Hedgehogs Hoo Day Nursery

Inspection of Hedgehogs Day Nursery Hoo Hedgehogs Day Nursery, 5 Stoke Road, Hoo, Rochester ME3 9BE

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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 Not applicable

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The provision requires improvement

Overall, children are happy and settled. They enjoy the time they spend at the nursery and form positive bonds with staff. All children benefit from the attention that is paid to identifying and meeting their care needs. However, weaknesses in the key-person arrangement impact on the progress children make in their learning. Although each member of staff knows their key children well, they do not always plan their time and interactions effectively.

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The provision requires improvement

Despite this, children benefit from the freedom and encouragement they receive to explore the environment and resources. Babies respond well to the positive interaction from staff. They babble happily and use the strategically placed furniture to pull themselves up. Staff are vigilant in their supervision and are poised to support babies to find their way back to the ground. Older children concentrate intently as they test out their physical capabilities, creating and navigating obstacle courses. Staff set out resources that very successfully capture some children's interest. For example, children playing separately with water, flour and lentils, decide to combine their materials. They have great fun mixing and exploring the different textures. They are delighted when they discover that dropping items of different weight into the mixture results in different sized splashes.

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The provision requires improvement

Staff laugh and joke with children, creating a positive atmosphere. Children generally behave well and develop good social skills. However, there are times when they receive mixed messages about behavioural expectations.

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need to do better?

n Senior managers share a clear vision for the nursery. The staff team is newly established. Managers recognise the need to invest time to ensure that all staff are able to consistently implement the ambitious curriculum. They are currently working hard to provide each staff member with the individualised support they need to fully understand and carry out their responsibilities. n The successful implementation of the curriculum relies on the effectiveness of the key-person system. Each member of staff has a good knowledge of their key children's personalities and learning needs. However, staff do not plan well enough to ensure that they are available to interact with all of their key children. This results in some children receiving less time and attention than others. At these times, they do not benefit from consistently good teaching. n Group times for older children are managed well and staff successfully engage

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need to do better?

and maintain children's interests. Children listen eagerly to stories and confidently engage in lively conversations. This supports their communication and language development. n Staff are very kind and caring. They are prompt to praise children for their

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need to do better?

13 September 2023 efforts and achievements. However, staff are inconsistent in their approach to managing children's behaviour. At times, staff ask children to stop doing something that other staff encourage, for example, splashing the flour and water mixture. This does not support children to develop a secure understanding of how what is expected from them. n Children benefit from a lot of opportunities to develop their independence. For example, they learn to pour drinks and serve themselves food. This promotes their coordination and results in very lively and sociable mealtimes. Staff encourage children to make choices and decisions, helping them to become independent, motivated learners. n There are well-coordinated and effective arrangements to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The special educational needs coordinator liaises effectively with staff, parents and relevant professionals to

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need to do better?

identify and meet children individual needs. n Partnerships with parents are good. Staff provide a friendly greeting when parents arrive and exchange useful information. Parents feedback very positively about the staff and the progress their children make.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There have been recent and appropriate improvements to the safeguarding arrangements. These relate to the process to respond to concerns about children or in the event of an allegation or concern about a member of staff. Staff understand their responsibilities to protect children. They have a confident knowledge of the potential indicators of abuse. Staff are prompt to respond to any risks in the environment to create a safe environment.

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Due date

improve the key-person arrangements to ensure that children receive the support and interaction they need to fully promote their learning. 09/10/2023

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should:

n target support for individual staff to develop more confidence and consistency in managing children's behaviour.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2721907 Local authority Medway Inspection number 10309694 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 41 Number of children on roll 48 Name of registered person Hedgehogs Childcare (Kent and Medway) Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01634 953743 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Hedgehogs Day Nursery Hoo registered in 2023. The setting is open from 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, throughout the year. There are seven members of staff, of whom, six hold relevant early years qualifications. The setting is in receipt of funding for 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 We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. n The inspector viewed all areas of the setting and discussed the intent for children's learning. n The manager completed a joint observation of an activity with the inspector. n The inspector observed the interaction of staff and children during a range of activities, indoors and outdoors. n A selection of relevant documentation was scrutinised. n The inspector spoke to staff, children and parents at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views.

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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

13 September 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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