The Farningham Day Nursery

Inspection of The Farningham Day Nursery 13-14 Eynsford Road, Farningham, Dartford, Kent DA4 0BD

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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 Outstanding

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The provision is good

Staff know children and families well and the parent partnership is strong. Staff follow robust procedures for settling in to ensure that children and parents are happy at the setting. Children are encouraged to bring in photographs of family members or pets to look at during the day to help them settle. They develop good manners and behave extremely well in all rooms in the nursery. Children in Tiggers room look after fish to give them an understanding of the importance of living things and how to care for them. The curriculum is varied and the staff plan activities following children's interests. This ensures that children enjoy learning and make good progress towards their next steps. Children in Roos room learn to join in with songs using sign language, which the staff have recently learned through training. Staff and children have caring and nurturing bonds, which help create smooth transitions between rooms and to school. Children are prepared well

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The provision is good

for their next stage of learning. Staff encourage children to be independent learners. They self-select activities and also take care of their own personal hygiene. For example, children in Piglets and Tiggers brush their teeth after lunch. Children are encouraged to take turns. They wait patiently for the milk to be passed round at snack time and then pour their own. Staff recognise and value the children as individuals. In Tiggers room, good behaviour is celebrated by attaching children's pictures to a recognition board.

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need to do better?

n The manager works closely with parents to ensure that children are provided with a healthy diet. During mealtimes, staff and children talk about the importance of healthy eating. Staff encourage children to try all the different foods. Parents report that children continue asking for favourite dishes even after leaving the setting. n Parents report that they feel valued in the setting and included in their child's learning. They also refer to staff as being kind, caring and nurturing, offering the best possible start to their children. Relationships in Roos room are particularly strong. The staff and parents also enjoy an annual outing in the summer holidays where children and their families are invited. n Staff's well-being is of the utmost importance and the manager ensures that she constantly monitors staff to ensure that they remain healthy and happy. In turn, staff feel valued and able to raise any concerns they may have with the

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need to do better?

manager. n The manager ensures that the staff's continued professional development is supported. She recently signed up to an online resource which provides access to a wide selection of training courses for staff. n Children join in enthusiastically and have positive attitudes to learning. However, sometimes during activities, staff do not explain risks clearly enough, to help

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need to do better?

30 October 2019 develop children's understanding of how to keep themselves safe. n Children are encouraged to develop their independence. For example, in Piglets room children are supported in pouring their own milk at snack time. In Tiggers room, children are encouraged to put on their own coats and wellies to access the outdoor area and manage their own toileting needs. n Parents comment on being able to take the Roo, Piglet and Tigger Adventure toys and books home to share with their children and complete pages of their own adventures. This helps build close links with the nursery. n Most staff support children's learning well overall, such as by asking challenging questions that encourage children to think critically. However, this is not consistent across the setting. At times, some staff do not make full use of opportunities to further extend children's learning and encourage their language skills.

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need to do better?

n Children enjoy reading books both independently and in groups. At story time in both Piglets and Tiggers, children were engaged and staff used intonation in their voice to keep the children interested throughout the story. Children anticipate how popular stories will end. In the Piglets room they enjoyed counting the food that the Hungry Caterpillar had eaten. They talked about how hungry they were too, as it was almost lunchtime.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff and managers give high priority to safeguarding. The manager ensures that all staff have up-to-date knowledge so that they are able to identify the signs of abuse. This helps them to ensure that children remain safe and secure at the setting. They are familiar with whistle-blowing procedures and know who to contact. The manager follows rigorous recruitment procedures to ensure that all staff are suitable for the role. She continues to closely monitor suitability through regular supervisions and appraisals. Staff have a good understanding of internet safety and how to keep children safe online. They share information with parents to ensure that children are kept safe at home as well as in the setting.

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should:

n develop staff's skills further in making the most of opportunities to extend children's learning and support their language development, to ensure children benefit from consistently high-quality teaching n extend support for children to think about and learn to manage risks for themselves.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY311882 Local authority Kent Inspection number 10108609 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care Age range of children 0 to 4 Total number of places 34 Number of children on roll 76 Name of registered person Mitchell, Gillian Anne

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reference number

Telephone number 01322 866880 Date of previous inspection 9 May 2014

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Information about this early years setting

Farningham Day Nursery registered in 2005 and is situated in Farningham, Kent. The nursery is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm for 51 weeks of the year. The setting receives nursery education funding for children aged three and four years. There is a staff team of 17, of whom 16 have recognised early years qualifications.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector spoke to some parents and received written feedback from others. n The inspector went on a learning walk with the deputy manager who explained the setting's practice. n The deputy manager observed staff practice with the inspector and identified ways to improve this. n The inspector spoke to staff and children throughout the inspection at appropriate times. n The inspector discussed children's progress with staff and the next steps in their learning. n The inspector checked staff suitability, qualifications and other relevant documentation.

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Inspection activities

30 October 2019 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

30 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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