Chevening School Nursery

Inspection of Chevening School Nursery Chevening Road, Chipstead, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 2SA

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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The provision is good

Children, including those who speak English as an additional language, successfully develop their communication and language skills. Staff use effective strategies, such as signing and picture cards, to help children to understand and communicate their needs. Additionally, staff teach new words during the many conversations they have with children as they play. This helps to prepare children for later reading.

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The provision is good

Staff teach children about the wider world they live in. They take children on a range of outings and trips to help them understand about other communities beyond their own. For example, they visit the theatre, which supports children to learn about music and culture. Children are consistently polite, well mannered and respectful to others. Furthermore, staff help children to learn about festivals and events from other countries, which supports them to understand about equality and diversity. This helps children to respect others, which prepares them well for later life.

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The provision is good

Children learn how to keep themselves healthy. Staff provide lots of opportunities for children to learn how to keep themselves fit and well. For example, they remind children to drink plenty of water to keep themselves hydrated. Staff encourage children to spend time outdoors, where they successfully improve their physical skills. This can be seen when children strengthen their core muscles and balance as they travel along low, raised beams.

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need to do better?

n Staff plan activities that successfully promote children's early writing skills. For example, children practise their pincer grip as they carefully transfer sand from a tray to toy diggers with their fingers. This helps to strengthen their hand muscles for holding a pencil. n Staff have a good understanding of what they want children to learn. The curriculum is ambitious for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They closely monitor children's progress and use assessment well to plan experiences to build on children's learning and development. However, sometimes, parents are not kept up to date with children's current next steps in learning to help them build on this further at home. n Staff are ambitious for all children. They work well with outside agencies to plan individualised learning experiences for children, including those with SEND, to close any emerging gaps.

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need to do better?

n Staff have strong bonds with the children. The effective key-person system ensures that children have a familiar adult to consistently promote their

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need to do better?

14 January 2025 emotional well-being. Furthermore, they support children to feel safe and secure during times of change. For example, they visit children at home before they start at the setting to begin to build positive relationships with children and families. n Staff plan exciting learning experiences to promote children's independence. For example, they use a glove puppet activity to help children to learn how to put on their own gloves before going outside to play. n Staff provide children with opportunities to take risks in a safe environment. For example, they support children to climb low branches on the trees in the garden. This successfully develops children's resilience. n Children's behaviour is impeccable. They are incredibly kind and caring to each other and show a genuine interest in the welfare of their peers. For example, when they see their friends struggling to complete a task, they ask, 'Can I help

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need to do better?

you with that?' n Staff successfully teach children effective strategies to control their feelings and emotions. Children can manage and resolve conflict extremely well. For example, they independently use the sand timer when they want to play with a resource that another child is using. They explain to their friend that the sand timer is on and they would like a go when it is finished. Children respect this rule and willingly pass over the toys when the timer is complete. n Managers encourage staff to keep their knowledge and skills up to date. They focus professional development on improving outcomes for the children attending. For example, staff have recently completed training to help them meet the needs of children aged two years. n Parents speak very highly of the care and education their children receive at the nursery. They comment on how their children have gained in confidence since starting.

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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 communication with parents to ensure they are kept fully up to date with children's next steps in learning to help them further build on this at home.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 127098 Local authority Kent Inspection number 10367804 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 24 Number of children on roll 35 Name of registered person Chevening School Nursery Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01732 452 342 Date of previous inspection 26 February 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Chevening School Nursery registered in 1993 and is run by a committee. It operates from the grounds of Chevening Primary School in Chipstead, Kent. The nursery is open each weekday from 8.30am until 3pm, term time only. There are nine members of staff. Eight hold relevant early years qualifications at level 3 or above. This includes one member of staff with qualified teacher status. The nursery receives funding for free early education for children aged two, three and four years.

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Inspection activities

n The manager and inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n The inspector spoke to parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector spoke to children to find out about their time at the setting. 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 manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation of an activity.

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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 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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