Westbere Preschool

Inspection of Westbere Preschool Village Hall, Church Lane, Westbere, Canterbury, Kent CT2 0HA

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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 warmly welcomed into the pre-school by staff who are friendly and caring. Most children separate confidently from their parents or carers. The few children who are a little unsure are given extra support and cuddles. This is effective in building these children's confidence to say goodbye and enter pre- school happily. Children have freedom to choose from a range of exciting, varied and accessible learning opportunities. They enjoy exploring activities inside and outside, which capture their attention and interest. For example, children play imaginatively when feeding and dressing the dolls before putting them to bed.

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The provision is good

Children behave typically for their age. They understand the simple rules in place to keep them safe. They listen well to staff, cooperating with routines such as tidy- up times and sitting for welcome time, stories or singing. Staff recognise that since the COVID-19 pandemic, some children need a little more support as they learn to share and take turns. This support is offered calmly and consistently by the patient staff, and as a result, children have built good friendships and enjoy playing games together.

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need to do better?

n Staff promote children's love of reading. Children ask for their favourite stories, as staff read enthusiastically and make reading stories fun and enjoyable. Children retell stories to their friends, using expressions and repetitive phrases from stories, such as 'Little pig, little pig, let me come in.' n Children enjoy playing with malleable materials, such as play dough. This helps develop their fine motor skills and hand muscles in preparation for early writing. For example, children draw pictures and create signs using a variety of writing tools. These are displayed around the pre-school to support understanding of the rules and routines. n Mathematics is embedded throughout everyday routines. Staff teach and extend children's mathematical knowledge through counting and introducing new language. Children count how many children are at the play-dough table and measure how tall they are, saying, 'I am taller than you.'

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need to do better?

n Children sit and enjoy a range of activities together. For example, they explore paint as they print, create patterns and mix colours together. Children display high levels of engagement at these times. However, on occasion, staff are not deployed flexibly enough to enable children to follow their changing interests, such as in creative play. At these times, this impacts on children's ability to choose where they want to learn. n Staff identify and support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities extremely well. They establish links with other professionals to help provide further support, for example in relation to the development of children's

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need to do better?

10 May 2023 speech and language skills. n Settling-in sessions are tailor-made for each child and their family. Staff plan visits carefully to support children to make good progress from the start. Well- established key-person relationships mean all children feel happy and secure. Children confidently call staff by name and love to share their adventures from home. Staff build strong and trusting relationships with families. Parents report that they are very happy with the care their children receive. Parents state that their children have 'come on leaps and bounds and significantly grown in confidence' since starting at the pre-school. n Staff feel well supported and are happy in their roles. However, opportunities for professional development are limited and are not fully effective in developing the knowledge of new staff in particular. n Children understand how to keep themselves healthy and the importance of a

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need to do better?

good diet. They learn about good dental hygiene and how the food we eat affects our teeth. Children learn how plants grow, and they enjoy cooking with the vegetables they have grown. For example, children grew potatoes in the garden and then used their chopping and cooking skills to make chips. n Staff provide regular opportunities for children to explore their local community. Children benefit from visits to the local wild animal park, the local church and the telephone box library. This helps to support children's knowledge and understanding of the world around them.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff have a secure knowledge of how to protect children. They have a good knowledge of the possible signs and symptoms of abuse. The manager makes sure that staff understand the action to take if they have a concern about a child in their care. The pre-school has robust systems for monitoring the absence of children and is alert to any trends that could identify a risk to children and families. They are very clear about how to deal with allegations. There are effective accident and incident recording and reporting systems in place, to ensure children receive the care they need, and parents are fully informed of all occurrences. Children play in a clean and hygienic environment. Staff teach children how to stay safe; for example, children learn about road safety when they walk to the park.

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should:

n deploy staff more flexibly to encourage children to have consistent opportunities to explore their own interests in learning n use opportunities to share best practice to further support and coach new staff and help them develop their knowledge and skills.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 127766 Local authority Kent Inspection number 10263764 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 24 Number of children on roll 21 Name of registered person Westbere Pre-School Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 07340258759 Date of previous inspection 11 May 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Westbere Preschool registered in 1975 and is managed by a parent committee. It operates from the village hall in Westbere, near Canterbury, Kent. The pre-school operates each weekday during term time only. It is open on Monday and Tuesday from 9.15am to 2.45pm, Wednesday 9.15am to 1.15pm and on Thursday and Friday from 9.15am to 12.15pm. The pre-school provides funded early years education for for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The committee employs three members of staff, all of whom have appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the pre-school 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 her evaluation of the pre-school. n The manager and the inspector had a learning walk together and discussed how the curriculum is organised. n The inspector carried out joint observations with the manager and discussed the quality of teaching. n The inspector observed interactions between the staff and children and considered the impact on children's learning. n The inspector asked staff questions, throughout the inspection, to establish their understanding of how to safeguard children and how they assess and plan for children's learning. n The inspector sampled documentation, including staff qualifications and evidence of paediatric first-aid training.

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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 2023 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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