Benenden Preschool

Inspection of Benenden Preschool St. Georges Cottage, The Street, Benenden, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 4DB

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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 are incredibly happy, settled and confident in the nurturing and stimulating pre-school. The rooms are filled with sounds of happy laughter and children talking excitedly to their friends and staff. Children are fascinated by the interesting and highly challenging learning experiences that staff carefully plan for them. For example, children independently read and follow the instructions from a banana bread recipe card and make the finished product. Children are engrossed in learning about how to complete running stitch as they sew.

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The provision is outstanding

Staff are outstanding role models. Children are incredibly polite and their behaviour is impeccable. They show each other inspirational levels of respect, empathy and kindness. For example, children offer support and encouragement to their friends who are building a tower bigger than them. They remind them of how to carry a chair safely and hold the chair for them so they can stand and achieve their goal. Children have an excellent understanding of healthy lifestyles. They learn about the benefits of different food groups and talk about the healthy recommended quantity for each, including carbohydrates and sugars. All children have outstanding opportunities to challenge their physical skills. For instance, they build their own highly challenging obstacles to negotiate. These include using rope swings and walking along wooden ramps at different levels and with steep gradients.

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need to do better?

n The manager and staff establish inspirational relationships with children. They gain children's implicit trust and get to know what makes them unique. Children have outstanding levels of well-being, self-worth and self-motivation. They have an incredibly positive attitude towards their learning. For example, they are resilient and persist at activities until they succeed. n Staff include children in the daily activity plans. Children request activities and resources, and staff make these available. For example, children talk about a volcano and go on to create their own erupting volcano with complete independence. Staff support all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to make outstanding progress. n The manager and staff establish outstanding relationships with parents and keep them extremely well informed and involved in their children's learning. Staff routinely share training for parents to help support their children at home. For

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need to do better?

example, they recently invited parents to learn about how to develop their children's imagination. Staff create training videos to share with parents, including on ideas of how to encourage children to brush their teeth. n All staff are extremely experienced, passionate and dedicated. They are incredibly enthusiastic to continue to build on their already impressive knowledge and skills. For example, they recently learned about the different

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need to do better?

8 June 2022 ways to support children to develop their speech and language. As a result, children take extreme pride in adding to the 'word wall' when they learn a new word, such as 'tremendous' and 'situation, in context. All children are extremely confident to communicate. They do so in an extensive range of ways, including using sign language alongside spoken words. n The manager and staff use incredibly effective ways to monitor closely the consistency of outstanding care and teaching that they provide children. In addition to staff observing each other interact with children, they routinely visit other settings and observe their practice. Staff use their observations to implement something new into their activity plans. The manager discusses that they intend to re-introduce more walks in the village to become an even bigger part of the community. n Staff support children to have high levels of respect for other people's similarities

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need to do better?

and differences from around the wider world. This includes the background, languages and traditions of others. Children can say simple words and short sentences such as 'hello and 'how are you?' in languages such as Mandarin and Afrikaans. Children talk respectfully about same-gender parents and understand that different lifestyles should be valued. Staff challenge stereotypes extremely well. For instance, boys are confident to dress up in traditional female clothing. n Staff use additional funding incredibly well to meet children's individual needs. For example, they have purchased weekly yoga and sports classes, including introducing hockey and javelin, to enhance children's experiences outdoors.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager and staff have an outstanding knowledge and understanding of the safeguarding and child protection policies. They know how to manage any allegations raised against staff. Staff have thorough risk assessments in place, including practices to minimise the risk of COVID-19. Staff encourage children to manage risks in extremely challenging activities. For example, children follow thorough safety advice from staff when they use a rope to play tug of war. Children are extremely confident to use highly challenging equipment and know how to do so safely. For example, when making a model at the woodwork bench they remind each other that they must place the wood in the vice before using the saw.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2561206 Local authority Kent Inspection number 10239209 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 17 Number of children on roll 33 Name of registered person Benenden Preschool C.I.O.

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reference number

Telephone number 01580 241137 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Benenden Preschool registered in 2020. It is located in Benenden, Cranbrook, in Kent. The setting is open Monday to Thursday from 8.45am until 3pm and on Friday from 8.45am to 11.45am, term time only. The setting receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The setting employs six members of staff, five of whom hold relevant early years qualifications at level 3 and above. This includes one member of staff who has early years professional status.

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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 inspector carried out a learning walk with the manager. The inspector assessed the impact of the quality of staff's interactions and the learning opportunities they provide children. n The inspector viewed the indoor and outdoor learning environments. n Written documentation was reviewed, including safeguarding and child protection policies and procedures. n The inspector spoke to the manager, children, parents and staff at convenient times and considered their views. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager on a planned activity focusing on supporting children to develop their communication skills.

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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

8 June 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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