Spring – St Bart's House

Inspection of Spring – St Bart's House St. Barts House Day Nursery, 17 Dover Road, SANDWICH, Kent CT13 0BS

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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 Inadequate

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The provision is good

Children and their families are greeted with smiles by kind and caring staff who know them well. This helps children to feel secure. Children enter eagerly, keen to explore the activities set up for them and to play with their friends. Managers and staff work hard to create engaging learning environments where children's needs and interests are prioritised. Children spend a long time exploring play dough, learning how to roll it in different ways with tools. They sustain concentration, making different shapes and proudly sharing these with staff, who respond with warmth and praise. This supports children's emotional well-being successfully.

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The provision is good

Staff provide children with activities that motivate and interest them. Children delight in making shaving foam 'cakes', which they share with their friends. They have in-depth conversations with staff about how to 'ice' them. This develops children's imagination and creativity skills. Staff promote children's language skills well. They are good role models, extending children's understanding of new words. Children enjoy learning about the 'crest' of a mountain and use vocabulary such as 'shimmering' when describing fish in the ocean. Children behave well. They demonstrate positive attitudes to learning, showing curiosity when learning about birds in the environment and talking about caring for the natural world. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress.

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need to do better?

n Managers are passionate and proactive. They have used advice and guidance from the local authority to help them significantly improve practice and provision since the last inspection. They have exciting plans to enhance what they offer. They are well supported by the wider organisation. Staff speak highly of the support and training they are offered. This helps to ensure that staff are confident to fulfil their roles. n Children benefit from staff who promote a love of books. Staff enthusiastically read to children, fostering children's excitement. Children delight in choosing books from the lending library. From a young age, children join in with stories, songs and rhymes, successfully supporting their literacy skills. n Staff support children's physical development effectively. Older children learn how to use scissors safely when making masks, proudly showing staff. Other children become engrossed in fixing tracks for their cars. Younger children ride

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need to do better?

bikes and use chalks outside, making marks. This develops their movement skills and confidence. n Staff promote children's positive behaviour, for example by encouraging them to take turns. When chatting about how pumpkins are grown, children listen to their friends. At lunchtime, children offer each other drinks and share out cutlery.

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need to do better?

7 January 2025 However, at times, staff do not routinely explain to children the impact of their actions to further their understanding and help them develop positive friendships. n Children benefit from opportunities to learn about their local community. Staff take children to visit elderly residents nearby, which helps develop their awareness of others. Children and their families are invited to local events to support their understanding of others and their local community. This promotes children's understanding and respect for others. n Staff ensure that there are effective transition processes in place to help children settle. Children with SEND are provided with personalised plans to ensure that they access their full entitlement. Staff learn words in children's home languages to help them feel included. Children identify their friends when sharing family photo books. This helps children feel valued and welcomed.

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need to do better?

n Children are provided with opportunities to develop their mathematical and problem-solving skills. Older children are challenged to work out how to make magnets attach. Other children spend a long time pouring water into different- sized cups for a tea party. Younger children throw and catch knitted balls, counting as they do it. This helps support their knowledge of numbers well. n Staff encourage children to be independent. Children identify their own lunch cards and scrape their plates, using cutlery with skill. However, at times, staff do things for children they could attempt themselves, for example getting their own tissues and wiping their own noses. This does not fully support their developing personal hygiene skills. n Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents receive regular information about their children. Children make good progress in their confidence, social skills and language. Parents appreciate the support to help their children's learning at

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need to do better?

home. They speak highly of the wide range of meals the chefs prepare and say their children eat a range of foods now.

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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 to develop a greater understanding of the impact of their actions on others n support staff to establish a more consistent approach to supporting young children's developing independence skills.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2507943 Local authority Kent Inspection number 10366959 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 Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 80 Number of children on roll 119 Name of registered person Action For Children Developments Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01304 615129 Date of previous inspection 6 August 2024

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Information about this early years setting

Spring - St Bart's House registered in 2019. It is located in Sandwich, Kent. The setting employs 31 members of childcare staff, of whom 21 hold a relevant early years qualification at level 2 and above. This includes three members of staff who hold a level 6 qualification or above. The setting opens Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6.30pm. The setting provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors Victoria Salisbury Janine Scott

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Inspection activities

n The manager joined the inspectors on a learning walk and talked to the inspectors about their curriculum and what they want children to learn. n Staff spoke to the inspectors at appropriate times during the inspection, and the inspectors took account of their views. n The inspectors spoke with the nominated individuals about the leadership and management of the setting. n The inspectors observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The manager joined the inspectors to carry out a joint observation of lunchtime. n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspectors.

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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

7 January 2025 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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