Little Fingers Day Nursery

Little Fingers Day Nursery Malt House Farm, Green Street Green Road, Dartford, DA2 8DX

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 6 March 2018 19 February 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

 The management team, led by an ambitious and enthusiastic director, manages a strong and well-qualified staff team. It has clear expectations that it shares effectively with staff. They work well as a team to develop and maintain the good quality of care and teaching standards.  Children establish secure attachments with staff from the start. Staff are sensitive and caring and children are happy and settled in the nursery. They seek and enjoy staff interactions throughout the day. This helps children to develop confidence and self- esteem.  Staff are good teachers. They understand how children learn and have a strong knowledge of children's individual abilities. Staff recognise children's interests and use these to provide experiences which enable them to develop and practise new skills. Children make good progress from their starting points.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 On occasions, staff do not manage mealtimes well. For example, the routine becomes chaotic and staff do not consistently support the care needs of all children.  At times, staff do not fully engage all pre-school children during group activities to extend their 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

 review mealtimes to improve the effectiveness of support for all children's care needs  enhance group activities to help all children to be fully involved and engaged in learning.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed interactions between the staff and children in the inside space and outdoor environment.  The inspector spoke to key people and viewed developmental information regarding children's progress.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager and deputy manager.  The inspector talked to parents and children and considered the views of parents from written feedback.  The inspector viewed a range of documentation, including staff records, monitoring information and policies.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. The manager ensures all staff have an understanding of their role and the processes and procedures to follow in regards to safeguarding. Staff know the children well and are confident in recognising and recording concerns, such as any changes to children's behaviour. The management team monitors staff's practice well. It supports staff effectively to reflect on their skills, gain qualifications and attend courses to develop their knowledge and skills. Staff implement positive changes to practice. For example, knowledge gained from training helped staff to focus more on supporting the developmental needs of the youngest children. The management team welcomes the views of parents, children and other professionals. It uses this information to help it review practice and make relevant changes.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff complete observations of children's play, recognise their achievements and make accurate assessments of their progress. The deputy manager monitors individual children and those within specific groups to ensure that any gaps in learning are quickly recognised and supported further. Staff's positive interactions in children's play help children to practise developing skills. For example, staff enthusiastically support young children to use their sensory skills to explore resources. Children use their feet to feel the pasta and show emerging physical skills as they use brushes to paint their bodies. Staff respond to children's 'babbles' and introduce key words, which young children start to repeat. Staff consistently use simple questions to help older children to think about and start to describe their dough creations. Children use their good mathematical understanding as they talk about the 'longest' and 'smallest' play dough worms.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff maintain a welcoming and stimulating environment. They develop strong relationships with parents. Staff know the families well and regularly share information about children's care and developmental needs. This supports a consistency in children's care and learning. Staff promote children's good health and they enjoy daily outdoor play. The nursery is safe and secure and staff supervise children well. Staff are skilled at letting children freely explore. They provide consistent support and guidance to help them learn to keep themselves safe. For example, staff continually talk to children and show them how to safely climb on the climbing frame. They remind them about simple rules, such as sitting before going down the slide.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children are confident and motivated learners who make good progress. They are practising and developing lifelong skills, such as aspects of independence and self-care. For example, babies begin to feed themselves and start to use spoons with coordination. Older children prepare their own porridge for breakfast and use knives and forks successfully at mealtimes. These skills help to prepare children for their next stage in learning and their move to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY339104 Local authority Kent Inspection number 1085854 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 63 Number of children on roll 88 Name of registered person Little Fingers Day Nursery Ltd

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 19 February 2015 Telephone number 01474 700047

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reference number

Little Fingers Day Nursery registered in August 2006. It is based in Darenth, Kent. The nursery is open for 51 weeks of the year, Monday to Friday from 7am to 6.30pm. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The nursery employs 17 staff. The owner, manager and deputy hold relevant early years qualifications at level 4, and 12 other staff hold relevant childcare qualifications at level 2 or above.

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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

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