Maycroft Junior School

The Rocking Horse Montessori Kindergarten 8 Lansdowne Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 2NJ

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Inspection date 7 June 2019 Previous inspection date 7 May 2015

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 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 manager and staff monitor and track children's individual and specific group progress extremely well. This enables them to rapidly identify any gaps and provide outstanding support for children of all ages and abilities to exceed their learning expectations. n Children have amazing opportunities to learn about the world around them and explore and investigate. Children learn about recycling and how to help the environment. They research 'under the sea' and explore water play, where they remove plastic out of the water 'that will kill the fish and pollute the ocean'. n All children are exceptionally confident to communicate their ideas. For instance, they are extremely enthusiastic when using visual props to create their own tales: they share with their friends with great excitement and pride. n Staff establish extremely positive partnerships with parents and keep them incredibly well informed in their children's learning. For example, they routinely share children's

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This provision is outstanding

learning experiences and regular training with them, such as inviting parents in to learn about the importance of keeping their children and themselves safe while using the internet. n Staff get to know children's individual personalities and interests exceptionally well. They establish incredibly secure and trusting relationships with them. Children have outstanding levels of positive well-being, self-respect and self-worth. n Children are extremely independent. They have an active role in adding to the activity plans and risk assessing the setting. They choose their own play with exceptional confidence.

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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 strengthen the already very good opportunities children have, to develop their skills and interest in technology even further.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

n The inspector observed staff interacting with children. n The inspector viewed the indoor and outdoor environments that children use. n The inspector looked at written documentation, including a sample of the policies and procedures, risk assessments and staff training records. n The inspector spoke to children, parents and staff, and took their views into consideration.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

The manager and staff evaluate their practice to an exceptional standard. For example, they observe each other teach and interact with children daily, setting extremely purposeful and challenging targets. This helps staff to ensure that they continue to provide children with outstanding learning opportunities. The manager closely monitors the consistency of care and teaching that staff provide for children. Staff implement new 'challenges of the week' for children and this helps keep children fascinated to learn and problem solve with exceptional confidence. The manager identifies a need to enhance children's interest and skills in technology even further. Safeguarding is effective. The manager and staff have an incredibly good knowledge and understanding of the safeguarding policies to help protect children's safety and welfare. Children learn how to keep themselves safe and are enthralled in activities that require excellent levels of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

maturity. For example, they learn about how to be safe around water during regular 'splash days' with paddling-pool activities.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff help prepare children to manage the eventual move on to school extraordinarily well. Children read and write simple sentences with extreme levels of confidence. Older children can differentiate between capital letters and lower case and all can recognise and write both their first and surnames. Staff build astonishingly good partnerships with staff at other settings children also attend, to provide them with an outstandingly positive approach to their shared care and learning. For instance, they observe children and make next steps in their learning together. Staff expertly extend children's interests in amazingly interesting ways. For instance, children who are fascinated about planes, go on to enjoy a visit from a pilot.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Staff are inspirational role models. Children are extremely polite, and their behaviour is impeccable. Children have outstanding opportunities to challenge their physical skills. For example, they have regular cricket, tennis and gymnastic lessons and learn skills, such as how to safely do a forward roll. Children have incredibly good opportunities to develop a good understanding of healthy eating. For instance, they are enthusiastic to make extremely interesting produce, such as vegetable soup, and spinach and watermelon lollies. Children gain outstanding respect and understanding for other people's similarities and differences. For instance, all children have regular language lessons and learn different words, such as 'hello' in French and Mandarin.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

All children make outstanding progress. Children explore more complicated ideas, such as still-life drawings. All children learn about different artists such as Pablo Picasso. They also learn about different types of music and rhythm. They are enthralled in listening too and playing notes on the piano, cello, trumpet and violin. Children have outstanding opportunities to develop their mathematical skills and learn more complicated ideas such as estimation and volume.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 127502 Local authority Kent Inspection number 10104233 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 2 - 4 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 37 Name of registered person O'Brien, Linda

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 7 May 2015 Telephone number 01892 532704

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reference number

The Rocking Horse Montessori Kindergarten registered in 1989. It is located in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. The setting is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8.30am to 1.30pm and on Wednesday from 8.30am to 4pm, term time only. The provider receives funding to provide free early education for children aged three and four years. the setting employs 7 members of staff, of which 5 members of staff hold level 3 qualifications or above. This includes one member of staff who holds a level 4 and two members of staff who have an early years degree at level 6.

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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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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 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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reference number

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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