Kind Hearts Preschool - St Georges

Inspection of Kind Hearts Preschool - St Georges St. Georges Church, Ongar Road, BRENTWOOD, Essex CM15 9HR

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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 Not applicable

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The provision is good

Children are happy and enjoy their time at the pre-school. A wide range of activities are available and emphasis is placed on child-led learning. Children are calm and relaxed as they play their favourite games. Physical development is well supported as children use a range of play equipment that helps encourage their gross motor skills. Children enjoy risky play as they learn how to keep themselves safe when using the equipment. For example, staff remind children how to use the climbing frame, so they do not get hurt. Children focus on exploring water, predicting what will float and sink and then testing their ideas. Water spills out of the container so children extend their play further as they put on their wellington boots and jump in puddles.

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The provision is good

Staff are nurturing, they offer cuddles and reassurance to those who feel upset when they arrive. Children demonstrate good levels of confidence as they speak to staff to share their thoughts. Good friendships are formed with the support of staff and children enjoy playing in small groups. Children are kind to each other. They comfort one another when they are sad and encourage those children playing alone to join in, saying, 'come play with us'.

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need to do better?

n Parents praise the staff for the care they provide. They highlight how well staff know their children. Parents feel informed about their child's learning, as staff give regular feedback. Staff share advice with parents to help them support learning at home. Parents report that their children are progressing well. Close partnerships allow parents and staff to work together. For example, parents speak about the improvements to their children's behaviour since working together on behaviour support plans. Good partnerships with parents are well established and support children's learning. n The leadership team is committed to evaluating and continuing to develop the pre-school. They have recently reviewed the provision of activities, and made changes that encourage children to use different areas. In addition, they have identified more popular areas that are more commonly used, such as the role- play area. Staff have included additional resources and expanded this space, to

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need to do better?

allow for more children to play. The leadership team has recently made plans to complete training that will further develop staff skills in promoting early language development. Strategies, such as staff supervision meetings and peer- on-peer observation, help to support their ongoing professional development. Leaders and staff work together to make positive changes. n Each key person has a good understanding of their roles and form strong bonds with children. They have a deep knowledge about the children they care for and confidently talk about what each child is currently working towards. Parents

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need to do better?

20 April 2022 provide information about children before they start, contributing to the knowledge staff gain about a child's personal needs and development. Observations and interactions inform the baseline assessments of children. Key persons use their knowledge to accurately identify next steps in learning. Key persons monitor progress, ensuring children achieve to their best abilities. Staff understand how to build on children's learning to support progression. n Staff are quick to identify those children that need additional support. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported and make good progress. Staff work with parents and outside agencies to make plans that support children's individual needs. These early interventions and planned strategies help reduce gaps in learning. Each child with SEND has a key person, who fully understands their needs. Parents comment that staff offer

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need to do better?

advice and support when needed. n Staff provide a broad range of learning experiences, primarily based on children's interests and levels of development. The quality of teaching is not consistent across the staff team. For example, some staff use open questions to introduce new ideas and language, such as 'what do you think will happen? or 'What could we do to fix it?', allowing children to draw on previous learning and use their own ideas. However, some staff currently lack the confidence to extend an activity or idea to engage children and promote their learning to the optimum.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff have a good understanding of how to keep children safe. Regular training ensures the team keep updated with current legislation, helping them understand their safeguarding role and duty. The designated officer is available to offer support and advice when needed. Staff are very confident in their abilities to identify possible signs that a child may be at risk of harm. Both the provider and staff have a good knowledge of wider safeguarding issues, such as county lines. Staff inform visitors, on arrival, of the safeguarding procedures they must follow, including not taking children to the bathroom or using mobile phones.

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should:

n continue to support staff to develop their understanding of teaching and learning, to make sure children receive consistently high-quality teaching from all members of staff.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2506467 Local authority Essex Inspection number 10191520 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 40 Name of registered person Kind Hearts Preschool Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 07852413334 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Kind Hearts Preschool - St Georges registered in 2018. The pre-school employs seven members of childcare staff. Of these, four hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday during term time. Sessions are from 9.30am until 12.30pm. The pre-school receives funding for the provision of early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector observed the interactions between staff and children. n The inspector carried out a joint observation of a group activity and discussed this with the manager. n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The manager and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the pre-school and discussed the early years curriculum.

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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

20 April 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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