Kings Pre-School

Inspection of Kings Pre-School St. Philips & St. James Church, King George Road, CHATHAM, Kent ME5 0TZ

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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 and parents are greeted warmly and welcomed into this caring pre-school. Parents and staff exchange information about their children to ensure that they are both kept up to date with any changes that may affect their child's care and learning. This supports continuity in children's well-being. Children arrive happy and settle quickly.

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The provision is good

Children benefit from a well-thought-out curriculum. Staff have weekly meetings to discuss what children need to learn next. They plan effective ways to engage all children, using what interests them. For example, they enjoy exploring what happens when they mix cornflour, water and food colouring. They notice new colours being made and learn words to describe the mixture such as soft and slimy. All children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are making good progress in their learning.

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The provision is good

Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. They role model the behaviour they would like to see and are kind and courteous to each other. They are skilled at identifying any triggers that may indicate a child might need support and act immediately. For example, they help children to name how they are feeling and why. This helps children to begin to regulate their emotions.

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need to do better?

n Staff swiftly identify children who may need additional support when they start. They work with parents and other agencies to provide consistent support for children with SEND. They identify any further professional opportunities such as training or resources to assist them. This ensures that children receive the effective support that is tailored to their needs. n Staff place a high priority on supporting speech, language and communication development. They use every opportunity to communicate, read books and role model new words. For example, staff introduce 'stethoscope' and 'syringe' while role playing in the home corner. This helps to expand children's vocabulary. Staff regularly read books that are thoughtfully placed around the play area and share the repetitive phases from them. They have recently introduced a lending library, so children can share books at home. This helps children to develop an

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need to do better?

enjoyment of reading. n Staff support children's mathematical development well. For example, they count frequently during the day, for example, when taking fruit for snack or building a train track. They talk about containers that are full or empty when playing with water. These experiences help children to learn mathematical concepts appropriate for their age. n Children learn about healthy lifestyles. They eat fruit and drink milk and water at

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need to do better?

7 June 2023 snack time. They have the opportunity to play in the outdoor area daily. The setting has taken part in a project that has helped them develop how they teach children about healthy lifestyles. For example, children now use real crockery at snack time. This also helps them learn skills for the future. n Staff support children to become increasing independent in their learning. For example, they choose from a range of different resources to support their own learning. They pour their own drinks at snack time and are supported to be independent with their own care routines. On the whole, children are well prepared for their next stage in learning. However, occasionally, group times are not planned fully effectively. For example, sometimes, staff do not consider how to include all children who want to join in and do not always ensure that there are sufficient resources that are ready for use. n Staff support children to develop a good understanding of similarities and

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need to do better?

differences of people from around the wider world. For example, they learn words from children's home language and talk about festivals and celebrations such as Eid al-Fitr. n Partnership with parents is good. Parents share how happy and settled their children are. They feel supported and speak highly of the staff. Parents value the regular meetings they have with staff to share their children's learning. This ensures that there is consistency in learning between children's home and the setting. n The manager focuses strongly on supporting staff's well-being and their professional development. For example, the deputy manager attended training to develop skills on supporting children's emotions. This helped the whole setting review their environment and practice. For example, they introduced calm spaces, books and props. This supports children's behaviour and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff are well trained in safeguarding procedures. They have a good understanding of the signs and symptoms that may indicate a child is at risk. Staff understand who to contact if they have a concern about a child's welfare. The manager understands the importance of working with outside agencies to keep children safe. Staff complete daily checks on all areas that children play in to ensure that the environment is safe and secure. The manager has a robust recruitment procedure in place. She completes regular checks to ensure the ongoing suitability of staff.

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should:

n review and improve the planning of group activities to ensure that all children

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should:

7 June 2023 who take part can fully engage in their learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY462287 Local authority Medway Inspection number 10289431 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 30 Number of children on roll 30 Name of registered person Fouch, Deborah Mary

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reference number

Telephone number 07565881563 Date of previous inspection 24 November 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Kings Pre-School registered in 2013. The Pre-School employs nine members of childcare staff. Of these, three hold Qualified Teacher Status and five are qualified at level 2 and above. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday, term-time only. Sessions are from 9am to midday. The Pre-School 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 pre-school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the manager and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the pre-school. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together and discussed the early years curriculum. n The inspector observed the interactions between staff and children, both indoors and outdoors, and spoke to staff at appropriate times during the inspection. n The inspector carried out a of joint observation with the manager. n The inspector spoke with parents and took account of their views.

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Inspection activities

7 June 2023 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

7 June 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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