Full day care Registers Early Years Register Day care type Childcare on non-domestic premises Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 28 Number of children on roll 55 Name of registered person Aardvark Childcare Services Ltd

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 07961765919

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reference number

Aardvark Preschool registered in 2016 and is open from 9am to 3pm during term time only. The pre-school employs six members of staff, including the manager, five of whom hold relevant childcare qualifications at level 3 and one member of staff is qualified to level 6. The pre-school receives funding to provide free early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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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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procedures set out in the guidance Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, 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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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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