Top Banana Pre School

Inspection of Top Banana Pre School Seal War Memorial Pavilion, Recreation Ground, High Street, Seal, Sevenoaks, Kent TN15 0AL

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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 are instantly at ease and happy when they enter the pre-school. They settle quickly with staff who know them well and with whom they have formed strong attachments. Children are motivated and want to learn and discover. They focus well and demonstrate good concentration skills during tasks. For instance, they experiment with magnetic building blocks and are intrigued as they discover how magnets work to create a strong tower. Children have time to explore and become fully involved in their chosen activities.

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The provision is good

Overall, children's behaviour is very good. Staff expect good manners and respectful behaviour from the children, which they reflect in their own kind and thoughtful teaching. They are consistent in supporting children to manage their own feelings and responses to difficulties they might face. This helps children develop successful strategies and resilience to challenges and to keep themselves safe.

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The provision is good

Children benefit from new experiences when they go into their community and discover the natural world. For instance, they are fascinated by the pre-school's pet millipede when they hold it and try to count its legs. They take trips to the library and use the local recreation ground, as well as growing their own plants and enjoying visits from people such as the fire brigade. This helps children gain an insight into wider society and the environment they are part of now and will be in the future.

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need to do better?

n The manager is a dedicated professional, who puts children and families at the heart of her practice. She leads an equally devoted team of happy and nurturing staff who strive to make a positive difference to the lives of the children in their care. Staff are supported well by the manager, who promotes their ongoing training and discussions with other professionals to develop their skills and knowledge. n Staff regularly assess children's learning and development. They know what the children can do and what they want them to learn. Many children demonstrate good knowledge around their interests, such as when they dig for worms outside or pretend to fix the car. Staff give children the resources they need to develop their skills and fascinations. However, there are times when staff do not build on what children already know to give them a deeper understanding. n Staff help children develop routines that benefit their health, fitness and well-

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need to do better?

being. They give children the words to express their feelings and emotions, such as by using stories and getting children to name their own facial expressions in the mirror. Children develop good emotional literacy and understanding of

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need to do better?

15 March 2023 others' needs. n The manager recognises how some children's social and communication skills have been adversely affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff use new teaching strategies and interventions to help children make progress, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, staff do not always notice when children need more targeted interactions during their play. This means some children may not have the high-quality interactions they need to support and extend their learning. n Children practise their physical skills in lots of meaningful and fun ways. They have ample space to run, ride bicycles and climb. They strengthen and hone their skills, such as balancing on the stepping stones to improve their confidence and coordination. They join in enthusiastically when they dance and move to music. They concentrate hard to develop their finer physical skills, such as when

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need to do better?

they paint, use scissors and prepare their own snacks. n Children develop a love of stories. They know some books very well and 'read' them out loud to one another. Staff enhance children's listening skills by providing props, such as soft toys, to engage them while they read. Children go on to incorporate these props spontaneously into their play. This helps children develop and explore their own ideas and imagination. n Parents are highly complementary about the staff and the pre-school's 'family' ethos. Staff regularly update them on their children's achievements and milestones. Parents feel supported and listened to. For example, staff actively seek their opinions using questionnaires and during parents' evenings. Staff reflect on parents' views to make improvements and to develop their good communication with parents.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager ensures that all staff are knowledgeable about the signs and symptoms of child abuse and neglect. She follows safer recruitment and induction processes to ensure that all staff working with children are suitable to do so. Staff know what to do should they have concerns about the welfare of children and how to report these in a timely, professional manner. Staff update their skills and knowledge to include how to recognise a range of safeguarding issues, such as signs that children are being exposed to radical and extreme views. Staff are vigilant and aware of any differences in children's behaviour and well-being that might indicate significant changes in their circumstances.

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should:

n deepen staff's understanding of the curriculum to ensure that children's learning

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should:

15 March 2023 is sequenced more precisely to challenge and extend their skills and knowledge even further n develop staff's practice so they can identify those children who need more high- quality interactions to develop and extend their learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY301539 Local authority Kent Inspection number 10263539 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 28 Number of children on roll 36 Name of registered person O'Hara, Alison Lee

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reference number

Telephone number 07958 528808 Date of previous inspection 4 May 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Top Banana Pre School registered in 2005 and is in Seal, in Sevenoaks, Kent. The pre-school is open from 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, term time only. It receives funding for free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The pre-school employs five members of staff, of whom four hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The manager holds early years professional status.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the pre-school 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 pre-school. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. 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. n The inspector spoke with parents, children and staff throughout 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 March 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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