Richmond Pre-school CIC

Inspection of Richmond Pre-school CIC C/o South Benfleet Primary School, High Road, Benfleet SS7 5HA

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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 thrive under the care of the inspiring staff team. They are deeply engaged in their play with the abundance of stimulating activities. Children learn about music and discover different sounds as they fill pots with pasta to make shakers. They make predictions as they fill the pots and tell staff it will sound different when it is filled to the top. Children enjoy shaping activities to meet their own interests. For example, children explore the exciting outside areas with wonder. They work together to fill watering cans up to water the plants as they learn how to care for plants.

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The provision is outstanding

Children feel safe and secure at the pre-school. From the start, children develop exceptionally strong bonds with staff. Children's characters are developed as they build an understanding of what makes them unique. Staff treat children with respect and are responsive to their needs. This allows them to provide learning opportunities that are reactive to the children's needs and support them to make the best possible progress. This nurturing environment allows children to be confident learners and, as a result, make excellent growth.

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The provision is outstanding

Children have high levels of concentration as they play and engage well with their peers. Staff expertly support children to play together cooperatively. Children listen to rules and boundaries that staff tell them and adhere to them well. Children demonstrate determined levels of self-control; they consistently keep trying as they encounter difficulties when building towers.

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need to do better?

n The curriculum is ambitious and fully embedded into the setting. Activities are child focused and sequenced. Children's experiences are consistently built on and tailored to their specific needs. Teaching is of a high standard and staff expertly know what the children can do and what they need to do next. As a result, children develop swiftly and have a very positive attitude to learning. n The drive and motivation to improve children's development and learning, in particular areas that have been affected because of the pandemic, are outstanding. Management has extensive training in promoting children's communication and language skills, which is effectively cascaded down to staff. They skilfully weave this focus throughout the provision. Children are given a wealth of opportunities to develop their language and practise their speaking. Staff read stories to children with animation and introduce new words. They use

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need to do better?

nursery rhymes to inspire children to use their voices as they make animal sounds. Children learn to listen to instruction as the song tells them to tiptoe and march. This enables children to be confident with their language and communication skills.

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need to do better?

10 May 2022 n Indoor and outdoor areas are thoroughly designed to meet the needs of the children. Children can independently access resources as they follow their own interests. They swiftly develop excellent independence skills as they learn how to complete tasks by themselves. They use tools for a purpose as they confidently prepare their own fruit for snack and wash their plates when finished. n Staff are highly skilled at identifying children who may need additional intervention. The designated special educational needs coordinator has an excellent overview of those children in the pre-school with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Support plans, regular assessment and exceptionally well-developed relationships with outside agencies ensure there is a collaborative approach to children's learning. Children have the best opportunity to achieve and make rapid progress from their starting points.

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need to do better?

n Partnerships with parents are exceptionally strong. They say the pre-school has gone 'above and beyond' to help their children flourish. Communication is excellent, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents were invited to attend online activities with their children and staff kept in regular contact with the families. Staff help parents to understand what their children are learning and how to support their future learning. For example, they provide extra support for parents to help prepare their children for school. Parents say they would wholeheartedly recommend the pre-school to other parents. n Management has high regard for their staff. They ensure that they receive highly focused and effective professional development. They share extensive knowledge with staff to understand how children learn. Regular supervision is provided to guide and encourage staff. As a result, staff's knowledge is

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need to do better?

consistently built over time, which translates to improved teaching for the children. Staff feel valued and have high levels of well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding. All staff have excellent knowledge of what steps to take if they had any safeguarding concerns. Leadership and management have high expectations of staff, and this is followed up with extensive training to ensure all staff are fully aware of any risks and what action to take. There are comprehensive policies detailing information for staff to access when required. Robust, safe recruitment and vetting procedures are followed to ensure staff working with children are suitable. Children are kept safe as staff remain vigilant and supervise children extremely well.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY421247 Local authority Essex Inspection number 10127401 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 81

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Name of registered person

Richmond Pre-school Community Interest Company

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reference number

Telephone number 01268753061 Date of previous inspection 29 September 2015

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Information about this early years setting

Richmond Pre-school CIC first opened in 1965 and became a Community Interest Company (C.I.C.) in 2010. The nursery employs 25 members of childcare staff, of whom 15 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above and five hold level 2 qualifications. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, during term time only. Opening times are from 8.45am to 3.15pm, Mondays to Fridays. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the setting received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the managers and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the setting. n The managers joined the inspector on a learning walk. They talked to the inspector about the curriculum. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors. She discussed children's progress with staff. n The manager and inspector carried out a joint observation. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation. This included evidence of staff suitability, the complaints record and safeguarding documents. n The inspector spoke to parents during the inspection and took account of written views.

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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

10 May 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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