Enchanted Wood Preschool 'little Nest'

Inspection of Enchanted Wood Preschool 'little Nest' 4-5 Wellington Parade, Blackfen, Kent DA15 9NB

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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 Not applicable

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The provision is outstanding

Children's emotional well-being is paramount and exceptionally well supported in the specialist provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The staff treat children with tremendous respect and dignity in every interaction that takes place. Children learn to be resilient and show great determination, even when they face challenges. For example, they persevere to communicate their choice of snack using their communication tools. Staff gently and calmly encourage their efforts and provide ongoing feedback and praise throughout each session. They celebrate children's success. This helps develop children's confidence and self-esteem to very high levels. All children are thriving within this extremely happy and fun pre-school. Their communication is successfully encouraged, as they enjoy an extremely rich and varied language environment. Signing, pictorial clues and the highly responsive

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The provision is outstanding

staff team provide opportunities for children to interact effectively. Children express themselves exceptionally well, and their needs are understood through the excellent use of body, sign and verbal language. As children become increasingly confident, staff support them to interact purposefully, encouraging them to think about how they are feeling and using coloured bears to help them to express themselves. As a result, children develop an excellent awareness and understanding of their emotions. Behaviour is exemplary as all children are listened to and understood.

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need to do better?

n The managers clearly explain what they want children to learn. The curriculum is underpinned with a focus on developing language, social and independence skills. Children use visual cues and then move on to the Picture Exchange Communication System to express their wants and needs. Children's interests and previous experiences are taken into account to support learning. For example, a farm activity was set up to support a child's recent visit to the farm. This helps staff plan to support children's interest as well as provide targeted challenges and support for each child. n Staff gather an extensive range of information about children from parents and carefully observe children's abilities and interests from the outset. This enables them to precisely plan for each individual child. An exceptional range of carefully planned activities engage children in discovery and learning. For example, children concentrate extremely well as they build towers using bricks and count

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need to do better?

them. Children take delight in their achievement and eagerly knock them down. n Children's communication and language skills are developed superbly well. Children are supported exceptionally well to use visual cues and picture exchange to communicate. Staff eagerly and skilfully explain to children what is happening around them. For example, staff introduce new vocabulary to children

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need to do better?

11 October 2021 during water play, such as 'splash', as they search for spiders and fill pots. n The pre-school fosters excellent relationships with parents, providing support through the process of an educational healthcare plan pathway and signposting them to specific organisations that can help support parenting ideas. Parents speak very highly of the pre-school and about how their children have become extremely confident and have made outstanding progress. During the COVID-19 pandemic, staff signposted parents to information online to help them know how to provide ongoing support for their children at home. n Staff work well to promote a healthy lifestyle; children are encouraged to make healthy and balanced choices for snack time. They have opportunities for daily exercise as they develop skills and achieve targets to support their physical development. Children enjoy an immense range of outings, such as trips to the

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need to do better?

local park to feed the ducks, weekly forest school sessions, football lessons and baby ballet. n Staff work exceptionally well with other agencies involved in the lives of the children. Any changes for children are extremely well planned and delivered. Staff have recently introduced strategies to support children during transition times within the pre-school. This includes excellent information sharing when children eventually move on to school. n Superb attention is given to continually improving and developing the very best possible practice. The managers and staff team are committed to reflecting on and evaluating what they do. Thorough induction and ongoing mentoring is complemented by regular reviews, staff meetings and supervision meetings. Staff confirm that they feel listened to and very much supported within their work family.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Precise and clear safer recruitment procedures ensure that all staff are and continue to remain suitable to work with children. The manager supports staff and pays excellent attention to the continued development in their knowledge of child protection and wider safeguarding issues, such as the 'Prevent' duty. Clear policies and procedures are in place and implemented in practice, particularly regarding children's medication. Policies are shared with parents and updated regularly to reflect changes in legislation. Staff have an excellent understanding of what to do should they have a concern about and child or a colleague.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2555601 Local authority Bexley Inspection number 10209290 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 37 Number of children on roll 33 Name of registered person Sanford, Abigail Esther

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reference number

Telephone number 07956 122864 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Enchanted Wood Preschool 'little Nest' is a specialist provision situated in the London Borough of Bexley. The setting operates Monday to Thursday, term time only. It also offers respite during some holidays. The pre-school employs 10 staff, many hold childcare qualifications from level 2 to qualified teacher status. The pre- school offers funding for two-, three- and four year-olds.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The provider and manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want children to learn. n Staff spoke to the inspector during the inspection about how they meet the needs of their key children. n The provider completed a joint observation with the inspector to assess the quality of education and how well staff teach communication and language skills. n The inspector observed activities children engaged in and assessed the impact that they had on children's learning. n Parents and staff from outside agencies who work with the pre-school shared their views with the inspector. n The provider showed the inspector a range of documentation, including records

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Inspection activities

to demonstrate the suitability of staff.

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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

11 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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