Rochester Kindergarten

Rochester Kindergarten St John Fisher Church Hall, Maidstone Road, Rochester, Kent, ME1 3EN

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 2 March 2016 18 March 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 help children to develop good mathematical skills as they play. They encourage children to count, discuss shape and size through everyday activities.  Staff support children's language development well. They have lots of conversations based on children's interests, introduce new words and ask interesting questions to challenge children's thinking. Children make good progress.  Staff implement clear rules and boundaries to manage children's behaviour. Children's behaviour is good. They develop confidence and the social skills that prepare them emotionally for their move to school.  Children develop healthy lifestyles. They enjoy healthy food and develop their physical skills well through different activities.  Staff help children to settle in well. Children are happy, and they show that they feel secure and confident.  Partnerships with parents and other professionals are good. Staff share information

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This provision is good

with parents to keep them informed of their children's progress. Parents give positive feedback about the kindergarten.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not always encourage children with their developing independence. On occasions, they do things for children that they could easily attempt to do for themselves.  Staff do not always enable children to choose their own resources, to further encourage them to develop their interests as they play.

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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 the opportunities for children to attempt to do things for themselves, to further promote their independence  build further on the opportunities for children to be involved in choosing their preferred resources so that they can develop their play interests.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector spoke to staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector viewed a range of documents, including planning, child development records, policies and procedures.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager and registered person.  The inspector spoke to parents to gain their view of the kindergarten.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The manager has a strong commitment to improving the quality of the provision. Staff receive regular managerial support where their training needs are identified. Staff regularly attend training and use the knowledge gained to make improvements to support children's learning. For example, outside play training resulted in the provision of a mud kitchen and dens to further enhance children's learning in the outside area. Monitoring of the provision and children's progress identifies areas for future development which all staff work towards together. Safeguarding is effective. Staff have a clear understanding of how to protect children and the procedures to follow if they have concerns regarding children's safety or welfare.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff work with parents to gain information about their children's abilities and interests when they first start. They use this information to plan and provide activities linked to children's interests. Children have many opportunities to explore and develop their creativity. For example, they dress up as policemen and pretend to chase villains, using binoculars. They explore small world activities and mixing paints. Children enjoy learning about spring flowers, which they discuss and paint in the painting area. Staff use such opportunities to help children to learn new words, such as 'petals', 'stems' and 'hyacinths'. Staff encourage children to make their individual creations.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff help children to develop the confidence and skills they need to learn. They engage and support children as they play and describe what is happening to further develop their thinking skills. An effective key person system helps staff to support children and their families when they first start. There is another named person available to care for the children in the absence of their key person, to continue to build close attachments with them. Children develop good levels of well-being. Children enjoy good friendships with each other. They share the resources well with their friends, such as when they play a matching game on a touchscreen tablet.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children, including those for whom the setting receives additional funding, make good progress given their starting points. They are confident, active learners who are motivated to learn. For example, children enjoy experimenting with cars on the base of a rocker and watch as the cars roll back and forth. They learn to rock higher to make the cars roll quicker. Children gain the skills they need in readiness for their next stage in learning and the move on to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 103836 Local authority Medway Towns Inspection number 835698 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 36 Name of provider Lindsay Ann McLaughlan Date of previous inspection 18 March 2011 Telephone number 01634407166

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Setting details

Rochester Kindergarten opened in 1987 and is situated in the town of Rochester, Kent. The kindergarten opens each weekday, from 9am to 12 noon, for 38 weeks of the year. The kindergarten receives funding to provide free early education for children age two, three and four years. The provider employs eight members of staff; seven of whom, including the registered person and manager, hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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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

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

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