Play Place The Ark

Play Place The Ark Stone Baptist Church hill House Road, Dartford DA2 6HQ

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Inspection date 26 April 2019 Previous inspection date 31 October 2018

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Inadequate 4 Effectiveness of leadership and management Good 2 Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2 Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2 Outcomes for children Good 2

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This provision is good

n The strong leadership and very effective team working help to create a very positive, efficient provision. Children enjoy the broad range of activities on offer and progress well in their learning and development. n The staff who lead on coordinating the care of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities understand their roles well. They work very effectively with staff, parents and relevant professionals to ensure that each child's individual needs are understood and well met. n All children benefit from the strong focus placed on supporting their language skills and are becoming confident communicators. n Teaching is strong overall and staff interaction with children is very positive. Staff inspire children and give them the skills to learn, including modelling how to use resources. n Partnerships with parents are good. Parents gave extremely positive feedback about the service they receive and were full of praise for the staff team. They feel included in

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This provision is good

their children's learning and stated that their children cannot wait to attend each day. n At times, the organisation of some group activities, such as story and singing time, is not as effective as possible. In addition, some staff are more confident than others at knowing how to set out group activities to engage children's interest. n Nappy changing is, overall, a positive experience for children as staff are friendly and caring. However, the provider recognises that the arrangements do not offer privacy for children and is planning to take action to address this.

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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 review and improve the organisation of some group activities to enable all children involved to be able to listen, concentrate and contribute n implement plans to offer greater privacy for children during nappy changing.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

n The inspector viewed all areas of the pre-school. n The inspector observed the interaction of staff and children during a range of activities, indoors and outdoors. n The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager. n The inspector spoke with the provider, manager, staff and parents during the inspection. n The inspector viewed a range of relevant documentation.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

The management and staff team work very effectively together and have successfully made significant improvements since the last inspection. Safeguarding is effective. Recent training has supported staff to develop a secure knowledge of their responsibilities to keep children safe, and the action to take in case of any child protection concerns. Risk assessments have been strengthened and staff are vigilant in their supervision of children. Staff work very effectively with a range of professionals to meet children's individual needs. The manager has arrangements to share information with staff at local schools as children prepare for their move on from the nursery.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Overall, staff are skilled at building on children's interest in activities to extend their learning. They use their good knowledge of each child's interests and abilities to offer more challenge and to introduce new ideas. Staff know when to intervene to extend children's learning and enjoyment, and when to stand back to allow them to explore their own ideas. Improvements have been made to the arrangements for monitoring children's progress, including the completion of the require progress check for children aged two years. This has lead to more targeted planning. For example, the manager identified the need to focus on teaching communication and language. She has made very good use of additional funding to support this. Staff have received guidance from specialist advisers to successfully develop new teaching techniques. Children talk happily as they play and use their developing language to express their views and ideas.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children respond well to the very friendly, caring interaction of staff and approach them readily for attention or just for a cuddle. Staff are skilled at using positive methods to manage children's behaviour. For example, a child who purposefully knocked down another child's tower of bricks was given warm encouragement to join in the game of rebuilding it and was quickly interacting positively with their friends. Hygiene arrangements throughout the setting are appropriate and children receive good support to develop their self-care skills. They independently use tissues to blow their noses and know to wash their hands before eating. Staff provide nutritious snacks and children who stay all day enjoy a very sociable meal as they sit and eat their packed lunches.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children are motivated, enthusiastic learners and concentrate well on their chosen tasks. For example, they draw very intricate and imaginative pictures, which they proudly describe to staff. They enjoy the activities on offer and interact confidently with adults and with their peers. Children are kind and considerate, and develop good levels of independence. This prepares them well for their future move to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY539836 Local authority Kent Inspection number 10084153 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Sessional day care Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 38 Number of children on roll 32 Name of registered person Play Place Child Care Services Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 31 October 2018 Telephone number 07985 771045

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reference number

Play Place The Ark is one of a number of settings owned by Play Place Child Care Services Limited. The pre-school registered in 2016 and is located in Dartford, Kent. It is open from 9am to 3.30pm Monday to Friday, during term time. There are six members of childcare staff. Of these, one holds a qualification at level 5, four hold level 3 and one holds level 2. The pre-school receives funding to provide free early education to children aged two, three and four years.

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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.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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