Saplings

Inspection of Saplings Court Lane, Hadlow, Tonbridge, Kent TN11 0DU

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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 Not applicable

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The provision is good

Children have close relationships with staff and feel secure and confident in the nursery. Babies enjoy reassuring cuddles and happily separate from staff to play alongside their peers. Children, in the main, are constantly engaged and receive positive interaction from staff. Staff provide an enjoyable and stimulating environment for children, who play confidently with their friends. Children show increasing confidence to explore and experiment through play. They thoroughly enjoy taking up the challenge from staff to extend their thinking and abilities. However, during some routine activities, such as lunchtime, some children are not always actively engaged in learning opportunities to fully support their learning.

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The provision is good

Children learn how to keep themselves safe. On a cold, icy day, children explore the garden, but are cautious where it is slippery. They are curious to explore the ice, questioning what the salt on the floor is for. Children have confident self-help skills. Babies put tissues in the bin after wiping their noses, toddlers are quick to wash their hands before lunchtime, and older children show determination to put on their coats and boots to play outside.

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The provision is good

Leaders and staff are committed to making continuous improvements through ongoing training, research and working in collaboration with other settings.

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need to do better?

n Children confidently use different forms of communication to express their needs. Babies babble replies to staff's questions using simple, single words and gestures to vocalise their feelings. Toddlers use simple conversation skills, listening to each other and responding in turn to share their ideas. Older children use complex language, question each other's ideas and discuss their findings. Children celebrate each other's ideas with cheers, praise and claps, showing an appreciation for other's successes. n Children thoroughly enjoy exploring natural materials. They explore the dough, stretching it, rolling it and making recognisable figures. They scrutinise the ice outside, looking at bubbles that have formed and how water squirts up through holes they have made in the ice. They explore how ice cracks and breaks when they put pressure on it. n Babies explore sounds and songs to encourage their social play, listening skills

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need to do better?

and physical movement. They vocalise what songs they want with simple sounds, join in with movements and shake instruments. This results in laughter and big smiles from staff and babies to support their self-esteem. n Staff have effective partnerships with parents and other professionals. They provide a consistent approach to supporting children's ongoing welfare and learning. They go the extra mile to support parents outside the setting by

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need to do better?

4 December 2019 accompanying them to visit other professionals, to help meet children's additional needs. Staff give parents ideas to help them engage in their children's learning at home. n Staff provide children with challenges through play that is effectively adult-led and child-initiated. They encourage children to work as a team, to question, problem-solve and think critically about their play. For example, during cooking activities, children question what each ingredient is for. They break eggs themselves and talk about where eggs come from. However, during some routine activities, such as lunchtime, children do not always experience the same positive engagement from staff as they do during their play. n Leaders use additional funding effectively to give children opportunities to explore streams and nature trails, experience lambing, pick pumpkins, visit the library and go shopping. This helps to support children's life skills and the

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need to do better?

exploration of local facilities. n In the main, staff recognise children's achievements and plan their next steps appropriately. Staff provide a wealth of resources, indoors and outdoors, to help children move on to their next stage of their learning. However, staff do not always reflect on children's learning and achievement as well as possible, to help them determine how to plan what children need to learn next. n Leaders are actively involved in children's play while observing staff's performance. This helps them to plan for individual staff's ongoing professional development.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have a clear knowledge of the procedures to follow if they have a concern about a child in their care. Leaders ensure staff have access to up-to-date information. Leaders assess staff's ongoing suitability through regular discussions, checks and training. Safety checks are constantly evaluated to make sure they are always effective. For example, following recent evacuation procedures, changes have been made to make sure the fire alarm can be heard throughout the setting. Thorough risk assessments are implemented to extend children's experiences, such as safely transporting children on outings.

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should:

n enhance the social experiences and engagement from staff for all children during routine parts of the day, to help fully support their learning n use observations of children's achievements more effectively and more accurately to fully support how individual children learn best.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY551872 Local authority Kent Inspection number 10130839 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 to 11 Total number of places 50 Number of children on roll 54 Name of registered person Hadlow College Governing Body

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reference number

Telephone number 01732 853225 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Saplings registered in 2017. The nursery is owned by Hadlow College. It is situated in the village of Hadlow, near Tonbridge, Kent. The nursery operates Monday to Friday, 7.45am until 6pm, 50 weeks a year. The nursery employs 16 staff, of whom 11 are qualified to level 3. One member of staff holds early years teacher status. The nursery provides funded early years places for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector observed children's play and staff's practice in all three rooms and the outside play areas. n The inspector completed a learning walk in all the areas of the nursery to understand how the early years provision and the curriculum is organised. n A joint observation was carried out by the inspector and leaders. n A meeting was held between the inspector, manager and deputy of the nursery. n The inspector looked at a sample of documentation. This included evidence of children's records and staff suitability and training.

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Inspection activities

4 December 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

4 December 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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