Playaway Preschool

Inspection of Playaway Preschool Cage Green CP School, Cage Green Road, Tonbridge, Kent TN10 4PT

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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 confident, happy and settled at the pre-school. They engage in challenging and interesting activities that staff plan for them. Staff have high expectations of what children can achieve. Children are excited to create their own interesting models. For example, they put sticks into play dough and share with friends, saying 'look a hedgehog'. Children follow the rules and know what is expected of them. They behave well and are polite. Children have good social skills and are kind and caring. They help each other complete tasks. For example, they find their friends another truck similar to their own so that they can join in their game.

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The provision is good

Children learn about the importance of healthy lifestyles. They follow good hygiene routines and talk about healthy choices at snack time. Children develop good physical skills. They climb and balance on equipment safely, such as balancing beams and climbing frames. Children develop a good understanding of the similarities and differences of people within the setting, and the wider community. For example, they learn about the festival of Diwali as they make Diva candle holders. Staff use additional funding effectively to meet the individual learning needs of children. For example, they have purchased resources to provide a calm area for children to engage in quieter activities.

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need to do better?

n Staff know individual children well, including their personalities and their likes and dislikes. This helps staff to plan activities that they know will motivate children to learn. Staff establish secure and trusting relationships with children, and this helps children settle quickly into the setting. Children have a good sense of belonging and positive levels of well-being and self-esteem. They enjoy the company of staff. Overall, all children are engaged and interested in their learning opportunities. n The manager and staff establish positive partnerships with parents and keep them involved in and informed about their children's learning and progress. For example, staff share information about their child's day and their achievements at the end of every day. Staff share resources with parents to enjoy at home together with their child. This includes their child's favourite story books. n The manager closely monitors the good quality of care and teaching staff

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need to do better?

provide. She routinely observes staff interacting with children and provides them with helpful feedback to support their future performance. Staff attend regular training. They have made good use of recent training to develop their understanding of the different ways that children learn. n Staff support children to develop good communication skills. Children communicate with confidence and share their thoughts and ideas as they play.

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need to do better?

15 October 2021 Staff support children to learn new words. For example, during a vet role play activity, children learn the meaning of the word 'stethoscope'. n Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities effectively. Staff liaise closely with outside agencies, such as speech and language therapists, to share ideas and strategies to help children make good progress. For example, they use pictures alongside spoken words. n Staff use some effective ways to communicate with other professionals involved in children's learning, such as childminders. For example, they are happy to speak to them about the children's day. However, staff do not consistently communicate and strengthen the already good partnerships with them. They do not provide a stronger consistency to the children's care and learning experiences. For example, routinely sharing children's progress and next steps in

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need to do better?

learning. n The manager and staff highlighted that there were less opportunities for children to develop their mathematical skills. As a result, staff have implemented more mathematical experiences. Children gain skills to support their future learning. For example, they use language, such as halves and quarters, as they play. n Overall, all children are engaged and interested in their learning opportunities. Children are generally very confident and independent. However, at times, staff are not quick to identify where they should be to ensure children benefit from adult interaction. On occasion, they are not always aware of when it would be appropriate to support children learning in a different part of the setting.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager and staff have a good knowledge and understanding of safeguarding and child protection. They know how to raise and follow up potential concerns. Staff complete detailed risk assessments to help keep children safe. This includes practice to minimise the risk of COVID-19. For example, they have a thorough health and hygiene routines in place. Staff risk assess the use of resources to ensure that they are safe, such as outdoor play equipment. They know what to do in the event of an accident. This includes administering first aid if the need arises.

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should:

n provide guidance for staff to be more vigilant about where they need to be deployed, to ensure the consistently benefit all children with their high-quality interactions n strengthen partnerships and communication with professionals at other settings that children also attend and help children to make good links between the two settings.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY557921 Local authority Kent Inspection number 10190277 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 30 Number of children on roll 30 Name of registered person Barnes, Marian Dawn

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reference number

Telephone number 07833132302 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Playaway Preschool registered in 2018 and is located in Tonbridge, Kent. The setting is open Monday, Tuesday and Friday from 9am until 2pm, Wednesday from 9am to midday and Thursday from 9am to 1pm, during term time only. It receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The setting employs five members of staff, all of whom hold relevant early years qualifications at level 2 and above. This includes one member of staff who has a qualification at level 4.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the setting has received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the setting 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 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 an imaginative play 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

15 October 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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