Mersham Little Stars

Mersham Little Stars Mountbatten Hall, Church Road, Mersham, Kent TN25 6NT

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Inspection date 28 September 2018 Previous inspection date Not applicable

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Not applicable Effectiveness of leadership and management Good 2 Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2 Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2 Outcomes for children Good 2

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The provision is good

n Staff get to know children and their individual personalities well. They visit them at home to get to know them in their familiar surroundings. This helps children settle quickly and happily into their play. Children have a good sense of belonging. n Staff establish positive partnerships with parents and help keep them fully informed in their children's learning, such as they regularly share children's achievements. n The manager and staff effectively monitor the progress of individual and differing groups of children. This enables them to identify any gaps in children's development and provide them with good support to help them catch up in their learning promptly. n Children have good opportunities to develop their imaginations. For example, they enjoy a wide range of role-play activities, as they enjoy pretending to be cats and dogs. n There are good opportunities for all children to develop their mathematical skills to

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The provision is good

support their future learning. For instance, children confidently count as they play. n Staff use the local community to help extend children's learning experiences. For example, they go on regular nature walks in the surrounding village.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

n Staff do not consistently encourage children to be independent and complete tasks themselves to help develop their skills to support their future learning even further. n Staff do not organise changes in routines as effectively as they could to ensure that they keep all children engaged in their learning experiences throughout these times.

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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

n extend children's opportunities to consistently complete tasks with more independence to gain more skills to support their future learning further n review and improve the organisation of changes in routine to help children understand what is happening next and what is expected of them during this learning experience.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

Inspection activities n The inspector observed the staff interacting with children and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The inspector viewed the indoor and outdoor environments. n The inspector looked at written documentation, including evidence of the suitability of all those working at the nursery. n The inspector spoke to the manager, children, parents and staff, and considered their views. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

The manager and staff effectively evaluate their practice. For example, they observe each other teach children and provide helpful advice to support their future performance. They evaluate the day's events and consider how well they maintained the interest of children. This helps staff to motivate children to learn. The manager closely monitors the consistency of care and teaching that staff provide children. For instance, she regularly holds individual meetings with staff and they highlight any training needs. Staff attend a good range of beneficial training. For example, they have learnt about the different ways to support children to develop their interest and skills in mathematics. Safeguarding is effective. The manager and staff have a good knowledge of the safeguarding procedures to follow to help protect children's safety and welfare. Staff help children learn how to remain safe. For example, they recap the rules daily and children confidently remind

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

each other of them, such as walking indoors to avoid tripping.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff establish positive partnerships with other settings that children also attend. For example, they invite them into the pre-school to observe children together and share plans. This helps provide children with a good consistent approach to their shared care and learning. Staff effectively support children to prepare for their eventual move to school. For example, younger children enjoy looking at books and older children recognise simple words. Staff build on children's interests well. For instance, children who enjoy a story about a pirate, go on to make treasure maps and use metal detectors to hunt for buried treasure. Staff support children to develop good speaking and listening skills. For example, they reinforce the correct pronunciation of words respectfully.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children are polite and behave well. Children develop a good understanding of healthy eating. For instance, they harvest their own vegetables, such as carrots, with staff. Children have good opportunities to develop their physical skills. For example, they build and negotiate obstacles with confidence, as they balance and climb on tyres and balancing beams. Children have good opportunities to learn about other people's similarities and differences. For instance, they learn about different religious beliefs.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children of all ages make good progress and gain good skills to support their future learning. For example, they develop good social skills and work well as a team. Children develop good hand-to-eye coordination. They enjoy threading activities and interesting games, such as basketball. Children participate in activities that require good concentration, for example, using hammers to knock golf tees into cardboard.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY538910 Local authority Kent Inspection number 10077022 Type of provision Sessional day care

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Childcare on non-domestic premises Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 30 Name of registered person Packham, Abigail

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 07469 202723

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reference number

Mersham Little Stars registered in 2016. It is located in Mersham, Kent. The setting is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 8.45am to 2.45pm, term time only. It receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The setting employs seven members of staff. Of these, one member of staff holds a relevant early years qualifications at level 2 and six members of staff have a level 3 qualification.

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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.ofsted.gov.uk . 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, 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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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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