Tiny Tugs Medway Trust Day Nursery

Inspection of Tiny Tugs Medway Trust Day Nursery Windmill Road, GILLINGHAM, Kent ME7 5NY

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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 Inadequate

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The provision is good

Children enjoy coming to this warm and friendly nursery. They enjoy interactions with caring staff, who provide activities that are planned around children's interests. Children actively engage in activities of their own choosing and confidently lead their own play. They enjoy playing outdoors. Staff ensure that they provide free-flow access to all, to help ensure that children who learn best from being outdoors can do so. Children benefit from purposeful teaching across the areas of learning. Children are learning about the wider world. For example, they share their diverse backgrounds with each other. Parents are involved with helping to provide foods and cultural information from the countries that they derive from. Children compare what is similar and different among their peers and celebrate what makes them unique.

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The provision is good

There are high expectations for every child. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who speak English as an additional language, are supported to feel settled and secure. Staff take time to ensure that they get to know their children well from the start. Children behave well and respond positively to the expectations of staff. Staff are good role models, who talk to children in a calm and respectful manner, gently reminding them of the need to share and take turns. Children have a positive attitude to learning. Staff show good respect for children's work and give meaningful praise for their efforts.

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need to do better?

n The manager and staff have taken effective action to bring about improvement and address the actions from the last inspection. They have implemented ongoing training and opportunities for professional development. Staff feel well supported, and feel more confident in their approach to the planning and delivery of tailored learning. For example, they provide a good balance of both child-led and adult-directed activities. Children are focused and enjoy the curriculum offered. n Books are everywhere in the nursery, and children enjoy sharing them with adults. They become enthralled as staff tell stories with expression and help to finish off the rhyming sentence in familiar stories. Children are asked questions about specific things in the pictures and relate it to their own experiences. This helps to develop a love of books and early reading. n Children are becoming confident communicators. Staff introduce new vocabulary

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need to do better?

to extend children's knowledge. For example, they explore the snow outside and describe the 'steam', and 'freezing' and 'melting' ice. At times however, children are not always given enough time to answer the questions asked of them. This means that their independent thinking may be interrupted too early. n Staff help to develop children's mathematical knowledge, particularly about

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need to do better?

15 December 2022 numbers and quantity. For example, children count out the number of play dough leaves that are needed to complete a picture of a plant. Staff ask how many leaves they need and encourage them to count as they create each shape. This helps children to learn that the number of items counted needs to be the same as the numeral shown. n Staff provide children with a range of resources, including those that are open- ended and encourage children to explore. For example, babies squeal with delight as they knock down mirrored blocks, and older children create pretend campfires with small logs. This helps children to develop their imagination and lead their own play. n There are many opportunities for children to develop their independence. Children help themselves to snacks and use forks and spoons at mealtimes. Children understand the importance of good hygiene practices. For example, toddlers enjoy activities that promote good oral health. Staff ensure that children

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need to do better?

learn important self-care skills that will benefit them in the future. n Parents share their compliments about the care and education provided by the staff. They speak warmly about the 'home from home' approach and friendly staff. However, at times, parents are not informed regularly enough about their child's next steps in learning. They are not given suggested strategies, which they can use at home to help their child practise the skills they have learned. n Staff ensure that children who may need additional help are supported effectively. They work closely with parents, other professionals, such as speech therapists, and staff from other settings the children attend. This provides continuity, and children with SEND make good progress.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Since the last inspection, managers have worked hard to ensure safeguarding is robust. Staff now speak confidently about how to recognise signs and symptoms of abuse and they know how to report any safeguarding concerns to the relevant agencies. The team have recently taken part in training courses and discussions, to ensure that safeguarding knowledge is secure. Effective risk assessments contribute to children's safety at nursery. The main door is kept locked, and all parents, children and visitors are greeted on arrival. Staff are vigilant when supervising children during play, both indoors and outside.

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should:

n support children's communication and language further by giving younger children more time to gather their thoughts and answer questions n improve information sharing arrangements with parents, to ensure that parents

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should:

15 December 2022 are more regularly informed of their child's ongoing progress.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY266959 Local authority Medway Inspection number 10248479 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 55 Number of children on roll 84 Name of registered person Medway NHS Foundation Trust

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reference number

Telephone number 01634 833758 Date of previous inspection 30 June 2022

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Information about this early years setting

Tiny Tugs Medway Trust Day Nursery opened in 2003. It is situated on the site of Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham, Kent. The nursery opens from 7am to 6pm, each weekday, for most of the year. Care is primarily offered for children whose parents are employed at the hospital. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education for children aged three and four years. The nursery employs 17 members of staff, all of whom hold relevant early years qualifications to level 3. One member of staff holds an early years foundation degree.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector discussed any continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the setting. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, both indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The inspector viewed the provision and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. n The inspector spoke to children to find out about their time at the setting. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector carried out a joint observation of a communication and language activity with the manager. n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The manager showed the inspector documentation to demonstrate the suitability of staff.

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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

15 December 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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