Little Oaks - Ashford

Little Oaks Nursery School - Ashford William Harvey Hospital, Kennington Road, Ashford, Kent, TN24 0LZ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 27 October 2015 20 April 2011

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This inspection: Good 2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

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This provision is good

 Staff implement a good key-person system to promote children's emotional well-being. Children are happy, content and feel secure.  Staff prepare children well for the next stage in their learning. Children gain confidence, become independent and learn to value individual differences.  Overall, the quality of teaching is good. Staff use their observations to make accurate assessments of children's learning and use this information well to plan for children's next steps.  Managers and staff monitor children's good progress to identify and address any gaps in learning. Staff work with other professionals to provide additional support to help children catch up.  Leaders use supervision and performance management well to monitor the quality of staff practice and identify training needs. This helps to maintain good quality teaching to benefit children.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 On occasion, staff miss opportunities to ask children questions to extend children's thinking and promote their language skills further.  At times, staff do not consistently extend children's interest and engage them in activities to promote learning further.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 strengthen opportunities to extend children's thinking and promote their language skills further  ensure staff make full use of all opportunities to consistently extend children's interest to promote their learning further.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors.  The inspector spoke with several members of staff about their knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage, and about the children they care for.  The inspector spoke with the director, manager and deputy manager. The inspector sampled a range of documentation, including evidence of the suitability of adults working with children, settling-in procedures and children's development records.  The inspector spoke with two parents and observed parents' comments during the inspection, and took account of their views.  The inspector undertook one joint observation with the manager.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. Staff have a strong understanding of the procedures to follow if they have any child protection concerns. Staff undertake regular risk assessments to identify and minimise any hazards to help keep children safe. The manager and staff regularly review and evaluate nursery practice to identify areas for improvement to benefit children. They include and value the views of parents in the process. Management makes good use of staff supervision and training to improve further staff knowledge and skills. For example, after recent training, staff have introduced signs and symbols to promote further children's communication skills. Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents speak positively about the nursery and their children's care and learning experiences.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Overall, staff provide children with a good variety of activities to promote all areas of learning and development, inside and outside. For example, children enjoyed the interactive garage area outside. Staff helped them make links to the real world by using discussions when toy cars got stuck inside the garage. Staff encourage children to explore and play outside to promote their physical well-being. For example, staff use praise and encouragement to motivate babies to make use of all outside equipment to develop their skills. Overall, the quality of staff interactions with children is good. Staff teach children to develop their understanding of other cultures, for example, through celebrating a variety of festivals. Staff encourage children to develop their early writing skills, such as through laminated signs with space underneath for children to practise writing words.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff are positive role models for children. Staff teach children to be polite and kind to one another. Overall, children are happy and engaged in play. A robust key-person system helps children to form secure relationships with staff. For example, children seek out staff for comfort when they become upset. Children learn to respect and celebrate differences, developing an understanding of difference through exposure to a range of experiences that teach them about the wider world. For example, staff display images from different cultures. Staff promote children's self-help skills, including those with physical difficulties. For example, resources are labelled with photographs and words, and stored at a low level.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children make good progress in their learning from their starting points. Children develop skills to prepare them for school, such as early writing skills and showing respect towards each other.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 127517 Local authority Kent Inspection number 840666 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 82 Number of children on roll 186 Name of provider Little Oaks Early Years Limited Date of previous inspection 20 April 2011 Telephone number 01233 616746

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Setting details

Little Oaks Nursery School registered in 2001. It is one of five nurseries run by Little Oaks Early Years Ltd. It operates from a single-storey building set in the grounds of the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, Kent. It is open Monday to Friday from 7am to 6pm all year round. There is a holiday club during the school holidays. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are 26 staff, including the two owners who hold relevant early years qualifications at level 6, a cook and a driver, and 22 other staff who work with the children. Of these, 19 staff hold relevant early years qualifications; five at level 4, eight at level 3 and six at level 2.

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Setting details

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

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

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Setting details

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Setting details

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Setting details

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