Blundellsands Kindergarten

Inspection of Blundellsands Kindergarten 1 Blundellsands Road West, Liverpool, Merseyside L23 6TF

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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

Children are safe and happy in the welcoming kindergarten. They smile broadly as they are warmly greeted by staff on arrival. Children exercise their independence skills by hanging up their coats and finding the right spot to store their shoes. They are kind and courteous. Children respond well to the clear routines and boundaries in place. This is supported by the nurturing and calming nature of all staff. There is a strong focus on supporting children to develop their self-awareness. Children enjoy daily yoga and meditation sessions, which helps them relax and learn how to regulate their emotions.

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The provision is good

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who receive funding are supported extremely well. Leaders and staff use their strong partnerships with parents, alongside careful observation and assessment, to identify gaps in children's learning swiftly. They use their good knowledge of children to seek out support from other professionals and put interventions in place quickly for children when required. This helps all children to make good progress. Since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began, staff have put additional health and safety measures in place. Alongside increasing cleaning and handwashing practices, staff use imaginative ways to teach children about germs. They use books to show children what germs look like and discuss what they can do to make them disappear. This helps children to understand how they can help reduce the spread of germs.

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need to do better?

n Staff encourage children to eat healthily and engage in regular physical exercise. They use local health initiatives to promote the importance of healthy lifestyles. Additionally, staff send information home to parents to support healthy food choices. They encourage children to select the healthier options in their lunch boxes. This supports children to understand how to make healthy life choices. n Children are curious and eager to speak to visitors. They proudly show off their budding gymnastics skills. Staff praise children for their enthusiasm and confidence. However, at times, staff do not organise group time effectively to support the quietest children. This limits the ability of these children to express their views and further support their self-esteem and talking skills. n Children are gaining a good understanding of mathematical concepts. Older children use positional language and demonstrate an understanding of full and

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need to do better?

empty as they play with containers at the water tray. Younger children begin to learn about size and growth as they observe how a bubble starts small and grows bigger and bigger. n Staff support children's early literacy skills well. Children independently access books, both indoors and outside. Older children use pictures and their emerging

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need to do better?

14 July 2021 knowledge of letters and sounds to tell stories. Younger children listen attentively as staff animate their voices and use props to hold their engagement as they read. n Children are well prepared for the next stage of learning. Staff talk to children about their upcoming move to school. They discuss the different uniforms children will be wearing and the names of their new teachers. Leaders invite school teachers to visit the kindergarten and provide them with a summary of children's progress. This helps to support smooth transitions for all children. n Leaders pride themselves on using the local community and nature to inspire children's curiosity. Children go on outings to the local beach and train station to learn about where they live. Leaders talk to parents about family customs and traditions and use this information to teach children about similarities and differences. This helps children to gain a wider view of the world.

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need to do better?

n Children enjoy a well-thought-out curriculum. However, during transition times, such as mealtimes, staff deployment is not organised consistently well. This means that children who finish their meals early are not involved in purposeful play as they wait for their friends to finish. n Parents are eager to share their positive experiences of the kindergarten. They describe how staff and leaders help their children make the best start to their early education.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff stay up to date with safeguarding training. Staff demonstrate a secure understanding of how to identify if a child is at risk from harm or abuse. They follow procedures when recording accidents, including any pre-existing injuries. Staff are aware of possible signs which might indicate that a child or their family are vulnerable to extreme views or ideas. They are familiar with safeguarding procedures for reporting allegations. The manager ensures that recruitment procedures are robust and that staff are suitable to work with children.

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should:

n review the organisation of group times to ensure all children, including the more quiet children, are able to fully engage and develop their talking, listening and attention skills n improve deployment of staff to ensure that children are engaged in purposeful play at all times.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 310399 Local authority Sefton Inspection number 10197928 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 55

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Name of registered person

Blundellsands Kindergarten Playgroup Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 0151 924 7795 Date of previous inspection 9 December 2015

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Information about this early years setting

Blundellsands Kindergarten registered in 1996. The kindergarten employs six members of childcare staff. The manager holds qualified teacher status and early years professional status. The kindergarten opens from Monday to Friday during term time only. Sessions are from 8am until 3.15pm. The kindergarten provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the setting received since the 2020-21 COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the setting and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the setting. n An adult-led activity was observed and evaluated by the inspector and the manager. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk to gain an overview of how the curriculum is organised. n The inspector spoke to parents and took account of their views during the inspection. n The inspector spoke to children at appropriate times throughout the inspection. n The inspector held discussions with the leadership team and staff. She looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working at the setting. n Interactions between staff and children were observed and assessed by the inspector.

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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

14 July 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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