St Catherine's Pre School

Inspection of St Catherine's Pre School The Cabin, Pymore Road, BRIDPORT, Dorset DT6 3TR

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding

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The provision is outstanding

Children have a wonderful time at the pre-school and thrive in staff's excellent care. Staff give great attention to detail in their provision, which inspires and engages children extremely well. For instance, staff extend sensory play with extensive use of many natural and authentic resources. For example, children play with highly sustained concentration as they mix fresh herbs with dried pasta and 'make tea' with tealeaves, water and real teapots.

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The provision is outstanding

Leaders and staff create a highly stimulating environment and provide an exciting curriculum based on children's specific interests. They have high expectations of children and continuously extend learning. Children make excellent progress from their starting points, particularly in their emotional and language development.

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The provision is outstanding

Children show immense delight in their play activities and are confident in their learning and selection of activities. Staff involve children well and skilfully interact to extend challenges. Children take great pride in their achievements and are heard to declare 'we love this' as they play. The pre-school has a lovely, calm atmosphere and children settle extremely well. Staff make children feel very important and they enjoy special celebrations together. Children develop high levels of self-esteem.

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The provision is outstanding

Behaviour and attitudes in children are exemplary. Children develop an excellent sense of care and responsibility and are very quick to learn about consequences of behaviour. They take part in innovative activities to learn about and respect different backgrounds. Staff and children are extremely proud of their local community project. They thought about local concerns and what they could do about people not cleaning up after their dogs. Children designed posters which they displayed in the local area, which successfully made their community a cleaner environment.

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need to do better?

n Leaders and staff successfully strive for continuous improvement. They are highly conscientious as they reflect on their practice and find innovative ways to enhance their provision. For example, the 'garden room' has provided an additional area for small-group work and quiet activities. n Support and development of staff is exemplary. The committee and manager have an excellent overview of the pre-school. Staff value the effective training opportunities and share their skills and expertise. Newer staff comment on how much the experienced staff inspire them to extend their teaching skills. Training has enhanced staff's teaching skills in communication and language development, to further extend children's learning. The pre-school is visited by other providers as it is held as an example of excellence.

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need to do better?

8 November 2019 n Staff know the children extremely well and the key-person system is highly effective. Children feel very secure and have close bonds with their key member of staff. Shy or quiet children very quickly gain confidence and trust as they form good attachments. Staff expertly help children with less vocabulary to make independent choices and decisions. For instance, staff use signing and photographs to further support communication. They upload videos to demonstrate signing, which parents copy and use at home to successfully reinforce children's learning. n Support to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is excellent. Staff have extremely good partnerships with other agencies to provide additional help where needed. Additional funding is used exceptionally well to provide extra support. For instance, the manager has invested in a programme to enhance communication and language assessment. Staff have used additional resources

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need to do better?

to create a unique speech and language activity known as 'Wilbur's group' time, which children thoroughly enjoy. n Staff value the uniqueness of each child. They take great care to reflect and celebrate children's individuality. For instance, children hear and sing 'happy birthday' in their home languages. Staff make excellent use of family photographs to help children settle quickly and understand their importance. n Children take great delight in the range of exciting learning opportunities in the curriculum. Staff skilfully incorporate and extend all areas of learning throughout activities. For instance, at beach school children learn how to be safe near water, how to catch sea creatures with care and how to work together as a team. A trip to a farm helped children to make links between what they eat, what they see at the shops and what happens on the farm. n Partnerships with parents are excellent. Parents provide extremely positive

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need to do better?

feedback about the pre-school. In particular, they place great value on the quality of information and support given by staff. For instance, parents find the workshops about children's development helpful. Parents said how much they learned about how children's physical play at forest school also supports children's early literacy skills.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders, staff and committee members confidently apply their thorough knowledge of safeguarding to ensure that policies and procedures are robustly in place. They recognise potential signs for concern and take immediate steps to protect children from risk of harm. Their close working relationships with other agencies enhance the very good support available to families. Staff understand the importance of early intervention and engage parents with success, including those who are initially unwilling. Parents trust the staff and they work exceptionally well together to increase parenting skills.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY241016 Local authority Dorset Inspection number 10125951 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 Full day care Age range of children 2 to 4 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 40 Name of registered person St Catherine's Pre-School Group

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reference number

Telephone number 01308 424 441 Date of previous inspection 17 March 2015

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Information about this early years setting

St Catherine's Pre School registered in 2002 and is run by a parent committee. It operates from a pavilion within the school grounds of St Catherine's Primary School, in Bridport, Dorset. The pre-school is in receipt of government funding to provide free early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It is open Monday to Friday, from 8.40am to 3.10pm, during term time only. The pre-school also offers an early drop-off session from 8.10am each day. The committee employs a manager, who has a degree in early years education and has early years professional status. There are five other members of staff, three of whom hold early years qualifications at level 3. The pre-school has close links with St Catherine's Primary School.

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Inspection activities

n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk at the start of the inspection to discuss the pre-school's curriculum and how they reflect on their effectiveness. n The inspector held discussions with the manager, chairperson, staff and parents, and spoke to children in their activities. n The manager and the inspector completed a joint observation. n The inspector held a meeting with the manager and checked required documentation, including evidence of suitability and staff's qualifications. n The inspector observed staff and children in their indoor and outdoor activities.

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Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection 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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Inspection activities

8 November 2019 regulates and inspects to 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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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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