Kaleidoscope Childcare

Inspection of Kaleidoscope Childcare Kaleidoscope Childcare, Roman Road, Aldington, Ashford, Kent TN25 7EE

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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 are happy and settled at the setting. They are confident, resilient and have patience as they eagerly engage in challenging activities that staff carefully plan for them. For example, children became engrossed in trying to find new ways of rolling a ball down a pipe and into the bucket at the bottom. Children build meaningful friendships and enjoy each other's company. They happily include others in their play and listen to each other's ideas. For instance, children suggested that they try to use water to push the ball down the pipe and they trial this idea with success. They are independent and choose their play with confidence. Children learn about the importance of healthy eating. They grow produce, such as strawberries and tomatoes, which they prepare and eat at mealtimes. Children of all ages develop good physical skills. For example, they learn about the different ways that they can move their bodies in yoga activities.

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The provision is good

Staff use additional funding effectively to meet the individual learning needs of children. For example, they have purchased a subscription for a resource company to borrow equipment that encourages children to take turns, such as a large-group water play game.

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need to do better?

n Staff know each child well and plan activities that help them make good progress. They provide a good range of resources and experiences to encourage children to experiment and learn. Staff have secure and trusting relationships with children and this helps them settle quickly into the setting. Children have a good sense of belonging and positive levels of well-being and self-esteem. Overall, they engage well in their learning experiences. However, at times, staff are not quick to identify children who would benefit from adult interaction. Children are generally very independent and confident. However, staff are not always aware when it would be appropriate to step in to support a child to choose or join in with an activity. n The manager and staff build and maintain positive partnerships with parents. They keep parents well involved and informed in their children's learning and progress. For example, staff share information about the children's day and what

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need to do better?

they achieve. They share useful information to support parents, such as toileting tips. Due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, parents do not currently enter the building to collect their children. However, this has no negative impact on the good-quality communication parents receive and they speak highly of the staff. n Staff support children to develop a good understanding of the similarities and differences of people within the setting and in the wider community. They teach children about traditions of other countries. For example, children learn simple Polish words and try Polish foods.

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need to do better?

23 June 2021 n The manager closely monitors the good quality of education and care that staff provide. She routinely observes staff teaching children and provides them with helpful feedback to support their practice. Staff attend regular and beneficial training. They have made good use of recent training to develop children's resilience and emotional well-being. n All staff support children to develop good communication skills. They play communication games with children to encourage them to learn new words and discuss what they can see. For instance, they use homemade picture cards and play their own version of the card game 'snap'. n Staff support all children effectively, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff liaise closely with speech and language therapists to support children who have a speech and language delay. They share ideas and strategies to help children reach their full potential, such as using pictures

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need to do better?

alongside spoken words. n Overall, children behave well and staff support them to develop good social skills, for example encouraging them to say 'please' and 'thank you'. Staff recognise and praise good behaviour. However, on rare occasions, staff do not consistently help children to understand the consequences of their behaviour and why they are being asked to stop. For example, when a child throws an object, they are simply told 'no' instead of being provided with an explanation.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff have a good knowledge and understanding of safeguarding and child protection. The manager has recently updated the policy on how to deal with any allegations raised against staff, to make the information clearer. This is shared with all staff to make sure that their understanding of what to do if this situation arose is good. Staff complete detailed risk assessments to help keep children safe. This includes practice to minimise the risk of COVID-19. Children have an active role in helping to keep each other safe. They take it in turns to risk assess the room and share any concerns with staff, such as telling them if they identify a trip hazard.

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should:

n monitor behaviour management more closely to make sure children understand why they are being asked to stop certain behaviour n support staff to be more vigilant in recognising when children would benefit from adult interaction to encourage their learning and enjoyment further.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY561565 Local authority Kent Inspection number 10194238 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 32 Number of children on roll 44 Name of registered person Kaleidoscope Childcare (Aldington) CIO

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reference number

Telephone number 01233 721720 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Kaleidoscope Childcare registered in 2018. It is located in Aldington, Kent. The setting is open Monday to Friday from 9am until 3pm, during term time only. It receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The setting employs 12 members of staff, 10 of whom hold relevant early years qualification at level 2 and above. This includes two members of staff who have an early years foundation degree at level 5.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the setting has received since the 2020-21 COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the manager and staff and has taken this into account in their evaluation of the setting. n The inspector carried out a learning walk with the manager. The inspector assessed the impact of the quality of staff interactions and the learning opportunities they provide for children. n The inspector viewed the indoor and outdoor learning environments. n Written documentation was reviewed. This included safeguarding and child protection policies and procedures. n The inspector spoke to the manager, children, parents and staff at convenient times and considered their views. n The manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation on a planned small-group activity, focusing on the development of children's communication skills.

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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

23 June 2021 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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