Lavender Hall Kindergarten

Lavender Hall Kindergarten The Gattinetts, Hadleigh Road, East Bergholt, COLCHESTER CO7 6QT

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Inspection date 29 March 2019 Previous inspection date 3 September 2015

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Previous inspection: Good 2 Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1 Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1 Outcomes for children Outstanding 1

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This provision is outstanding

n The leadership and management of the setting is exceptional. A particular strength of the nursery is its self-evaluation. The provider and staff are relentless in their pursuit of excellence, building and reflecting upon current practice to achieve an outstanding setting. n Partnership working is superb. Parents receive a wealth of information about the setting, their children's progress and ways to support learning at home. Parents are actively involved, for example, through completing questionnaires which lead to enhancements to the outdoor provision. n Staff undertake exemplary consultation with children, whose views and ideas are central to the provision. This helps children to develop an excellent sense of belonging. For example, children contribute to staff's planning, and discuss resources they would like. n Children thrive in the setting and are exceptionally eager to learn. They are animated,

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This provision is outstanding

enthusiastic and take delight in the rich, varied and imaginative activities. Children show excellent independence, collaboration and communication. n Staff monitor and track the progress of individual children and different groups exceptionally well. This enables them to identify any gaps rapidly. Children make excellent progress from their starting points, which gives them the very best possible chance to succeed. n Staff have excellent partnerships in place with other early settings that children also attend, to gather information on children's learning. This provides exceptional continuity in children's learning and promotes their progress at the highest level. n Teaching is outstanding. Staff are well qualified and use their expert knowledge to reinforce the skills children require for successful learning in primary school and beyond.

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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 continue to build on the excellent standard of teaching to further enhance children's critical thinking skills at the highest level, particularly during the activities that staff and children enjoy together with great enthusiasm.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

Inspection activities n The inspector observed the quality of teaching and learning during activities in the group rooms and the garden, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the senior manager, and looked at children's assessments and planning documentation. n The inspector spoke with children and staff throughout the inspection, when appropriate, and held a meeting with the provider and senior manager. n The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff, the provider's evidence of self-evaluation, and a range of other documentation. n The inspector spoke to parents on the day of the inspection. She also viewed questionnaires completed by parents, and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

Safeguarding is effective. Staff display an excellent understanding of their responsibilities in keeping children safe. The senior management team skilfully monitors staff performance and training needs, to ensure all staff consistently develop their practice to a higher level. Professional development is prioritised. For example, staff complete a wide range of courses and the senior manager uses staff meetings to consistently improve on their skills. They expertly identify any weakness, including continually improving group activities to sustain very high standards of practice. The kindergarten makes excellent use of additional funding, to support all children to make swift progress. Parents speak very highly of the setting. They comment positively about how their children are developing their independence, to support the next stage of their learning.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Children benefit from highly skilled staff with a shared drive to continuously improve teaching, learning and outcomes for children. They know each child extremely well. Staff make excellent use of rigorous ongoing assessments of children's progress to plan activities that help them to rapidly achieve their next steps in learning. Children are inspired by an environment that fully promotes their eagerness to learn through their own curiosity and imagination. For example, babies use their whole bodies in playing with different fabrics and mirrors, to explore and build their tactile and sensory awareness. Children thrive in an environment that they find inspiring. For example, following a visit to a local farm, they explore pretend farm animal objects alongside natural objects such as bark chippings and hay. Staff support children's language development exceptionally well through stories. For instance, older children identify the

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

similarities and differences in the homes of three little pigs. This supports children's learning and development.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

The key-person system is extremely effective and well established. Children display high levels of positive behaviour as they form warm and caring attachments with staff and with their peers. Children embrace opportunities to care for living things, such as the kindergarten's 'Peter Rabbit'. Children enjoy visits in their community, such as to a local farm to learn about different farmyard animals and habitats. Children are supported to develop their self-care skills. For example, the kindergarten has developed a 'toilet-potty basket' which includes different resources to promote and encourage children to become independent in these skills. Staff celebrate children's achievements that take place outside of the setting. For example, they display 'wow' stars to share children's achievements at home.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children are highly motivated and confident communicators, eagerly taking part in a wide range of activities. They begin to recognise shapes, explore weights and measure quantity. They explore making marks with pencils and paints to develop their literacy skills. Children build very good social skills, forming friendships with their peers. They are extremely well prepared for the next stage in learning and their move to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 251765 Local authority Suffolk Inspection number 10066162 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Full day care Age range of children 0 - 12 Total number of places 57 Number of children on roll 110 Name of registered person Lewison, Andrea Clare

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 3 September 2015 Telephone number 01206 299511

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reference number

Lavender Hall Kindergarten registered in 1998 and is privately owned and managed. The kindergarten employs 12 members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at levels 3, 4 or 6. It also employs one finance administrator. The kindergarten opens from Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, all year round. The kindergarten provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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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.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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