The Little Shepherds at The Gatehouse

Inspection of The Little Shepherds at The Gatehouse St. Bartholomew's Church Hall, SEVENOAKS, Kent TN14 5PQ

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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 Requires improvement

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The provision is good

Children are greeted warmly when they arrive at the pre-school. Staff use their thorough knowledge of each child to plan an ambitious curriculum of activities that reflects their interests and offers a good level of challenge. All children, including those with special educational need and/or disabilities (SEND), progress well. Staff skilfully build on children's interest in activities to extend their learning. For example, while playing at the sand tray, a child showed a high level of imagination as they spoke about pirates. The staff member used interesting language to extend the child's vocabulary. When the child decided to hide treasure in the sand, the staff member suggested making a treasure map. This led to some wonderful problem solving and early writing. Activities such as cooking support children's mathematical development, as well as providing good opportunities to master new skills and develop their independence. For example, children confidently measured

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The provision is good

ingredients, cracked eggs and mixed up a batter.

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The provision is good

Children are friendly, polite and behave well. They approach activities with confidence, curiosity and enthusiasm, which prepares them well for their future learning. However, there are so many resources and activities on offer that children often explore these alone or with an adult, rather than choosing to play with their peers.

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need to do better?

n Staff work well as a team, creating a calm, supportive atmosphere. Together, they have successfully improved the quality of the care and education they provide. The manager has effective arrangements to offer ongoing support to staff, including providing training to extend their skills. For example, all staff have attended a course that has helped them to understand how to positively manage children's behaviour. The manager also encourages and supports staff to complete qualifications as part of their professional development. n All staff know the children well and respect them as individuals. They carefully consider the interests, abilities and learning styles of each child when organising the environment and deciding what activities to offer. For example, there is always an activity, such as sand, available for children who enjoy exploring using their senses. Similarly, a child who loves animals was excited to discover a tent

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need to do better?

set out with animal figures and a book full of pictures when they arrived. n The care and education of children with SEND is carefully and successfully coordinated with other relevant professionals. All staff are aware of the learning and developmental goals identified for each child. In addition, they understand the plans in place to support children to achieve these. n Partnership working with parents is effective. Children benefit from observing the friendly exchanges between their parents and the staff. Parents spoken to

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need to do better?

25 February 2020 during the inspection were happy with the care their children receive. n Overall, children display good social skills and play comfortably alongside each other. However, the organisation of activities and the deployment of staff does not actively encourage children to work together and collaborate. This is because there is always an enthusiastic and attentive adult available for them to interact with. While this has the benefit of providing children with a lot of one- to-one teaching, they do not gain as much as possible from group activities. The manager and staff are working to address this issue, but have not successfully identified strategies to use. n Children benefit from the broad range of experiences they enjoy outside of the nursery setting. Regular outings in the local community, including to the library and woodland areas, help to extend their understanding of the world around

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need to do better?

them. Keen to build on children's interest, the manager has recently obtained an allotment to enable them to plant and tend fruit and vegetables.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff demonstrate a secure understanding of the potential signs and symptoms of abuse and regularly attend training to keep their knowledge up to date. The deputy manager takes the lead role in safeguarding children. She has a good understanding of the procedures to follow should concerns arise about the welfare of any child, or in case of an allegation against a member of staff. The arrangements to assess and manage risks have been strengthened and a range of safety precautions are in place. For example, children wear high-visibility jackets when walking in the community and the doors to the hall are locked throughout each session. In addition, daily safety checks are carried out on the premises.

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should:

n consider ways to encourage and support more interaction between children to enrich their learning and enjoyment during group activities.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY548197 Local authority Kent Inspection number 10100062 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Sessional day care Age range of children 2 to 4 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 7 Name of registered person Ramage, Laura Jane

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reference number

Telephone number 07768992193 Date of previous inspection 27 February 2019

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Information about this early years setting

The Little Shepherds at The Gatehouse registered in 2017. It is located in Otford, Kent. The pre-school operates during term times and is open from 9am until midday on Monday to Thursday, and from 9am to 3pm on Friday. The provider receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are four members of staff, of whom two are qualified at level 3 and two are qualified at level 2.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector completed a learning walk with the manager to gain an understanding of the curriculum and organisation of the environment. n The manager and inspector completed a joint observation of an activity and analysed how successful it was. n The inspector spoke with the staff, children and parents at appropriate times during the inspection. n A selection of paperwork was scrutinised, including accident records and staff suitability checks.

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Inspection activities

25 February 2020 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

25 February 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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