Clocktower Childcare Ltd

Inspection of Clocktower Childcare Ltd Snodland CP School, Roberts Road, Snodland, Kent ME6 5HL

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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 Outstanding

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The provision is good

Staff organise the environment in a way that is inviting and supports children to settle in quickly. Children leave their parents at the gate and confidently start their day. They know which room they need to go to when they arrive, and they engage in play. Children have access to a garden area where they engage in imaginative play. For example, they use herbs they have picked from the sensory garden and squash them using a potato masher. Children work together, mixing in water to make pretend potions. Staff ask the children about the leaves they have used and what the potions smell like.

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The provision is good

Children make daily visits to the forest area that is located in the school playground, where they engage in a range of exciting activities. Staff support children to climb trees and remind them how to do this safely. Children use crates and planks of wood to build structures. Staff encourage children to work together and agree where they should put the next plank. Staff talk to children about the tomatoes they are growing and look at the plants together. They introduce new vocabulary such as 'spiky' and 'smooth'. Children remember that they must wash the tomatoes before eating them in case they have any bugs on them.

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need to do better?

n The managers regularly reflect on what works well and how they can support improvements. They are committed to finding ways to ensure the day runs smoothly and staff feel supported with any changes they make. n Newly recruited staff have regular meetings with the management team to ensure they understand their roles and responsibilities. The management team meets with all staff to discuss training opportunities and provide regular feedback on practice. As a result, staff report feeling well supported in their role. n Staff understand what they are teaching children and how to support children to develop skills they need for future learning. For example, they promote children's independence throughout the day. Children are encouraged to find their own lunch boxes and open their own pots of fruit. Staff support children who find this difficult. This helps children to learn basic skills required for when

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need to do better?

they go to school. n The special education needs coordinator (SENCo) works with external agencies to ensure children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well. The SENCo makes appropriate referrals for children who may be delayed in their learning, such as their speech and language. Staff use strategies to help support children while they wait for interventions to start. As a result, children with SEND are making good progress. n Children spend a lot of their day outside in a designated, secure forest area. They enjoy having snacks outside and have access to a camping toilet. Staff

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need to do better?

10 October 2023 remind children to wash their hands before they have their snack and after using the toilet. However, staff do not ensure hygiene practices are consistently followed. For example, they do not check the cleanliness of the outdoor toilet area regularly or whether there is enough water available for hand washing before children access the area. n Children understand the need to line up in groups before making their way back to the setting at lunchtime. They know they need to hold hands as they walk across the school playground. Once inside, children find their lunch boxes and sit down to eat together. However, transitions are not organised well and disrupt children's play and learning. This has an impact on how much support children receive during these times and how engaged they are. n Parents and grandparents are extremely happy with the care children receive. They know who their child's key worker is and what skills they are supporting

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need to do better?

their children to learn. Parents speak very highly of the setting. They describe it as a 'family' and 'homely' environment. Parents report how the management team supports both their and their children's well-being and how well they feel supported as a family. n Staff encourage children to talk about their feelings and emotions. They ask children to think about how other children who have recently started at the setting might be feeling. Children are given time to think of ways they can help others to feel settled. This helps to promote children's personal and emotional development.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The designated safeguarding lead understands the local safeguarding partner's procedures. They know how to refer safeguarding concerns they may have about children, including if they suspect a child is being exposed to extreme views. Staff know how to identify the signs that may indicate a child is being abused and what to do with these concerns. The designated safeguarding lead is confident about what to do if an allegation is made about a member of staff or themselves. Robust risk assessments are in place to ensure staff know where children are at all times, particularly when visiting the forest area. All staff hold a first-aid qualification.

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should:

n strengthen staff understanding of their roles and responsibilities to ensure they are consistently supporting children, particularly regarding care practices n improve the organisation of transition times, including lunchtime, to minimise disruption to children's learning and ensure children remain engaged and focused.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY467853 Local authority Kent Inspection number 10306943 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 50 Number of children on roll 86 Name of registered person Clocktower Childcare Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01634 240530 Date of previous inspection 20 September 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Clocktower Childcare Ltd. registered in 2013. It is located in Snodland, Kent. The nursery is open Monday to Friday, from 9am until 5pm, 48 weeks of the year. The provider receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. The nursery employs 18 members of staff, 14 of whom hold a relevant early years qualification at level 3 or above, including two members qualified at level 4.

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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 Ofsted carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information received about the provider. 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 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 carried out joint observations of group activities with the manager. n Parents and grandparents shared verbal and written feedback about the setting with the inspector.

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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

10 October 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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