Laurel Farm

Inspection of Laurel Farm 17 Carlingcott, Peasedown St. John, BATH BA2 8AN

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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 Outstanding

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The provision is outstanding

Children positively thrive in this beautiful and well-designed kindergarten. They all make excellent progress, as staff take time to get to really know and understand the children. Staff design a highly sequenced and ambitious curriculum that enables all children to flourish. For example, children paint pictures of summer using water colours. Staff encourage them to consider how the colours shimmer, run and blend to create new colours. Children stay deeply absorbed in their learning and are given time to really explore and think about cause and effect. Children securely develop their confidence and give things a go. They persevere with challenges as staff skilfully encourage and praise them and help them stay focused.

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The provision is outstanding

Children are extremely happy and calm, as they feel very safe and valued. Staff are exceedingly consistent in helping children to understand rules and expectations. Children behave extraordinarily well and manage risk safely. For example, they freely explore the 'magical glade' in the woodland they use. Children eagerly make potions, fetching water from the nearby stream and collecting leaves from the woods. They look for insects and create a safe home for them, showing care and respect for living things. Staff expertly help children to understand their feelings and those of others. This helps children resolve conflict independently between themselves.

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need to do better?

n Children develop excellent language skills. They count and sing in French as they learn other languages. Staff expertly read stories to children, engaging them in discussion to help them recall what they know. Children share their thinking as they play and staff brilliantly extend this by using open-ended questions and making suggestions. Staff narrate what is happening in brilliant descriptive language, which helps children build a rich vocabulary. n Children deeply learn about the world around them. They grow and harvest fruit and vegetables, such as onions and garlic. They use these to make nutritious soup for lunch. They watch chicks hatch from eggs and develop into chickens. Children collect the eggs from the chickens. They use fleece from the sheep on the farm to create wool, which they dye and use to make collage pictures. n Children solve problems throughout the day. For example, they build bridges

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need to do better?

over the stream. They use language for length as they work out which planks of wood would be the best fit. They collect cherries and count them out. They think and talk about quantities and use language for 'more' and 'less'. Children take time to study the patterns on the shells of the snails. They are very gentle as they move the 'snail home' to show their friends. They comment on shapes they see within the patterns, describing spirals and circles.

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need to do better?

5 July 2022 n Children develop excellent self-help skills. They carry their own rucksacks and coats up to the 'magical glade'. They find their own towels from their rucksacks and use them independently when handwashing ready for meals. They develop a clear understanding of how to be healthy and to look after themselves. Children spend lots of time outside running and negotiating space, climbing and lifting logs and planks of wood. They are delighted as they move freely. Children visibly relax in the natural surroundings and learn to really use their imagination and creative skills. n Staff have excellent partnerships with parents. Parents are encouraged to be part of the kindergarten community from the day their child starts. They take part in volunteer days and attend festival celebrations. Staff conduct home visits to really get to know the parents and children and understand parents' aspirations for their children. Staff regularly share children's progress and next

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need to do better?

steps with parents so they can support children in a consistent manner. n Staff have excellent partnerships with outside agencies. They work very effectively with them to ensure all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), have the support they need to succeed. Staff work very effectively with other settings to ensure these children have very smooth transitions. n Leaders are extremely passionate about helping children to succeed. They work tirelessly to improve the environment and staff practice. All staff are committed to training and improving their teaching and they regularly attend training workshops. They set clear and ambitious action plans to meet the needs of each cohort of children.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff prioritise the safety and well-being of all the children. They know all categories of abuse and how to identify potential signs. Staff are confident in knowing how to follow policies and procedures when they have concerns about a child's welfare. Leaders ensure staff receive appropriate training to keep them up to date with their safeguarding knowledge. Leaders have excellent systems in place to ensure the suitability of staff to work with children. Staff carry out robust risk assessments of all areas of the kindergarten to ensure children are free from harm. They take immediate action when they identify a potential risk.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY410554 Local authority Bath and North East Somerset Council Inspection number 10125965 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 16 Number of children on roll 15 Name of registered person Laurel Farm Kindergarten Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 07873544146 Date of previous inspection 7 January 2014

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Information about this early years setting

Laurel Farm Kindergarten registered in 2010. It is located in Peasedown, near Bath. The kindergarten opens from 9.30am to 2.30pm, Monday to Thursday, term time only. It receives early years government funding for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The kindergarten follows the Steiner-Waldorf philosophy and is exempt from some areas of the early years foundation stage statutory guidance. There are two staff; one has a level 3 early years qualification and one has a level 6 early years qualification.

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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 lead teacher and the inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n Children spoke to the inspector about their friends and what they like to do when they are at kindergarten. n The inspector spoke to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector spoke with the nominated individual about the leadership and management of the setting. n The special educational needs coordinator spoke to the inspector about how they support children with SEND. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector carried out a joint observation of a group activity with the lead teacher. n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the kindergarten.

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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

5 July 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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