Little Angels Playgroup

Inspection of Little Angels Playgroup 95 East Street, Sittingbourne, Kent ME10 4BL

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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 and their families are at the heart of this friendly and welcoming playgroup. Staff know their children and families well. Staff are passionate about supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They use additional funding effectively to support individual needs and to purchase equipment and resources to help children's development. Children that were non- verbal when they started now use words and gestures to communicate successfully. All children make good progress. Children demonstrate that they are confident and comfortable. Overall, they play well together, sharing their toys and helping staff to put things away. This helps develop their personal and social skills effectively.

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The provision is good

Staff have high expectations of children. They praise and encourage them and celebrate their achievements and successes. Younger children share excitedly with staff when they find their own water bottles for the first time. They beam happily and smile to show staff how they found them using pictures. This successfully fosters children's self-esteem. Staff put out toys and activities that they know will interest children. They give children choices about what they want to do play with and do. This helps children develop positive attitudes to learning. For example, older children remain engaged playing 'hairdressers' together for a long time. Younger children delight in trying to catch bubbles with staff.

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need to do better?

n Staff promote children's interests. They plan a range visits to enhance children's wider experiences. Children enjoy going for walks to the local pet shop and library. They enjoy having visitors to the setting to support their knowledge of people who help them such as the fire service, police officers and ambulance crew. These experiences help children's understanding of the world around them. n Staff celebrate children's achievements with them. Children form close bonds with staff and go to them for cuddles and comfort. However, at times staff do not help children understand the reason for the rules in place or for their expectations for behaviour, for instance that they may hurt or upset other children. This does not fully support children to develop an understanding of how their behaviour impacts their friends. n Children know the routines of the setting well. Staff encourage children to use picture cards to know what is happening next. Children immediately respond to

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need to do better?

staff when it is lunch time. Older children persevere when opening their own snacks. This encourages children's developing independence skills. n Managers prioritise enhancing staffs understanding of children's medical needs to help children settle in. Staff access effective support from specialist teams,

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need to do better?

14 May 2024 and the local authority to support practice. Funding is used well, for example to purchase soft play resources and story sacks to support children's balancing and reading skills. n Children benefit from staff who show interest in what they do. Older children enjoy writing on a large board, developing their understanding of letter shapes. Younger children explore story sacks with staff. However, on occasion, staff do not use consistent strategies to support younger children's emerging speech. For example, at times they do not consider the impact on children's developing skills of encouraging them to talk while they have dummies in their mouth. n Managers are proactive in seeking advice and support. They work closely with the church and the wider community to provide food boxes and toys for families. They collaborate closely with other settings and schools to support continuity of care and support smooth transitions to school. This means children are well

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need to do better?

supported for their next stage in education. n Staff are supported well in their roles. They appreciate the focus on their well- being. Managers have effective communication with the committee. Managers are reflective and evaluative of practice and provision. They have positive plans for the future to ensure they continue to provide good quality care and education for families. n Communication with parents is strong. Managers seek parents feedback and amend routines to ensure parents have daily opportunities to meet with staff. Parents appreciate the information they receive about how their children are doing. They are invited to sessions to help support healthy eating and oral hygiene. They appreciate the flexible and individual arrangements to support their children to settle in.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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should:

n strengthen staff's skills in helping children learn about the rules and expectations and how their behaviour impacts on others n support staff to develop a more consistent approach to encouraging young children's emerging speech and language skills.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 126986 Local authority Kent Inspection number 10347287 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 30 Number of children on roll 50 Name of registered person Net Church Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 07921597615 Date of previous inspection 19 September 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Little Angels Playgroup is committee run and registered in 1992. It operates from the first floor above a church in Sittingbourne, Kent. The playgroup is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm, term time only. The provider receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are ten staff, eight of whom hold recognised early years qualifications at level 2 and above.

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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 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 talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. 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 Parents shared their views of 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

14 May 2024 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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