St Thomas' Pre-School

Inspection of St Thomas' Pre-School St Thomas' Pre-School, Marriott Hall,Church Road, Noak Hill, Romford, Essex RM4 1LD

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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 Inadequate

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The provision is good

The manager and practitioners greet children with a warm and friendly welcome. Practitioners establish strong bonds with parents and children. This helps children to feel settled and they separate from their parents with ease. Children are content and display self-assurance within the setting. For instance, children confidently approach the inspector to share their toys and ask questions. Practitioners interact and engage with children effectively. They build on children's interests, knowledge and skills. Children benefit from having positive role models to help them to enhance their social skills. Practitioners engage in respectful conversations and promote children's good behaviour and manners. Children develop close friendships and interact well with each other.

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The provision is good

The manager implements a curriculum that promotes all areas of learning and incorporates children's interests. Practitioners observe and assess children's progress, which enables them to identify and support children whose progress is not as expected. Practitioners work well with the special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator (SENDCo) to provide tailored support for children. They also work in partnership with parents and other professionals, such as speech and language therapists, to ensure a consistent approach to children's development. As a result, children make progress from their starting points in learning.

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need to do better?

n Since their last inspection, the manager and her team have worked hard to implement an effective curriculum. Practitioners know their key children well and what they want them to learn. They plan activities and experiences that promote children's curiosity and supports them to achieve their next steps in learning. n The manager holds supervision meetings with practitioners and monitors their practice. This enables her to identify areas where she can support her team further. Practitioners receive support to gain their qualifications and they have access to a range of online training. This ensures that practitioners understand and implement the curriculum to a good standard. n Practitioners support children to develop their language skills, such as by narrating on their play and echoing their words with correct pronunciation and grammar. They introduce new words during activities to enrich children's

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need to do better?

vocabulary. Practitioners use visual cards and displays to support all children, including those who speak English as an additional language and with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to communicate and learn new words. n Children have daily access to outdoor spaces where they can move in different ways to strengthen their muscles and further develop their coordination skills. Additionally, children benefit from football sessions with external teachers to help

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need to do better?

2 May 2024 to develop their physical skills. Children access a nature garden where they learn about insects and small animals, such as birds. They explore natural resources and grow and care for their own plants. This helps children to learn about the world around them. n Practitioners use a feelings board at group time or during free play, to teach children about different emotions. However, during situations of minor conflict, they do not consistently give children the opportunity to express how they feel or learn the impact their actions have on others. For example, practitioners do not always acknowledge the feelings of the children involved. n Practitioners encourage children to be independent throughout the day. Children are confident to choose their own resources and meet their own personal needs, such as wiping their own nose, washing hands and putting on their coats. However, this is not always consistent across the rooms. For example, the older

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need to do better?

children are able to help themselves to drinking water but the two- and three- year-old children are instead offered water regularly by practitioners. Older children put on their own coats, but practitioners take their coats off their pegs for them. This does not fully support children to develop their independence skills. n Risk assessment is effective and practitioners are deployed effectively. Following the previous inspection, the manager has reviewed and made changes to risk assessments and procedures. Practitioners know what is expected of them and they act swiftly to keep children safe. n Parents are kept informed about their children's progress through daily feedback and a communication app. Parents speak highly of the setting. They say their children are developing well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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should:

n build on opportunities for children to identify and talk about their feelings to help them to reflect, express and understand their actions and emotions n support children further to develop their independence skills during daily routines.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2658200 Local authority Havering Inspection number 10326236 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 23 Name of registered person ALIF PRE-SCHOOLS LTD

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reference number

Telephone number 01708371793 Date of previous inspection 30 November 2023

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Information about this early years setting

St Thomas' Pre-School registered in 2022. It is located in Noak Hill, in the London Borough of Havering. The setting is open during term time. It operates on Monday to Thursday from 9am to 2.30pm. On Friday, the setting is open from 9am to midday. There are seven staff who work with the children. Of these, three staff hold a level 3 childcare qualification, one member of staff holds a qualification at level 6 and two staff hold a level 2 childcare qualification. The setting receives funding to provide early education for children aged two, three and four years.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The inspector viewed the setting and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. n The manager and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the setting and discussed the early years curriculum. n Children communicated with the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector talked to practitioners at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector spoke with the manager about the leadership and management of the setting. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact on children's learning. n The SENDCo spoke to the inspector about how they support children with SEND. n The inspector carried out joint observations of group activities with the manager.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of practitioners working in the setting.

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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

2 May 2024 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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