1st Friends day nursery Ltd

1st Friends day nursery Ltd 2a Ingram Road, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 1YL

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 5 May 2017 30 March 2015

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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

 Children develop good understanding of the importance of healthy lifestyles. For example, they know raising their pulse rate through exercise is good for the heart.  Staff support all children to develop good communication and speaking skills. For example, they ask older children challenging questions and use good facial expressions and tones of voices to communicate with babies.  The manager and staff monitor children's progress closely. This enables them to quickly recognise any gaps in development and provide children with individual support to catch up in their learning. All children make good progress.  Staff establish positive relationships with parents and keep them fully informed. For example, they share information about healthy eating with parents.  Children learn good skills to support their future learning. They gain early reading skills as they explore a variety of reading materials, such as brochures.

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This provision is good

 Staff support children to settle confidently and happily into play. Children develop a good sense of belonging.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not organise group activities well enough to fully engage every child taking part. These activities are sometimes too challenging for the youngest children.  Although staff have made links with other settings children attend, they have not established highly successful ways to share information about children's learning.

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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

 organise group activities more effectively to fully include and engage all those taking part, particularly the youngest children  develop more successful arrangements for sharing information that supports continuity in learning with other settings children also attend.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed staff's interactions with children.  The inspector viewed the indoor and outdoor environments.  The inspector looked at written documentation, including evidence of the suitability of all those working at the nursery.  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 good

The manager and staff evaluate and reflect upon their current practice effectively. For example, each staff member has an area of responsibility in the learning areas. Staff keep the learning in their areas interesting to ensure that they motivate and engage children. Staff are proactive in implementing new ideas. They carry out research to get inspiration. The manager closely monitors the consistency of the quality of care and learning experiences staff provide. For instance, she observes them in practice and discusses their performance in one-to-one meetings. Staff use the constructive and helpful advice and feedback to improve their future teaching. All staff, including the manger, build further on their skills and knowledge. For example, they attend regular training, such as learning how to develop children's communication skills. Staff use additional funding effectively to meet children's individual learning needs. Safeguarding is effective. All staff have a good

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

knowledge of the safeguarding procedures to follow to help protect children's welfare and safety. For example, they carry out thorough risk assessments.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff prepare children well for moving on to school. For example, they make sure children meet the teachers from their intended school when they visit the nursery. This helps children to become familiar with who to expect to see at school. Staff skilfully build on children's play. For example, when children are enjoying exploring different liquids, such as vinegar and food colouring, staff encourage them to mix the liquids and develop their imagination, as they make their own 'magic potions'. All children, including babies have good opportunities to develop their creativity. For instance, they make marks in interesting ways, such as painting with cars.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff are positive role models and children learn to be polite and behave well. Children develop a good understanding and respect for other peoples' similarities and differences in the wider world. For example, they dress in outfits traditional to other countries, such as clothes from Nigeria. All children have good opportunities to develop their physical abilities. For example, older children climb and balance on obstacles and younger children explore different ways to move, such as crawling through tunnels.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children of all ages and abilities make good progress in relation to their individual starting points. Children develop good early mathematical skills. For example, older children carry out simple calculations and confidently count as they play. Children are keen to experiment and learn about how things work. For example, they use torches in dark dens to explore the concept of making shadows.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY236227 Local authority Medway Towns Inspection number 1091488 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 49 Number of children on roll 98 Name of registered person 1st Friends Day Nursery Ltd

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 30 March 2015 Telephone number 01634 578396

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reference number

1st Friends Day Nursery registered in 2002. It is located in Gillingham, Kent. The nursery is open Monday to Friday, from 7am until 6pm, all year round. The provider receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The nursery employs 10 members of staff, nine of whom hold relevant early years qualifications at level 3 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

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 reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/, write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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reference number

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our website for news, information and updates at www.ofsted.gov.uk/user.

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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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