Playpen Pre-School

Inspection of Playpen Pre-School Playpen Pre-School, Meopham County Primary School, Wrotham Road, Meopham, GRAVESEND, Kent DA13 0JW

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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 create a welcoming environment where all children are valued and respected. There is a strong sense of a close and supportive community. Staff work in partnership with parents and gather information about children's prior learning and interests effectively to help them settle. For example, staff provide a range of activities both indoors and outdoors, including a sensory dough area and a construction table, that meet children's individual interests. Staff work with other professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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The provision is good

Children are happy, settled and confident. They laugh and giggle as they chase each other in the playground. Children are developing self-care skills and independence as they butter their own toast, pour their own drinks and put on their own coats to go outside. The key-person system contributes successfully to children's sense of belonging. Children are extremely polite and have very good manners.

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The provision is good

The management and staff have high expectations of all children who attend and value children's ideas. Children's language skills are extremely well fostered through stories, nursery rhymes and role play. For example, during the shop role- play activity, children talk about shopping trolleys, credit cards, dollars, pounds, being shopkeepers and going shopping.

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need to do better?

n Children's behaviour is extremely well fostered. They sit harmoniously together at lunchtime and talk about what they have in their packed lunches, demonstrating great knowledge of healthy eating. For example, children tell each other that cheese and raisins are good for you and that if you eat carrots 'you can see better in the dark'. They talk about their parents going shopping and coming back to pick them up. n Children are friendly and caring. They develop positive relationships with staff and are making relationships with their peers. Staff know children and their families well and make accurate assessments of children's progress. Children's next steps in learning are shared with parents. This encourages parents to participate in their children's development at home. n Staff are extremely good role models in encouraging good table manners and polite language. They treat children respectfully and encourage children to

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need to do better?

understand and talk about their feelings. Children are aware of the boundaries set and of behavioural expectations at the pre-school. n The management consults with staff, parents and children as part of the self- evaluation. This information is used to identify what can be improved. For example, at the last consultation it was identified that the garden needed a new

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need to do better?

9 January 2020 slide to enhance children's physical development. Children make great use of their new slide and relish climbing, sliding down and jumping. n Management and staff have high regard for working in partnership with parents. Parents comment on how committed and supportive staff are. Staff include parents in every stage to support their children's learning. For example, parents have access to books that they can take home to read with their children. This supports children's early literacy skills. n Children are confident, active learners. They use scissors with great control and work together to cut out various shapes, use different colour glues and stick the shapes on a card to make different-coloured patterns. However, at times, some staff members do not extend children's learning further. n The management and staff work in partnership with other professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They use this

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need to do better?

information to plan and support children's individual development. For example, children who are developing their speech and language skills explore the areas of the mouth that help with speaking and practise making sounds. n Staff deliver a range of activities that are stimulating and enhance children's learning. For example, children learn about trucks, cars, aeroplanes and the big red bus. Staff support children's mathematical development well as they talk about the smallest, the biggest, the fastest and the slowest. Children count objects to 10 and shout out accurately the numbers they see on the balloons around them. Some staff members, however, do not always allow time for children to think, respond and solve problems.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff know the procedures to follow should they have any concerns about a child's welfare. The management and staff ensure that their knowledge is up to date by completing online safeguarding training. There are clear procedures to follow if allegations are made against members of staff. Staff understand current legislation such as the 'Prevent' duty guidance. Children are well supervised as they move between indoor and outdoor environments. Daily risk assessments are in place to ensure children's safety.

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should:

n use more open-ended questions to allow children to think and respond n enhance teaching skills to make better use of opportunities to extend children's learning further.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY348751 Local authority Kent Inspection number 10128727 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 to 5 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 56 Name of registered person Playpen Preschool Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01474 815 403 Date of previous inspection 1 October 2015

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Information about this early years setting

Playpen Pre-School registered in 2003 and is situated in Meopham, Kent. The pre- school opens from 8.45am until 3.15pm on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, and from 8.45am to 12.45pm on Wednesdays and Fridays, during term time only. It is funded for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The pre-school employs nine members of staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector completed a learning walk with the two managers around the premises, spoke to staff and observed the quality of teaching and the impact this has on children's learning n The inspector took into consideration the views of parents dropping off their children at the nursery. n One of the managers and the inspector carried out a joint observation. n The inspector observed staff and children and talked to them about their activities. n The inspector sampled a variety of documents, including suitability checks and first-aid certificates. n The management and the inspector discussed the leadership and management of the pre-school.

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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

9 January 2020 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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