Goldfinch Nursery

Inspection of Goldfinch Nursery Goldfinch Farm, Ford Road, Herne Bay, Kent CT6 7AD

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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 Good

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The provision is good

Children thoroughly enjoy their time at this friendly, welcoming nursery. The rural setting is extremely inviting. On arrival, children enjoy stopping and watching pigs happily playing in their pens, and looking at tractors and other machinery nearby. These features provide a great start to the day and help to ignite children's interests and curiosity. Children benefit from good-quality teaching, which supports their learning and the good progress they make. Each child's personal qualities are planned for. Staff work hard to make sure all children achieve to the best of their abilities.

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The provision is good

Children behave very well. They make friends easily and form close attachments to the staff. These relationships continued well during the COVID-19 pandemic as staff kept in touch with children and parents regularly to check on their well-being and offer support. For example, staff encouraged families to upload their home experiences so that they could continue a strong connection. Staff provided additional resources so that parents could continue to support children's learning at home. When children returned to nursery, they settled back in easily.

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The provision is good

Children demonstrate that they feel safe at nursery. They approach staff readily for reassurance and comfort, knowing their needs will be met and staff will respond accordingly. Children develop good self-care skills. They learn to drink from a cup, pour their own milk and use a knife to cut fruit into a given number of pieces. Children move between the rooms confidently. Staff prepare them well for changes and new routines. They communicate effectively and consult with parents about the best needs of their child. Children are encouraged to take part in settling-in sessions with a familiar friend. This supports children well for starting school.

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need to do better?

n Children take part in interesting and exciting activities that are well matched to their interests and needs. They enjoy new challenges and staff guide them skilfully, giving them time to work things out for themselves. For instance, children are delighted when they find that they can collect water to create a river around their castle. They join long and short pieces of tube and discuss the various heights that the castle walls may reach to. Babies explore coloured yoghurts with paint brushes and are fully engaged as they contemplate the different marks they can make, especially with their feet. n The nursery's leadership team is effective in driving improvement. Leaders work closely with all staff to reflect on practice and consistently identify new ways to develop the setting. They recognise where further developments can be made to provide the highest quality experiences. For example, they recognise that,

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need to do better?

occasionally, staff miss opportunities to deepen older children's learning fully

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need to do better?

12 April 2022 during group times, before quickly moving on to another focus. n Leaders use funding well to support children who need extra help with their learning. Good partnerships are formed with parents, schools and any other agencies involved to make sure every child's learning and development needs are clearly understood and planned for. Children with speech delay are well supported and staff are passionate about making improvements. Adults and children use simple sign language to support those who need further development in their interactions. n Children benefit from many opportunities to practise physical control and spatial awareness in the large outdoor play space. For example, they learn to carefully step across and balance along different-sized logs. Staff utilise the logs to create a bug corner where children can learn about minibeasts. They enjoy helping to care for plants and flowers and explore water in buckets and jugs.

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need to do better?

n Children make friends easily and are kind and respectful to one another. Staff teach them well about the importance of inclusion and children actively celebrate the differences and similarities between each other. For example, each family's cultural background is respected, and staff gain the expertise of parents to plan activities to reflect these within the curriculum. n Partnership with parents is good. Parents comment that staff are friendly and welcoming. Staff use an online application to share important information and updates about children's developmental progress and to celebrate their 'wow' moments. Staff invite parents to look around each section of the nursery when their child moves to the next room for their age. This enables optimum opportunities for staff to consult with parents to best meet children's needs. n Each child's personal qualities are planned for. Staff work hard to make sure all

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need to do better?

children achieve to the best of their abilities.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective and staff know the importance of keeping children safe. They act on concerns quickly and ensure that they record matters accurately and share information with the necessary support network. The premises are secure. All staff are competent in administering first aid, when necessary. Parents complete forms for the correct administration of medicine, when needed. Staff complete regular safeguarding training. They know how to recognise any concerns about children's welfare and understand the procedures to follow.

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should:

n improve teaching to the highest level by ensuring that staff are always

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should:

12 April 2022 responding to what children are doing and saying, and allow them time to embed learning before moving on n strengthen the planning of group times to focus more precisely on all children's learning to help ensure they remain focused and engaged.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY414929 Local authority Kent Inspection number 10228537 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 57 Number of children on roll 105 Name of registered person Goldfinch Childcare Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01227 749957 Date of previous inspection 24 November 2016

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Information about this early years setting

Goldfinch Nursery registered in 2010 and operates in Broomfield, near Herne Bay, Kent. The nursery opens Monday to Friday from 7.30am until 6pm, all year round. There are 18 members of staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. The provider receives funding to provide free early education to 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 provider. n The manager and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n The staff spoke to the inspector about their intentions for children's learning. n The inspector spoke to children to find out about their time at the setting. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery. n The inspector viewed comments made from several parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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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

12 April 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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