Lydd House Playgroup

Inspection of Lydd House Playgroup 115-117 Station Road, Lydd, Kent TN29 9LL

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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 benefit from a highly stimulating learning environment that staff provide to engage them in their learning. They independently choose what they want to play with. Children have regular access to fresh air in the well-resourced outside play areas. They enjoy a range of activities to challenge their physical skills. Children carefully climb, run and jump within the spacious area. Children benefit hugely from exciting opportunities when they play outdoors. For instance, they particularly enjoy exploring the mud kitchen, growing fruits and vegetables in the vegetable garden, and taking care of the chickens that the setting has reared.

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The provision is good

Children are independent in their play and access the environment with ease for activities of their choice. Children work well together and seek each other to play with. Staff support children's language well through visual aids, sign language and by introducing new vocabulary through activities. Children communicate with confidence to both peers and adults.

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The provision is good

When issues arise, staff calmly discuss feelings and support children to resolve issues for themselves. Staff tune in to children's interests and use these as an opportunity to extend learning. Generally, children show good levels of engagement.

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need to do better?

n Staff offer a warm and nurturing environment. They give support to each other, as well as children, through effective communication. Staff have clear expectations of children, who follow rules and boundaries well. Children show resilience and resolve their own conflicts. They have a good understanding of nursery rules and routines. Children show high independence, especially around personal care routines. n Managers reflect well on current practice. They adapt routines and layouts to provide better learning opportunities. For example, they changed the lunchtime routine to split the children into two groups. This allows for this time to be more focused and less chaotic. Small focus groups are then carried out, where children sing familiar songs, read stories or work on communication and language activities. These include a recent intervention to improve early language skills. n There is clear focus on children using messy play to enhance learning. For

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need to do better?

example, children enjoy ice play, working together to figure out how to melt the ice to free the animals inside. Communication and language are promoted through activities and by all members of staff. All children make good progress in the areas of learning. However, on occasion, staff do not recognise when some children need more support in helping them to access and fully engage in

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need to do better?

16 January 2023 activities. n Children who need extra support have clear individual targets for all staff to work towards. Managers have used additional funding well to provide parents with the same resources to enable them to use at home. This allows consistency for the child. n Parents feel well informed about their child's learning and development. They have regular meetings with their child's key person to discuss their child's progress. Parents feel the environment created for children is very homely and comforting. n Children are confident talkers and staff create a language-rich environment. Children are comfortable to answer questions and staff allow time for them to respond. Staff echo correct pronunciation of words and introduce new vocabulary throughout activities, for example 'melting' and 'Arctic' when melting ice to reveal an animal inside. Children talk openly to staff and their peers. n Staff gather evidence to get clear starting points for children's learning. This

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need to do better?

allows for staff to then plan and build upon previous learning. Staff are able to identify any gaps in children's learning. This then prepares children for the next step in their learning. However, some staff are not clear of the learning intentions of the activities provided. This means that children's learning is not consistently maximised. n Managers support the staff well. They hold regular meetings with them to identify their strengths and areas for improvement. The manager understands the importance of additional training. She provides many opportunities for staff to undertake training to build upon their current knowledge. For example, recent training has improved staff's knowledge of how to successfully support children's communication skills. As a result of this training, managers have introduced a daily session to promote children's language skills.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff have a robust knowledge of how to safeguard young children. They demonstrate clear procedures to follow should they be concerned for a child's welfare or about staff practices, ensuring children's safety at all times. Leaders ensure that all staff are adequately trained and staff's knowledge is frequently monitored. Staff provide a safe and secure environment with relevant risk assessments in place. There is a good password system in place to make sure that children are only released into the care of known and trusted adults.

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should:

n support staff's interactions with children to encourage them to experiment,

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should:

16 January 2023 explore and become more deeply engaged in their play and learning n strengthen staff's understanding of the curriculum intent to ensure they fully understand the overall aims for learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 127356 Local authority Kent Inspection number 10265175 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 23 Number of children on roll 25 Name of registered person Lydd House Playgroup Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01797 458160 Date of previous inspection 26 May 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Lydd House Playgroup registered in 1989. The playgroup operates Monday to Friday from 9am to 3pm, during term time only. It receives funding for free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The playgroup employs six full-time members of staff, of whom five hold an appropriate qualification at level 3.

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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 joint observation of a group activity with the manager. n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector in written form. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want their children to learn. n Children spoke to/communicated with the inspector during the inspection.

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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

16 January 2023 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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