Little Explorers Kindergarten The Hive

Little Explorers Kindergarten The Hive Unit 2 & 3 The Hive, Northfleet, Gravesend, Kent, DA11 9DE

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 9 October 2017 Not applicable

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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

 The provider has an excellent understanding of her role and responsibilities. She has an exceptional drive to ensure all areas of the setting maintain the highest possible standard. She is very perceptive in her self-evaluation processes to ensure that she continually develops and improves the provision further.  The provider uses additional funding exceptionally well. For example, she identifies children's specific needs and sources relevant staff training to ensure that children achieve their best possible outcome. Children make consistently high rates of progress in relation to their starting points.  The quality of teaching is outstanding. Staff are highly receptive to children's individual needs and abilities. They are very efficient in maintaining children's attention and engagement in activities.  Staff work exceptionally well to engage parents in their children's learning. For example, they provide regular parents' meetings, home learning resources, home visits

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This provision is outstanding

and 'very important people' days. This efficiently supports parents to continue their children's learning at home.  Staff are highly effective in helping children learn about behaviour expectations. For instance, they ask them to think about other children's feelings and what will happen if they run inside. This helps children learn to behave extremely well.

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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

 enhance the excellent partnerships with other settings to further prepare children for their move to school.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching and the impact this has on children's learning and development.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the provider.  The inspector viewed a range of documentation, including suitability checks and children's records.  The inspector spoke to parents and children to gain their views and thoughts.  The inspector held a meeting with the provider.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

The provider has excellent staff monitoring processes. For example, she observes their practice, provides highly purposeful support meetings and identifies relevant training. Staff observe and discuss each other's practice. This helps develop their knowledge and skills even further. The provider oversees children's progress exceptionally well to help target any areas for development. The provider and staff work extremely closely with other professionals to support children's needs. They recognise the need to make more of opportunities to work with other settings children attend to further support their move to school. Safeguarding is effective. Staff have an excellent knowledge and highly secure understanding of how to keep children safe from harm.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff have an excellent understanding of how to support children's learning and development. They use a range of thought-provoking questions to challenge and take children's learning further. Staff are highly competent as they support children to build on their communication and language skills. For example, they use sign language and visual cards to converse with them. Children respond exceptionally well and spontaneously sign back to them. Staff perceptively use children's interests and imaginary ideas to sustain their attention and develop their learning further. For example, they play 'what's in the box' and pretend they have a giant crab. Staff ask the children if the crab wants to smell the items in the box with them and they warn other staff to be careful. Staff are highly effective in supporting children's mathematical development. For example, they ask children to measure items, compare sizes, and ask if a bag is full or empty.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Staff enthusiastically welcome children into the setting and quickly engage them in the exciting and varied range of exceptional activities. For example, children make 'potions' in the garden with different sensory plants, dance to music with streamers, record their voices on electronic equipment and use handheld consoles. Staff are exceptionally responsive to children's individual needs and emotional well-being. For example, they swiftly notice when children need extra care and attention and alert their colleagues to assist. Children very quickly settle and engage extremely well in their learning. Staff are highly successful in supporting children's physical health, such as when they take them on exciting trips to forests and local parks.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children prepare exceptionally well for the next stage in their learning. They show high levels of concentration, such as when drawing and sticking coloured sand onto paper. Children build their literacy skills extremely well. For example, they look at books with interest and eagerly find resources around them that connect to the story, such as fish in the water tray. They are extremely happy and enjoy their time at the setting. For instance, children hold hands with their friends, smiling and laughing together.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY489888 Local authority Kent Inspection number 1016638 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 25 Number of children on roll 20 Name of registered person Little Explorers Kindergarten Ltd

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 07932 061 880

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reference number

Little Explorers Kindergarten The Hive registered in 2015 and is in Northfleet, Kent. It is one of two settings owned by the same provider. The setting offers care from 9am to midday from Monday to Friday, term time only. There are seven members of staff, five of whom have relevant childcare qualifications from level 3 to level 5. The provider receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The setting operates in line with the Reggio Emilio educational philosophy.

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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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