Kiddie Kapers Neighbourhood Nursery

Inspection of Kiddie Kapers Neighbourhood Nursery The Willow Centre, Brookfield Road, Ashford, Kent TN23 4EY

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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The provision requires improvement

Children arrive at the nursery with a smile. They are greeted by the warm and friendly staff. Children go in happily and explore the nursery environment with confidence. They choose their own resources and toys. Staff are attentive and caring in their approach. Children settle well. Young children are quickly comforted when they feel unsettled. As a result, children build secure relationships with staff. They feel confident to voice their needs and wants and approach staff for cuddles. Children feel safe and secure.

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The provision requires improvement

In general, children behave well and have a positive attitude to learning. However, they do not consistently benefit from high-quality learning opportunities. Staff in the room for older toddlers and in the pre-school rooms do not interact effectively with children in ways that are appropriate to their ages and stages of development. For example, while talking about oral health, staff in the upper toddler room use books and resources that are more suited to pre-school children's activities. Staff fail to ask children meaningful questions and engage them in discussions to develop their thinking and language skills. As a result, children's knowledge and learning are not fully extended.

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need to do better?

n Partnership with parents is variable. Parents comment positively about the nursery. In general, staff share information with parents about their children's care and development. However, this is not consistent across the whole nursery. Staff in the upper toddler and pre-school rooms do not ensure that parents are kept fully informed about their children's progress. This creates a barrier to how well parents can continue their children's learning at home. n Staff know the children well. Although the quality of teaching is not yet good, most children, especially those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those who speak English as an additional language, make steady progress in their development. Staff generally work well with parents and outside professionals to support children according to their needs. n Children's physical development is supported well. Children explore the large

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need to do better?

outdoor area confidently. They push big barrels around the playground, being careful not to bump into their friends. Children learn to take age-appropriate risks while using the big climbing frame in different ways, such as climbing up the rope ladder and crawling through the tunnel. They ride bikes and scooters and enjoy digging and 'cooking' in the sensory garden. n The new manager is ambitious about the future of the nursery. She recognises the work still left to do in order to embed improvements. For example, the manager recognises that staff's practice is not as good as she would like it to be. However, there is not yet an effective plan in place to ensure staff's teaching

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need to do better?

6 October 2022 skills are of high quality. Staff's well-being is important to the manager. Staff comment that they feel supported. They say that they can approach the manager with any issues, either personal or professional. n The key-person system is well established. There is a strong emphasis on getting to know children from the very start. Parents visit the setting alongside their children. They share information about their children's individual interests and what they can already do. Children begin with short settling-in sessions that build up to longer stays. This contributes to children developing a sense of emotional security and slowly having a sense of belonging. n Generally, children behave well and develop good social skills. They listen and confidently follow staff's instructions. Children treat each other with kindness and respect. For example, pre-school children politely ask their friends, 'Please

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need to do better?

can I play with it now?' However, staff do not always acknowledge the quieter, less confident children. This is especially evident in adult-led activities. For instance, at song and rhyme time, staff involve the more vocal and confident children in choosing songs. As a result, some children lose interest and concentration and start jumping and rolling around. This has an impact on children's behaviour and personal development.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager and staff have a good understanding of how to keep children safe from harm. They have good knowledge of all safeguarding aspects, including radicalisation and female genital mutilation. The manager and staff know who to approach and what to do if they have a concern about a child or an adult. The manager conducts regular staff meetings and supervisions, ensuring staff's knowledge and understanding of safeguarding are relevant and up to date. She carries out appropriate checks to ensure she employs people who are suitable to work with children.

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Due date

develop partnership with parents to ensure an ongoing two-way exchange of information so that parents are kept informed about their children's development and are able to support their learning at home 13/11/2022

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Due date

6 October 2022 provide staff with effective support, coaching and training to improve the quality of interactions with children and promote consistently good teaching and learning. 13/11/2022

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should:

n support staff to improve group activities, to ensure all children are included, interested and engaged.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY295433 Local authority Kent Inspection number 10228046 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 94 Number of children on roll 130 Name of registered person Beaver Community Trust Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 03000411024 Date of previous inspection 11 November 2016

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Information about this early years setting

Kiddie Kapers Neighbourhood Nursery registered in 2004. It is located in the Willow Children's Centre in the area of South Ashford, Kent. The nursery is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm. It closes for five staff training days and over the Christmas period. There are 33 members of staff, of whom 26 hold appropriate early years qualifications ranging from level 2 to level 6. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education 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 provider. n The inspector observed the staff's interactions with the children, indoors and outdoors, and the impact of these on children's learning. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n Discussions were held with the manager and staff during the inspection. n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation of a group activity. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation, including checking evidence of the suitability of the staff. n The inspector held discussions with the manager, staff and children at

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Inspection activities

appropriate times during the inspection. She held a short meeting with the nominated individual and the manager to discuss aspects of leadership and management.

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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

6 October 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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