Lexden Lodge Kindergarten

Lexden Lodge Kindergarten 26 Lexden Road, Colchester, Essex, CO3 3QD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16/09/2014 09/12/2008

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 1 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 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Practitioners use a good variety of teaching methods and many are highly skilled in using play and children's interests to promote rapid learning. This ensures children engage well and their learning is supported effectively.  Children build strong bonds with their key person and other practitioners, this promotes their emotional well-being and confidence. Partnerships between parents and practitioners are effective. Information about care and education is shared frequently to provide continuity and promote opportunities for extended learning.  Managers and practitioners work well together, to monitor the educational programmes and children's progress. Regular observations of activities, followed by reflection, enable managers to help practitioners to constantly improve their teaching.  Managers and practitioners have a clear understanding of safeguarding. They are alert to signs that children are at risk of harm and are well-equipped to take prompt action

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Practitioners do not always ensure that all the resources children need are to hand and are well organised. This limits children's opportunities to succeed in their chosen task.  Practitioners do not routinely explain hygiene practices to the youngest children. This means they are not learning about the importance of hand washing as rapidly as they might from an early age.

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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 voluntary and compulsory parts 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 observed activities in each of the kindergarten rooms, talked to children and practitioners, and looked at areas of the premises and garden used for childcare.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager, who has Early Years Professional Status.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the management team and looked at policy documents, including the safeguarding procedures.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of practitioners working with children, the provider's self-evaluation form and improvement plan.

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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 surveys, letters and children's records.

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Information about the setting

Lexden Lodge Kindergarten was registered in 2005 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in converted premises in the Lexden area of Colchester and is privately owned and managed. The kindergarten serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from 10 rooms and there are enclosed areas available for outdoor play. The kindergarten employs 27 members of childcare staff. Of these, 23 hold appropriate early years qualifications at levels 2, 3 and 4, including two with Early Years Professional Status. The kindergarten opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 152 children attending, all of whom are in the early years age group. The kindergarten provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children with special

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

 extend children's early understanding of good hygiene, for example, by using direct teaching about hand washing after nappy changing and giving children an explanation of why we wash our hands and faces after eating

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

 enhance children's opportunities to further their learning by ensuring resources are always easily accessible and well organised to aid children in completing their chosen task.

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who attend

Children are making good progress in their learning and development from their individual starting points. This is because the dedicated team of well-qualified practitioners demonstrate good, and sometimes superb, teaching skills. They offer children a wide range of experiences, planned to support each individual's development. The programme of activities offers children first hand experiences. This involves using their senses to explore the environment and resources. This hands-on learning ensures children are keen and eager to learn. Training, experience and guidance from others underpin practitioners' knowledge. This means they understand how children learn, recognising the opportunities to extend children's experiences and taking these to ensure every child is making swift progress. Practitioners frequently observe children as they play. They use what they see and hear to assess children's abilities. Practitioners use the information they gather to plan

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who attend

for children's next steps in learning. Each next step is included in the planning. This means practitioners know exactly what they are working on. It enables them to focus on the aspects of learning and development that children need and therefore, children make good progress towards the early learning goals. The range of activities offered to children by practitioners helps to maintain and develop their interest in learning and this, along with the use of small and large group times, helps to prepare children for future learning in school. Practitioners involve parents in children's learning. They are successful in encouraging parents to share what their children learn at home. Practitioners share the summaries of learning and invite parents to comment and contribute to the assessment. Consequently, there is a very clear picture of the whole child, which gives a secure foundation for planning for their next steps in learning.

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who attend

Practitioners plan carefully but are ready to adapt their plans when children show alternative interests or suggest their own ideas. One group of children join a practitioner to explore the possibility of making musical sounds from different pots, tubs and tubes. However, they show a greater interest in other natural resources close by. The practitioner skilfully adapts her plans to take advantage of the children's curiosity and their desire to make links with previous experiences. Although not planned, the subsequent activity is very successful in developing children's mathematical thinking and their communication skills. Children's comments also show their very good knowledge of the natural world and local places they have visited. Children engage well in small and large group activities where practitioners start the activity and quickly involve children, so they can share and take an active role in what is happening. For example, children listening to a story and

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who attend

concentrate well. They then join in, predicting what will happen next and making links with their own experiences. Children contribute to conversations and discussions showing confidence and their growing ability to use new vocabulary to express themselves. The youngest children have lots of freedom to explore their environment. The practitioners sit on the floor so they can be at the children's level to support their learning effectively. These children show tremendous enthusiasm for learning as they enjoy trying things for themselves, and happily repeat actions to achieve what they set out to do.

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who attend

Practitioners plan planting activities for children. Children grow their own vegetables and have been very successful this year with a bumper crop of runner beans. These activities help children to learn how to look after living things and provide them with an excellent opportunity to explore the delights of healthy eating. Children develop their understanding of technology because practitioners integrate this well into the plans. Children enjoy pretending to fix things in their workshop, using an old music player. This provides them with the chance to look at the workings of electronic devices safely and in a controlled way. Practitioners use cameras, linked to nesting boxes, to give children the chance to see nature up close. Children observe the habits and lifecycles of wildlife and ask questions to further their knowledge. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are included well in the kindergarten. The planning for individual children by the key person

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who attend

ensures they all participate in learning through play with their friends, and consequently, all children make good progress in their learning. However, there are occasions where practitioners do not always take sufficient steps to ensure children have all the necessary toys available or that they are well organised. For example, when children pretending to make food need a plate, there are none in the role-play area. Similarly, some of the plastic construction toys are mixed up so some blocks do not fit together. This prevents children from completing their chosen task and sometimes restricts their enjoyment and learning.

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

Practitioners at the kindergarten are friendly and approachable. The welcoming atmosphere created by them helps children to settle quickly. Each key person works closely with families to help them get to know the children and to develop a better understanding of their needs. Children show they are happy with their smiling faces and their readiness to laugh and joke with familiar people. Children move confidently around the kindergarten, going to quiet rooms for small group time and outside into the garden to play. Children are secure and practitioners promote their emotional well-being well. As children grow and develop their confidence and skills, practitioners and parents work together to help them move on to a new group room. They ensure children have time to adjust to change and the involvement of parents enables all involved to support the children well.

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

Practitioners foster children's independence very well. Children's opportunities to choose their activities, manage their clothing and to feed themselves all contribute significantly to their rapidly growing abilities to be independent and self-reliant. Practitioners offer children the chance to take responsibility for small tasks. This builds on their ability to look after things and to take care of others. Children behave very well. Practitioners are calm and they are good role models. This helps children to learn through example and explore the implications of poor behaviour with people who are sensitive and caring. Children demonstrate their understanding of safety and risk. They talk about possible dangers and how heavy and big things that are dropped could hurt. This knowledge comes from their carefully planned environment and the often skilful teaching by practitioners. As a result, children acquire the confidence, skills and abilities they need to support them in the next

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

Children's health and well-being is taken seriously at the kindergarten. Practitioners offer children a variety of meals and snacks throughout the day. The menu planning, by managers and the chef, takes account of children's particular dietary needs and patterns of attendance. This means children eat well because they like the food. Practitioners encourage children to try appropriate new foods to develop their taste. They also support weaning babies. Practitioners encourage children to feed themselves and as they get older to pour drinks, make snacks and serve themselves their main meals. This helps to promote children's interest in food, as well as developing their independence and their ability to handle cutlery. Practitioners and kitchen staff follow rigorous procedures to ensure children's dietary needs are met. The systems ensure children with a specific diet have food prepared and served separately if necessary. Practitioners sit with children as

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

they eat to monitor children's eating and make sure they do not share food from another child's plate. Practitioner's record what every child eats, including the quantity. They give parents a written daily report with detailed information on meals, drinks, sleep and toileting. This ensures parents can keep track of their child's care and discuss the necessary changes or concerns with the key person or one of the management team. The kindergarten is clean and well maintained. Children follow robust hygiene routines to help promote and maintain their good health. However, practitioners do not always reinforce and support children's understanding of hygienic practice to an optimal level. They do not talk to children frequently enough about what they are doing and why, when they wash hands and faces, or encourage the toddlers in nappies to wash their hands after being changed. Children have plenty of fresh air and exercise. Practitioners include outdoor

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

activities in plans to ensure they frequently offer play outside and that they include all the areas of learning to support children's progress. Children are very active. The babies have plenty of play space to allow them to move and crawl freely. The inclusion of large and small chairs and a sofa gives babies strong supports to hold onto when they try to stand. Practitioners use the outdoor resources well to help children develop their coordination. Children use the wheeled toys and climbing equipment, which help them develop their physical skills. The crates provided allow children the chance to build. They also use their hands to weave the ribbons to make colourful patterns, which fosters their creativity and imagination.

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provision

The management team have a very clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities for meeting the learning and development, and the safeguarding and welfare requirements. They have robust procedures in place that are implemented well to ensure children's safety and well-being. Managers use their knowledge, gained from training on safer recruitment, to build a team of well trained and experience practitioners who are suitable to work with children. The management team use further robust procedures to support the induction of new practitioners. This ensures all members of the team learn about and understand the kindergarten's policies and procedures for maintaining children's safety, and providing for their educational needs. Practitioners and managers carry out regular risk assessments. They check the environment and equipment used by children to ensure it is fit for purpose. Managers and practitioners attend training on safeguarding to

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provision

keep their knowledge of child protection up-to-date. Managers regularly cover this aspect of practice at team and individual meetings to test practitioners' knowledge of national and local procedures. Several people are trained as designated persons and have experience of making a referral to their local authority when there have been concerns about a child's welfare. Documentation is in place to show how the kindergarten meets all of the requirements.

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provision

Managers implement effective procedures for monitoring the performance of practitioners and children's progress towards the early learning goals. A programme of practice observations means managers set aside time to observe the quality of teaching in the kindergarten. They check the practitioner's plans, evaluate the success of the activity and develop plans for improvement together. This means the quality of teaching is consistently good and in some cases outstanding. Mangers collate information on children's progress from the regular assessments by the key person. Practitioners carefully monitor children's progress, identifying where it is less than expected and putting in steps to help narrow the gap. This ensures all children continue to make good progress in their learning and development. Practitioners regularly reflect on their practice. Managers produce the self- evaluation form based on evidence of practice and the ideas and suggestions from

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provision

practitioners, parents and children. This helps them to drive practice forward in order to improve the provision for children. Practitioners engage in continuous professional development, attending external training sessions, working with highly skilled and more experienced colleagues and studying for higher level qualifications.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are successful. Parents take great interest in their children's experiences at the kindergarten and many contribute to their children's progress records with observations and comments on summary assessments. Parents spoken to on the day of inspection are very complimentary. They say practitioners provide a high quality service, they have plenty of information about their child's care and education and the environment and variety of learning opportunities are excellent. In addition, they state the managers are supportive and that they, as parents, feel welcome in the kindergarten. Parents regularly visit the kindergarten for meetings about the children's progress, to discuss children's move between rooms and to meet with other parents to discuss possible improvements and charity fundraising events. Practitioners work in partnership with local teachers to support children in making the move to school. They share information about

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provision

children's level of achievement and gather details of what children should expect in school. This enables practitioners to plan practical tasks for children and to talk to them about their expectations. As a result, children and parents receive good support at this important time. Practitioners work effectively with other professionals to support children and their families if children have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary 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 Requires improvement The provision is not giving children a good standard of early years education and/or there are minor breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. We re-inspect nurseries and pre-schools judged as requires improvement within 12 months of the date of inspection. 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

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Grade Judgement Description

is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. Met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. 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 EY307729 Local authority Essex Inspection number 989257

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 125 Number of children on roll 152 Name of provider Samco Enterprises Ltd Date of previous inspection 09/12/2008 Telephone number 01206 574005

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Type of provision

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

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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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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