Littlebourne Ladybirds Pre-School

Inspection of Littlebourne Ladybirds Pre-School School Grounds, Church Road, Littlebourne, CANTERBURY, Kent CT3 1XS

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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The provision is good

Children are happy, confident and motivated learners. They generally behave well and are gaining a good understanding of sharing and taking turns. Staff build on children's confidence and sense of belonging well. For example, they constantly praise children for their achievements. Staff form strong bonds with them and their families. This leads to a warm and nurturing environment, felt throughout the whole setting. Staff work closely with parents to ensure that children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make a strong start to their learning.

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The provision is good

Staff place a strong focus on developing children's communication and language skills. For instance, they talk constantly to the children and model new language. They emphasise key words within their interactions to enhance children's understanding and speaking skills. Staff use pictures to help children make choices and understand routines.

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The provision is good

Children develop good physical well-being. For example, they enjoy growing their own healthy produce, such as tomatoes and strawberries, at the pre-school allotment. Children delight in collecting the eggs from the pre-school's chickens as they learn about the life cycle of a hen. They enjoy physical challenges, particularly in the exciting pre-school garden.

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need to do better?

n The manager and staff get to know children's abilities and interests and plan activities that they enjoy. Staff regularly check how children are progressing to help them know how to further support their learning. Staff create an interesting environment with a good mix of child-led and adult-guided play. However, at times, staff do not use opportunities to test out and challenge children's thinking skills as effectively as possible. n The manager and staff use funding effectively and work in good partnership with other professionals when children need extra help. Parents speak very highly of this support, which enables their children to make good progress in their learning and development. n The manager and staff evaluate their practice together effectively. For instance, they regularly discuss how well the day's events and the environment interested children to learn. Staff use their findings to support their future activity plans as

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need to do better?

well as enhancements required to effectively meet the children's learning needs. This helps keep children engaged and motivated in their learning experiences. The manager and staff are keen to keep up to date with new early years information and build on their skills and knowledge even further. They attend beneficial training. For example, they have learned about the different strategies

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need to do better?

16 October 2019 to support children in their communication and language skills. n The staff team has a good understanding of how to help children move on in their learning. Staff skilfully adapt activities for children of different ages. For example, during a story time activity, staff encourage younger children to engage in discussion about what is happening in the book and recall events that happen throughout the story. They challenge older children effectively to explore familiar letter sounds at the beginning of some words within the book. This helps to enhance children's early literacy skills. However, staff do not always make effective use of opportunities to extend children's understanding of mathematical concepts, such as counting or size. n Staff encourage children to chop fruit and pour their own drinks during cooking activities and snack time. Children also wash their dishes afterwards. Children

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need to do better?

make choices and direct their own play and learning. This helps to support their growing independence and gives them confidence in their own abilities. Children learn to care for the world around them and have a good understanding of how to recycle their rubbish and why. Children independently select the correct bins for their litter throughout their day in pre-school. n Children develop a good understanding of diversity. For example, they enjoy exploring the environment, which includes positive cultural images and dual language text, including books and role-play resources.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager and staff have a good understanding of how to protect children. They complete safeguarding training to ensure that they have a secure knowledge of the procedures to follow if they identify any concerns about a child's welfare. All staff complete the appropriate recruitment checks to ensure they are suitable to work with children. They are deployed effectively and remain vigilant about children's security. Staff carry out daily checks of the premises and garden to make sure potential risks are minimised.

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should:

n build on staff's use of questioning to help support children's thinking skills and learning further n provide children with more opportunities to develop their understanding and awareness of mathematics.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 127346 Local authority Kent Inspection number 10063869 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care Age range of children 2 to 4 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 34 Name of registered person Littlebourne Ladybirds Playgroup

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reference number

Telephone number 01227 728 388 Date of previous inspection 6 January 2016

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Information about this early years setting

Littlebourne Ladybirds Pre-School registered in 1996 and operates in the grounds of Littlebourne Primary School, in the village of Littlebourne, Kent. It is open during term time only, each weekday from 8.30am to 3pm. The pre-school employs 10 members of staff; of these one holds a foundation degree and six have early years qualifications at level 3. The pre-school receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years.

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Inspection activities

n The provider showed the inspector around the setting and discussed the aims of the pre-school. n The inspector talked to parents, staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n A variety of documents, including qualifications, first-aid certificates, policies and records, were reviewed. n The inspector discussed leadership and management with the manager and provided feedback regarding the inspection.

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Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection 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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Inspection activities

16 October 2019 regulates and inspects to 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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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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