Kindergarten Forest Hill Ltd

Inspection of Kindergarten Forest Hill Ltd 50 Dacres Road, London SE23 2NR

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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 flourish in this welcoming and nurturing kindergarten. They benefit from a language-rich environment. Children and staff positively interact in both English and German, which many children speak at home. Children keenly sing rhymes and songs in both English and German to further promote their developing early communication and language skills. Children's uniqueness is promoted very well.

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The provision is good

When children first arrive, they very quickly settle to tasks. They remember to change their shoes and store them in labelled baskets to help promote a strong sense of belonging. Children who need additional support when they first arrive are supported to a high level by their key person. This further promotes a strong key- person approach and children's emotional security.

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The provision is good

Children who prefer to play and learn outdoors benefit from a curriculum full of opportunities to explore the natural world and take risk and challenge. They are keen and enthusiastic learners. Children develop an awareness of their surroundings and how to keep themselves safe. Vigilant staff supervise children very effectively to ensure their safety. For example, all children remember to safely climb outdoor steps and staff sensitively remind children to be thoughtful of their friends, such as when they investigate the textures of bark and sand. Children behave well and they are emotionally secure.

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need to do better?

n The provider has recently taken over as manager to help successfully share her values among all staff. She has a very clear vision for providing high-quality early education for all children and recognises areas for improvement and the many strengths of the provision and her staff team. The manager says she has high expectations for all staff to develop their already good teaching of the curriculum through targeted training and team meetings. n Staff report high levels of support for their well-being. They regularly welcome supervision meetings to share their views and identify professional development opportunities to further improve their teaching skills to an even higher level. n Effective safe recruitment for staff from Germany and Austria is organised well to ensure their suitability to work with children. Successful induction programmes help all staff to understand their role and responsibilities. For

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need to do better?

instance, staff understand their obligation to safeguard all children and know what to do in the event of a fire to help keep children safe and from harm. n Most staff support children's learning and develop through a broad and varied curriculum well. Children show a very keen and enthusiastic attitude to learning. For example, outdoors, children remember to water strawberry and rhubarb plants. They carefully transport water from a water butt. Children show care for

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need to do better?

24 March 2022 their environment and living things. n Overall, staff enthusiastically present information to children in an age- appropriate way. However, this is not consistent with all staff and, occasionally, some staff do not always effectively extend children's learning to a high level. Staff enthusiastically demonstrate how to create 'lava' from a range of materials. Children listen intently and follow instructions when they fill a glass jar with cornflour. Children confidently express themselves, such as when they excitedly shout out 'it is bubbly' and 'it is fire'. n The curriculum planning supports early communication and language skills and mathematical development well. For example, children listen to and act out stories that staff energetically read, such as a story about a gigantic turnip. Children begin to recognise number labels when they 'park' trikes and bikes, and successfully match numbered baskets with pretend carrots.

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need to do better?

n Successful strategies involve parents with their children's learning and development from the start. Key staff regularly meet with parents. Together, they identify what children need to learn next and to consider children's experiences from home. Parents welcome online systems to view children's assessments and comment on the good progress children make. n During the COVID-19 pandemic, the provider took swift action to ensure that all children continued to learn at home. Parents successfully accessed online activities that they could try at home so that children did not fall behind during national lockdown. The manager confirms that effective strategies helped to ensure that on children's return to the kindergarten they very quickly caught up.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager and staff access safeguarding and child protection training to help keep their knowledge up to date, such as training about female genital mutilation. Staff understand their role to tackle extreme views and beliefs and the correct reporting procedures to follow. The manager and staff have a sound knowledge of the correct procedure to take to report their concerns about a child's safety and welfare within the organisation and external agencies. Staff recognise the importance of completing daily safety checks in all areas of the kindergarten and outings to a nearby woodland to help keep children safe and from harm.

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should:

n support staff to develop the already good-quality teaching, and to extend children's learning during the implementation of the curriculum to the highest level.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY456852 Local authority Lewisham Inspection number 10138108 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 25 Name of registered person Kindergarten Forest Hill Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 0774148682 Date of previous inspection 28 July 2015

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Information about this early years setting

Kindergarten Forest Hill Ltd registered in 2013 and operates in Forest Hill, in the London borough of Lewisham. The kindergarten is open 8am until 6pm, Monday to Thursday, for most of the year. There are seven members of staff, of whom two hold level 6 early years qualifications and two hold level 3 early years qualifications. The nursery receives early education funding to provide free places for children aged two, three and four years.

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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 setting. n The inspector gained the views of parents. n A range of documents were viewed by the inspector, including public liability insurance and paediatric first-aid qualifications. n A learning walk was completed by the inspector and manager. They observed activities provided indoors and discussed the kindergarten curriculum. n The inspector and manager completed a joint observation and assessed the impact on children's learning and development.

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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

24 March 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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