Maison Dieu Nursery

Inspection of Maison Dieu Nursery 94 Maison Dieu Road, Dover, Kent CT16 1RU

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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 happy to come into nursery. They are excited to see their key person and their friends. They have cuddles and wave goodbye to parents. Staff hold their hands to guide them in safely. Children know that their favourite toys will be set out waiting for them, such as diggers and cars in the sand and animals to play with. They often seek out their favourite adults to play with them, they smile and laugh and enjoy dancing in their arms. Children also build good peer friendships and thoroughly enjoy engaging in imaginative play. For example, they build houses for princesses and feed leaves to hungry dinosaurs.

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The provision is good

Children take part in a range of exciting activities. For instance, they enjoy shaving foam car washes, singing and dancing with musical instruments and role playing favourite stories like 'The Three Billy Goats Gruff'. The skilled staff include all children in learning and are good at supporting children who speak English as an additional language to access all activities. The curriculum is carefully planned to build on what children already know and takes into account their current interests. For example, staff use pirate maps and treasure chests to support number and language development.

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need to do better?

n The manager and staff provide an ambitious curriculum for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. It is carefully designed around well-structured planning to support each individual child's needs. This helps all children to make good progress across their learning. n Staff effectively use the garden to promote all areas of learning. Children explore emotions, counting, imaginative play, physical activities and digging. This supports them to embed and strengthen their knowledge. n Staff speak very clearly and slowly for children who speak English as an additional language. They use visual aids to support their understanding of daily routines. Additionally, they use and repeat simple words, such as 'frog' and 'jump', when exploring familiar songs. This supports children well to build their language skills and deepen their understanding. n Staff present new information and activities clearly to children and they discuss

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need to do better?

the new learning well. However, staff do not always fully extend the language for older children effectively. This means children are not consistently benefitting from a rich variety of vocabulary to promote their communication and language development. n Staff have high expectations of behaviour for all children. They remind children of the rules and teach them how to use things safely. Staff effectively use different behaviour techniques, such as sand timers, to support children to share toys. This helps children to begin to manage their own feelings and behaviour

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need to do better?

10 February 2022 and supports friendships to blossom. n Children fully engage with activities, listening intently for long periods of time. For example, a large group of children delighted in taking part in using masks and props to role play the story of 'The Three Billy Goats Gruff'. This supports children well to explore learning and use their imagination. n Staff provide a strong key-person system. This supports children to become settled, confident and happy. Staff often cuddle children, hold their hands and sit close to them, offering lots of positive praise for their achievements. This supports children to develop good self-confidence. n Staff use books and maps well to help children explore other countries and cultures. They also look at diversity and the differences between people's traditions. However, staff do not purposefully explore and plan ways in which they can successfully embrace the heritage and cultural backgrounds of the

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need to do better?

children attending. This does not fully support all children to understand what makes them unique. n The manager has a clear and ambitious vision for providing high-quality, inclusive care and education to all. She is skilful at sharing this vision with staff and provides a range of training for them to best support the needs of the children. Through induction, she ensures that even new staff are adept at supporting children well. n The manager and staff have strong relationships with parents. All parents speak highly of the care and education their children receive, saying they would not send them anywhere else. They feel staff care about children's emotions, settle children well and listen to them. Parents report that the nursery staff feel like extended family.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff, including the designated safeguarding lead and special educational needs coordinator, have a clear understanding of child protection and the wider aspects of safeguarding. All staff complete regular training to update and expand their knowledge. Additional training is sought to ensure the well-being of all children, including being aware of pertinent local issues. Staff are clear about their role and responsibilities in child protection and the importance of making prompt referrals, should they have any concerns about a child. This supports children and their families' well-being. Staff undertake effective risk assessments of the nursery environment, which helps to reduce and minimise any potential hazards.

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should:

n strengthen staff's ability to more consistently extend and model language for

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should:

10 February 2022 older children to further promote their communication and language development n improve staff understanding of how to embrace children's cultural backgrounds and how to plan more effectively for this.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 127363 Local authority Kent Inspection number 10128558 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 Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 50 Number of children on roll 75 Name of registered person Smith, Frank Alan

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reference number

Telephone number 01304 214951 or 203191 Date of previous inspection 9 December 2015

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Information about this early years setting

Maison Dieu Nursery registered in 1992. It operates from the centre of Dover. The nursery is open Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 5.30pm, all year round with a two week break during the summer and at Christmas, as well as a one week break over Easter. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education to children aged two, three and four years. The nursery employs 11 members of staff; two staff hold early years professional status, five are at level 3, two at level 2, one unqualified and one apprentice working towards level 3.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 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 manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together and discussed the curriculum. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the leader, spoke with staff, interacted with children and viewed appropriate documentation. n Parents shared their views about the setting with 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

10 February 2022 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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