St. Philips Pre-School

Inspection of St. Philips Pre-School St Phillips Church Hall, Gravel Hill, Finchley, London N3 3RJ

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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The provision is good

Children are happy to come into this warm and nurturing environment. They are all made to feel welcome and are greeted with smiles. Staff have good relationships with parents and take the time to speak with them, meaning the children transition from home to nursery with ease. Parents speak very highly of the staff at this setting. They are impressed with how well the children settle and how much their children want to come to nursery each day.

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The provision is good

The environment is well organised and the children have good relationships with adults. When they need comfort or reassurance, they approach staff for cuddles. Children enjoy a whole-group time each morning. All children are welcomed and they sing the 'I love you' song to their friends, smiling and joining in enthusiastically. Children are confident at singing and learning new songs. They are immersed in song throughout the day, with many opportunities to sing their own healthy eating song, familiar rhymes on the boat, or the alphabet song during small-group time.

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The provision is good

Children feel like part of a family at this nursery. They show respect and kindness to one another as they hold hands during games, talk at snack time and paint together at the easel. They talk about where they are from and what languages they speak. Children who learn English as an additional language are making good progress and becoming confident communicators. Children behave well and respond positively to experiences. They have good manners and learn to cooperate with each other, sharing and taking turns.

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need to do better?

n The manager has a clear and focused vision for the curriculum at the nursery. She makes good use of her varied experience. She reflects on practice and strategies obtained from training on healthy lifestyles, communication and language, and physical development, which has a positive impact on the provision. n Staff feel valued and supported by their managers and stay at the setting for long periods of time. The manager monitors the staff and has a good relationship with her team. Staff engage in conversations about how to support children and are given the advice they need to put strategies into place. n Managers have recognised how children's language and vocabulary have been impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic. They place an emphasis on building children's language by introducing new vocabulary during circle times and building confidence in small-group work. Overall, children practise conversation

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need to do better?

skills and follow instructions from adults. n Staff have high expectations of children and encourage them to be independent,

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need to do better?

12 January 2022 asking questions and initiating conversation. For example, children ask for additional resources in the writing area to complete their task. n Children have a good understanding of healthy lifestyles, which is embedded in teaching. In the home corner, children can name food groups and discuss what foods keep them healthy. They enjoy a range of healthy snacks, including home- made avocado dip. n The staff know the children well. They find out what children know and can do when they arrive by observing them and meeting their parents. They have a well-planned settling-in process, which supports the understanding of children's interests and starting points. This means that staff identify needs early on and are able to support children from the beginning. Staff refer children to speech and language therapists and work alongside other professionals to ensure all children make progress. n Staff communicate well with parents, and good-quality verbal feedback each day

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need to do better?

is appreciated. Parents value the weekly messages, phone calls, and monthly planning, which helps them to know and understand what their children are learning at nursery. They receive support and advice from staff regarding oral hygiene and language development. n Pre-school children are independent and learning a range of skills. They are confident in recognising their names, early writing, using scissors and speaking in a group. Overall, the adult interactions build on what children already know and develop their thinking. n Children make good progress in physical development. The environment is carefully planned to meet the needs of two-year-old children who are learning to climb stairs and older children who are negotiating space and balancing. n The activities in the environment consider all areas of the curriculum and the age groups of the children. For example, the nursery provides puzzles with a

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need to do better?

range of difficulty and a variety of mark-making materials.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have a good understanding of the processes to follow if they are concerned about a child or member of staff. They manager keeps staff's knowledge up to date through regular formal and informal safeguarding training. This includes quizzes to check understanding of signs and symptoms that may indicate a child is at risk of harm. Staff ensure that children are kept safe throughout the day through consistent risk assessment processes. There are secure and effective recruitment systems in place to ensure staff's suitability to work with children.

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should:

12 January 2022 n provide more staff support to improve interactions, making sure that questioning and conversation extends learning and strengthens children's knowledge and understanding even further.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY293090 Local authority Barnet Inspection number 10214255 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

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inspection

Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 27 Name of registered person Mittra, Baidehi

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reference number

Telephone number 07423 067918 Date of previous inspection 20 September 2016

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Information about this early years setting

St Philips Pre-School registered in 2004. It operates in Finchley, in the London Borough of Barnet. The pre-school is open every weekday from 9am to 3pm, during term time. There is a team of six staff, all of whom hold relevant qualifications in early years. The pre-school receives funding for the provision of early education for children aged two, three and four years.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection received since the COVID-19 pandemic. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together and discussed the curriculum. n The inspector carried out joint observation of group activities with the manager. n The inspector observed the staff interactions with the children and spoke to children. n The inspector had discussions with staff and parents and took their views into account. n Documentation was reviewed and a discussion with leaders was held.

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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

12 January 2022 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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