Kids 1st - Low Fell

Inspection of Kids 1st - Low Fell 2 Telford Close, Saltwell Business Park, Joicey Road, GATESHEAD, Tyne and Wear NE9 5AT

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

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

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The provision is outstanding

Staff motivate children through a highly stimulating environment that helps to spark their curiosity. Children learn and explore with great enthusiasm. Staff plan an excellent range of experiences to help support children's learning and understanding of the wider world. Children share wonderful experiences and demonstrate superb imaginative skills. For example, they pretend to fly a space rocket to visit other planets in the universe. Children are incredibly motivated to speak and share their creative ideas and new knowledge.

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The provision is outstanding

Staff prioritise children's early communication and language skills. They use exemplary questioning techniques. Staff provide exceptional beneficial support for younger children and help them to develop their conversation skills. Children have a strong voice in their learning, with their views regularly sought and valued. They learn about making decisions and to respect the choices of others. For example, they develop an excellent understanding that a decision is reached for the chosen book to be read during a story session through a majority vote. Children form exceptionally close bonds with staff, who are nurturing and skilful practitioners. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported extremely well. Staff have established highly effective partnership working with other professionals.

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need to do better?

n Staff understand the importance of children's home lives and experiences. Parents are highly involved in sharing information about aspects of their children's learning. Staff have an excellent knowledge of what children already know and can do. They effortlessly follow children's emerging interests and support them to meet their full potential. n Partnership working with parents is a significant strength of the setting. Parents are highly valued. They play a significant role, with their ideas being sought using extensive approaches. For example, parent voting and idea sharing stations help to gather parents' opinions. This provides parents with opportunities to form a strong part in the planning and evaluation of the setting. Parents and carers are welcomed into the setting for regular play sessions. n Children's behaviour is exemplary. They learn to accept one another's ideas and to listen as they learn together. Children show exceptionally high levels of

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need to do better?

respect for one another. They thrive on the positive praise and encouragement from staff as they reinforce children's positive and cooperative behaviour. n Children are offered remarkable opportunities to solve problems, experiment, discover and explore. They demonstrate exceptional critical thinking when trying to solve problems. Staff subtly join in with children's exploratory play. Children think of creative ways to use different resources. Staff interact with children and

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need to do better?

8 January 2020 help to challenge their thinking and develop their problem-solving abilities. n The staff team has an extremely sharp focus on encouraging children to develop self-sufficiency skills. For example, children are especially keen to care for and keep their play environment safe. They eagerly offer to use child-sized brushes on the floor to clear up any mess. n Children's learning experiences are enhanced exceptionally well through an extensive range of visits into the local community. For example, children have visited museums, libraries, local parks, art galleries, and the local shops, where they bought fresh produce for their meals and role play. n Leaders and staff have an uncompromising commitment to achieving high- quality care and learning for children. They review and evaluate the quality of their provision extensively. For example, the manager's exceptionally strong monitoring of planned activities helps to identify any gaps in children's learning.

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need to do better?

These are quickly addressed to ensure high levels of achievement for every child. n Leaders target staff's professional development with extensive training opportunities. For example, staff have used new learning to focus on experiences to support children's mental health and emotional well-being. Children take part in initiatives, such as anti-bullying week, to challenge stereotypical behaviours and help them to develop considerable respect and empathy for others. n Leaders place a high emphasis on supporting staff's emotional well-being. The staff are supported extraordinarily well. For example, they receive regular supervisions, high-quality mentoring and access to counselling services. Staff know that they are highly valued.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff and leaders know and understand the indicators that may suggest a child is at risk of harm. They have in-depth knowledge of how to report concerns about a child's welfare. The provider continually reviews and updates policies and procedures in line with changes to safeguarding guidance. Staff access regular training, including on the wider issues of child protection. Leaders share updates to policy with staff and check staff's full understanding. The provider has rigorous recruitment and induction procedures to help ensure the continued suitability of staff. New staff complete a robust induction process to help ensure that they thoroughly understand their responsibilities.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY439477 Local authority Gateshead Inspection number 10131622 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 4 Total number of places 108 Number of children on roll 195 Name of registered person Kids First Day Nurseries Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 0191 4910066 Date of previous inspection 15 April 2016

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Information about this early years setting

Kids 1st - Low Fell registered in 2012. The nursery employs 39 members of childcare staff. Of these, 32 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and above, including two with early years professional status or qualified teacher status. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector completed a learning walk with the manager and held discussions about the early years provision and meeting children's needs. n A joint observation of staff's teaching practice was carried out and the inspector took account of the manager's evaluations. n The inspector held discussions with staff, children and parents at appropriate times during the inspection. n The inspector looked at a sample of the nursery's documentation. This included suitability checks on staff and safeguarding policies. n A meeting was held between the inspector, the manager and the regional director to discuss leadership and management arrangements. n During the learning walk with the manager, the inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.

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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

8 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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