Rain Or Shine Forest Preschool Ltd - Leigh

Inspection of Rain Or Shine Forest Preschool Ltd - Leigh Prices Wood, Leigh, Kent TN11 8HP

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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 safe and happy in this secure, welcoming and interesting setting. They have fun exploring the woods together, making dens and bird watching. Relationships are positive. Children confidently chat to each other and to adults. They share and take turns. For example, they make 'hedgehog soup' in the mud kitchen and share it out. Children respect the rules and boundaries that help them to behave well. They learn to express their feelings, linking colours with different emotions, such as 'red' for anger. Children independently use the 'calm den' to sit quietly if they feel upset. They follow established routines, responding promptly to signals that indicate a change of activity.

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The provision is good

Children are encouraged to be independent. They manage their own self-care and undo the packages in their lunch boxes. Children move freely and confidently between the various activities. Staff talk to children about the activities they enjoy and use this information to plan further experiences. This helps children build on their skills and knowledge. Children link their learning to their play. For example, they recognise the sound of a crow and remember the story they heard earlier in the day.

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need to do better?

n Children have many opportunities to develop their physical skills. They nimbly climb up different structures. Staff provide good support when children challenge themselves to jump from different heights to the ground. Children understand how to keep themselves safe, making sure there is space for them to jump into. n Staff provide effective guidance for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They refer children to external professionals, such as speech therapists, for additional help where necessary. This helps children to make good progress. n Overall, staff have high expectations for children. They identify starting points, plan appropriate activities, and assess and monitor progress to plan additional activities to develop learning. Children make good progress. Occasionally, staff are not sufficiently precise about what exactly they want children to learn from the planned activity.

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need to do better?

n Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents are confident that their children are safe and well cared for. They value the support and frequent communication provided by staff. At the outset, parents work with staff to establish what children can do and what their next steps should be. n Staff benefit from regular meetings with the manager to discuss their practice and training needs. They are committed to the concept of forest school and are undertaking further training to develop their knowledge and skills. The manager

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need to do better?

23 September 2021 and her staff frequently discuss improvements they can make to ensure this meets the needs of all the children. n Children's communication and language skills are well supported. Staff speak clearly to children and repeat words back to them to help them with correct pronunciation. For example, when a child misses the ending of a word, staff repeat the word correctly, emphasising the ending. Children learn the names of sea creatures and discuss the feel of a bird's nest, and this helps them to expand their vocabulary. n Children enjoy books; often choosing to look at books independently, turning the pages carefully. They use puppets to re-enact stories such as the 'Owl Babies'. n There are a variety of activities to support early writing skills, such as using hammers to hit small tacks into cork. Children show good levels of concentration as they grate chalk to make paint. They use pipettes to squeeze the water onto

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need to do better?

the colour and this helps to strengthen their fingers. n Overall, staff support children to understand how to have a healthy lifestyle. Sometimes, they do not build on children's understanding of how food affects the body, for example foods that support good oral health. n There are good links with other settings that children attend, including school. Information is shared effectively and this helps to support consistency in children's learning and care. n Children develop problem-solving skills. They discuss how to reach to make their tower taller. Children decide to stand on a crate and delightedly observe that the tower is taller than the adult.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager and her staff have a comprehensive understanding of safeguarding matters, including those of extremism. Regular training helps to ensure that their knowledge is up to date. Staff are keenly aware of their responsibilities in keeping children safe and know which agencies to inform if they have concerns about a child's safety or welfare. There are clear procedures in place, which staff understand, if they have concerns about the practice of a colleague. Children and their families are provided with guidance about how to keep safe when using mobile phones or other devices.

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should:

n build on children's understanding of how different foods affect the body, to help further develop their understanding of healthy lifestyles n support staff to consider the specific learning outcome when planning activities, to build on children's existing skills and knowledge.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY559292 Local authority Kent Inspection number 10190137 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 22 Number of children on roll 34 Name of registered person Rain Or Shine Forest Preschool Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01732 356421 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Rain Or Shine Forest Preschool Ltd - Leigh registered in 2018. It operates within private woodland in Tonbridge, Kent. The pre-school is open Monday to Thursday from 9.15am to 2.15pm, during term time only. On Fridays, sessions are offered to school-age children who are home educated. The holiday club operates Monday to Thursday from 9.30am to 3pm during one week at Easter and two weeks during the summer holidays. The provider receives funding for free early education for children aged two, three and four years. A team of four staff work with the children. Of these, two hold qualified teacher status, one holds an early years degree and one has a level 3 qualification in early years.

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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 her evaluation of the provider. n The inspector viewed the provision and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises with the manager. n The manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want children to learn. n At suitable times, the inspector spoke to children, staff and parents and took their views into account. n The inspector spoke with the nominated individual about the leadership and management of the setting. The provision for children with SEND was discussed. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the setting.

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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 September 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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