Stewartby Pre-School

Stewartby Pre-School Park Crescent, Stewartby, Bedford, Bedfordshire MK43 9NN

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Inspection date 14 May 2019 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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This provision is outstanding

n The manager and staff know children extremely well. They competently observe children as they play, accurately assessing their levels of development. This information is expertly used to plan challenging experiences that sharply focus on individual children's next steps in learning. n The manager is effectively supported by the pre-school committee members, who are very aware of their roles and responsibilities. The manager is dedicated in her role. She actively seeks the views of staff, parents and children about the pre-school. n Children develop extremely close bonds with their key person. Staff provide effective support to help them settle quickly into pre-school. Children gain the confidence they need to make independent choices in their play. Staff present an extremely stimulating environment that effectively supports children to practise their self-help skills. This helps children prepare for their move on to their next stage of learning.

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This provision is outstanding

n Partnerships with parents are strong. Information is regularly shared about children's experiences at pre-school. Staff encourage parents to be actively involved in their children's learning. Parents speak extremely highly of the pre-school and are confident their children are well supported and making excellent progress. n Children are highly motivated and eager to explore the outstanding learning environment. Staff carefully consider all areas of learning both indoors and outdoors. The range of resources accessible fully engages children, who are excited to take part in the activities. n The highly effective and well-qualified staff have high expectations for children's achievements. They receive regular supervision meetings with managers and opportunities for continual professional development. Teaching is consistently 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

n continue to build on the already excellent opportunities for children to express their individualised creativity.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the pre-school manager. n The inspector spoke to some parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector sampled a range of documentation, including the setting's development plan, accident records and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the pre-school. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outside, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The inspector looked at children's assessment records.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

Safeguarding is effective. Staff receive regular training in all aspects of safeguarding. They have an excellent knowledge of their responsibilities to keep children safe and clearly demonstrate their awareness of the procedures to follow if they have a concern about a child's welfare. Staff are extremely vigilant and are effectively deployed to supervise children. They make sure children have the appropriate levels of support they need. The manager has an excellent knowledge of the local community and is proactive in developing working relationships with other professionals to help support the individual developmental needs of the children in her care. The staff are highly motivated and regularly reflect on the provision. They demonstrate great ambition to continually develop and maintain high-quality care and learning for children. For example, building on their already excellent provision to support children's creativity even further.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

The pre-school staff have a deep understanding of how children learn. They enjoy joining children as they play and effectively plan experiences that accurately reflect children's interests and build on their prior learning. For example, children explore two- and three-dimensional shapes while revisiting their gained knowledge of space rockets. Staff plan the activities to support children at different levels and encourage their ideas through appropriate questioning. Staff expertly develop and extend children's language skills. They competently use the excellent resources to help provide new and varied vocabulary and build on children's communication.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children spend long periods outside. Staff organise the outdoor environment superbly to provide excellent opportunities across all areas of learning. For example, staff teach children to understand how to care for wildlife. They encourage children to handle mini- beasts, explaining their fragility and the care that children must provide. Staff strongly promote healthy eating. Children are provided with a choice of healthy foods and have opportunities at mealtimes to practise self-help skills as they pour their own drinks or spoon their food onto their plates. Staff have an exceptional understanding of children's backgrounds. This helps them to provide appropriate care and support for each child. Children behave extremely well. Staff are superb role models and provide a welcoming and calm environment.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

All children make excellent progress from their individual starting points, including those who begin at the pre-school working below age-related expectations. Children develop mathematical and early literacy skills extremely well. For example, they have regular access to a variety of mark-making implements and resources that help them to gain the dexterity and strength needed for writing. Children make good attempts at writing their name. They practise counting, number representation, matching and measuring while they play. Children develop the skills they need to prepare for their subsequent move on to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY548652 Local authority Bedford Inspection number 10105499 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Sessional day care Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 52 Number of children on roll 52 Name of registered person Stewartby Pre-School Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 07555937930

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reference number

Stewartby Pre-School opened in 2004 and re-registered in 2017. The pre-school employs five members of childcare staff, all of whom hold relevant early years qualifications, including the manager, who holds a level 5 qualification. The pre-school is open from 8am to 3.15pm Monday to Thursday, and 8am to midday on Fridays, during term time only. The pre-school provides funded 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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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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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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