Choochoos Day Nursery Canterbury

Choochoos Day Nursery Canterbury 50 Mill Lane, Harbledown, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 8NE

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 28 July 2016 25 June 2013

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1

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This provision is outstanding

 Older children develop a highly impressive understanding of early writing skills. For example, they listen to sounds and draw what they hear, giving meaning to the marks they make. This supports them exceptionally well for their future learning.  Staff maintain extremely positive partnerships with parents. They encourage the involvement of parents and shared learning of children exceptionally well. For example, they invite parents to attend workshops to share training ideas with them.  There is extensive support for children who speak English as an additional language to make outstanding progress. For example, children participate in language classes and make up songs using key words from their home language.  The management team fully encourages staff to work together to make impressive changes that have a highly positive impact on children's learning. For example, staff in each room evaluate their practice daily and decide on very effective action plans.

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This provision is outstanding

 All children engage in inspirational learning opportunities and make outstanding progress.  There are excellent opportunities for children to develop their physical abilities and challenge their skills. For example, they climb trees and swing on rope ladders.  All children, including babies, experience highly motivating and stimulating activities that support their understanding of why things happen. For example, they participate in daily science experiments, such as making their own fizzy sand.

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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

 continue to build on the already excellent opportunities for young children to extend their mathematical skills and understanding as they play.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the staff's interaction with children.  The inspector viewed the indoor and outdoor environments.  The inspector looked at the written documentation, including a sample of the policies and procedures, risk assessments and staff training records.  The inspector spoke to children, parents and staff, and took their views into consideration.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

The management team motivates all staff to develop their impressive teaching knowledge even further, such as attending training to meet children's specific needs. Managers continuously evaluate the nursery and monitor the quality of teaching extremely well. They provide staff with individual support meetings and constructive feedback after observing practice. Managers ensure that staff learn from training and information updates, for instance, with regular quizzes such as for safeguarding. They are extremely effective as they review children's progress. They accurately track development for individuals and groups of children to highlight any gaps that require support to close. Managers develop excellent partnerships with other early years professionals, for example, they create information leaflets to share. All staff have an extremely detailed knowledge of the child protection procedures and know who to contact to protect children's welfare.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff support children extremely well to manage the move to school. For example, they attend settling-in sessions with them. Staff have exceptional knowledge of children's interests and are highly skilled at extending their learning. For example, children enthusiastically told their friends a story and staff helped them create a theatre, with children making tickets and using resources to bring the story to life. Staff support children's communication skills particularly well. They ask highly skilful questions to encourage children to think and they consistently use signing with babies. Staff highlight plans to extend young children's mathematical awareness.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children have excellent experiences to develop their understanding of people's similarities and differences. Regular visitors share skills, such as teaching dances from their culture. Children have exceptional opportunities to learn about healthy lifestyles. For example, they grow their own herbs, fruits and vegetables to use in meals. Staff maintain extremely close and nurturing relationships with children. Children have a highly positive level of well-being and sense of belonging. Staff visit children at home to begin to build bonds before they start at the nursery.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

All children develop exceptional skills to support their next stage of learning. Older children are prepared extremely well for the move to school. Children's behaviour and social skills are impeccable. They compromise, share and take turns with a high level of maturity. Children have inspirational opportunities to develop their creativity. For example, they participate in woodwork classes and make their own sculptures.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY414930 Local authority Kent Inspection number 1053948 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 0 - 4 Total number of places 75 Number of children on roll 98 Name of registered person Karla Margharita Tabony

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 25 June 2013 Telephone number 01227 464 230

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reference number

Choochoos Day Nursery Canterbury registered in 2010. It is one of three nurseries owned by the same provider and operates from a building in Harbledown, near Canterbury, Kent. The nursery is open Monday to Friday, from 8am to 6pm, all year round. The provider receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are 18 staff, 12 of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. One staff member holds a relevant early years degree and one member of staff has early years professional status.

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reference number

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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reference number

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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reference number

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reference number

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reference number

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

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