Kid Ease Swingfield House

Kid Ease Nursery Swingfield House, Canterbury Road, Swingfield, DOVER, Kent, CT15 7SH

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 08/07/2013 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: Not Applicable How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 An extremely effective key person system results in children being especially settled and ready to make the most of their play and learning. Adults' great affection for the children is evident in their caring attitudes.  Children's behaviour and social skills are excellent.  The nursery environment is very rich and inviting. An emphasis on reflecting the natural world and the nursery's rural setting results in a calm and attractive environment where children can concentrate and lead their own learning.  Children all make good progress due to staffs' skilful interaction and knowledge of how children learn.  Parents are fully included in their children's time in the nursery. Their wishes for their children are respected and they receive detailed information about their children's activities and achievements.  Managers enthuse staff and offer training to develop skills. Therefore, staff take pride

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Resources available to babies and toddlers do not give them opportunities to develop physical skills, such as negotiating low steps or slopes.  Adults do not routinely draw the oldest children's attention to the sounds of letters and words, so there are fewer opportunities for children to learn about phonics.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager from the company and observed activities in the three play rooms and the outside learning environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation, and discussed these with staff.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the manager of the provision and the manager from the company and discussed the provider's self-evaluation form and improvement plan.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of practitioners working with children and scrutinized relevant supporting documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day and from information included in the settings' own parent survey.

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Information about the setting

Kid Ease Nursery (Swingfield House) was registered in 2013. It is one of several nurseries run by Kid Ease Limited. It is situated in the village of Swingfield, near Folkestone, Kent. There are three dedicated indoor play spaces in a purposely converted building. Children are grouped according to age; under twos; two to threes and three to fives. All children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area.

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Information about the setting

The nursery is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. There are currently 33 children in the early years age range on roll. The nursery is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm, for 51 weeks of the year. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for two, three and four year olds. Staff support children with special needs and/or disabilities, and children who speak English as an additional language.

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Information about the setting

The manager has a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in Childhood and Youth Studies. There are currently six additional staff employed, all of whom are qualified to at least National Vocational Qualification at level 2. The nursery receives support from a practice manager from Kid Ease Limited and a local authority advisor.

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 consider ways to further improve the educational programme for physical development, for example, by providing suitably challenging equipment and activities for toddlers to begin to climb, balance and take age-appropriate risks

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 strengthen the educational programme for literacy for pre-school age children by modelling oral blending of sounds, and linking sounds and letters during their play.

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who attend

Children throughout the nursery make good progress from their starting points. Activities are meaningful and relevant, as adults carefully observe children's interests and plan in response to these. Children who love to sing nursery rhymes make their own books of rhymes, beautifully decorated with pictures of 'incy wincy spider'. Outside, children become engrossed in arranging guttering and pouring water down to a pan at the end. They solve problems, finding ways to stop leaks. They consider the effect of blocking the water's path with stones. Adults introduce new vocabulary and encourage children to think and count. They try to imagine how many small pans it will take to fill the big one. Adults ask open questions to encourage children to think and imagine. They are on hand to support children and introduce new ideas to extend their play, and are good at knowing when to let children develop ideas for themselves. Children show many of the

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who attend

characteristics of effective learning, such as motivation and concentration, solving problems and not being put off by setbacks, all of which are good attributes to possess in preparation for starting school.

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who attend

Adults interact skilfully with babies, who laugh and giggle as an adult holds their attention playing with dolls. Toddlers engage adults in a game, pointing at each other's noses and hair, and adults make eye contact and show they very much appreciate children's contributions. Babies' physical development is slightly less well promoted than other areas of learning, due to not yet having their own garden, and little challenging apparatus indoors. For example, their room does not include slopes, steps, or domestic furniture. They therefore have limited opportunities to try to climb or jump in a safe environment.

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who attend

Although adults in the pre-school room have learnt about phonics at training sessions, and use this in group sessions, they have yet to embed the practice of routinely drawing children's attention to the sounds of the first letters of words and linking letters to sounds.

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who attend

Managers use an effective monitoring tool to check that all children make expected and good progress from their starting points. Systems clearly show any gaps, so managers then assess if staff need more resources or training, or if individual children need extra support from, for example, speech therapists. As a result, prompt action is taken to ensure all children have the support they need to reach their full potential.

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who attend

When parents arrive to collect their children, they are treated to an extremely thorough account of their child's day. Staff reassure them about any concerns, and are positive about children's achievements, so parents go away with all the knowledge they need, and feeling that staff care about their child. Parents have good opportunities to share their children's progress records, and share details about what children do at home.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

The key person system works especially well, and as a result, children are exceptionally settled, motivated and ready to learn. Parents are sure about who their child's key person is and report strong bonds and good exchanges of relevant information. This enables them to feel very included in their child's days. Key persons look at family photographs with the children on the 'family board', which is a great support to help children settle.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children in most areas of the nursery are able to play outside freely, so get plenty of fresh air, and those who learn best outdoors are able to do so. Children are clear about when they need to wash, for example, they know that although they washed their hands fairly recently, they need to do this again before lunch. Adults discuss the benefits of eating healthy food with children as they eat, so children are starting to understand the benefits of making healthy choices.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children's behaviour is excellent, and any potential poor behaviour is managed expertly by staff. Adults model good manners, and children respond in kind, for example, asking 'may I have a drink please?' Children are kind to their friends, and take drinks outside to give to their peers. Children's independence skills are excellent, for example, at lunchtime they fill the water jug at the tap, and return to the table to serve their friends. If children are unkind, adults explain the effect of what they have said on others, so children start to understand how their actions or words may hurt others. They show that they understand rules, and respect other children's work. They point out to adults when children are painting on top of someone else's picture.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

All areas of the nursery are especially welcoming for both children and their families. The rural location is reflected in the dcor and displays, and the effect is calming and attractive. For example, children's butterfly paintings are displayed hanging from a tree branch. Displays in general show children that their work is valued, and all are carefully annotated. Many photos are in black and white, and lots of resources are made from wood and other natural resources. This further contributes to the muted colour scheme, and means that children are not distracted by bright, plastic and noisy toys. Babies' environment is calm, with baskets where children rest, snug areas to crawl into, and a black and white area. Natural resources made of wood, lights and interesting fabrics, and household objects enable babies and toddles to explore using all their senses. For example,, they love to explore the sounds make by bashing wooden spoons against pots and pans.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Very careful consideration is given to toddlers' move to the two year olds' room. They only move 'up' when they are ready, and if possible at the same time as some of their peers, to increase their confidence. Before this, toddlers routinely play in the different areas with the older children, supported by their key persons. They stay in the baby room a little longer if this is in their best interests. As a result, transitions are well planned and children are confident and ready. Older children are very well prepared for their move to school. Key persons work with parents to make sure children have necessary skills, such as fastening shoes. Parents provide the school's transition book, so staff in the nursery can share this with the children. Therefore, children have knowledge of what to expect when they go to school.

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provision

Safeguarding procedures are implemented thoroughly to keep children safe. Security in the nursery is strong, and only known adults are able to enter and collect their children. When children go on outings in the local area, staff's good knowledge of the risks they might encounter enables them to anticipate hazards, and take necessary precautions. This keeps children very safe. Updating staffs' knowledge of safeguarding procedures is a priority, and all have attended recent training. As a result, they give clear accounts of how they protect children from harm. All staff have had their suitability to work with children checked and recruitment procedures are robust.

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provision

Strong leadership and management motivates and enthuses the staff, who work well as a team. They are enthusiastic and knowledgeable about their work. A high regard is given to staff's professional development. They take responsibility for organising the rooms in which they work. They are encouraged to use their knowledge from training to make changes. For example, the babies' environment is beautifully set out due to a member of staff doing a project on this at university. Management use staff supervision and appraisals to assess staffs' training needs, and as a result each member of the staff team has a relevant action plan. Furthermore, careful monitoring of children's progress enables managers to see where staff need support in promoting all the areas of learning, and as a result have provided workshops, for example, about children's understanding of the world.

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provision

Since opening, the nursery has make rapid progress and consistently improved due to effective and ongoing use of self evaluation. A challenging and diverse action plan is in place. This will develop all aspects of the setting, for example, outcomes for children, and staff development. It includes, for example, a plan to help children learn in practical ways about the food chain, and they plan to develop a system to acknowledge and reward staffs' achievements. Parents are well included in the self-evaluation process. Their responses to questionnaires are analysed to ensure satisfaction with all aspects of the nursery, and staff take prompt action to address any concerns.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Satisfactory Satisfactory provision is performing less well than expectations in one or more of the key areas. It requires improvement in order to be good. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement action. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be inspected again within 12 months of the date of this inspection.

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Grade Judgement Description

Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted 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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Setting details

Unique reference number EY455870 Local authority Kent Inspection number 899507 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 57 Number of children on roll 33 Name of provider Kid Ease Limited Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 0844 854 6989

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Setting details

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. 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 Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, 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,

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Type of provision

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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