Lavender Hall Kindergarten

Inspection of Lavender Hall Kindergarten The Gattinetts, Hadleigh Road, East Bergholt, COLCHESTER CO7 6QT

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

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

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The provision is outstanding

Staff are extremely passionate about the children and put them at the centre of everything they do. A carefully planned curriculum, that aims to provide all children with a strong foundation for lifelong learning, is deeply embedded across the whole setting. As a result, staff use high-quality teaching methods and interactions with children to provide children with a rich and broad set of experiences, which supports all children to make excellent progress.

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The provision is outstanding

Staff have high expectations and aspirations for the children and have clear boundaries and behavioural expectations in place. As a result, children behave impeccably.

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The provision is outstanding

Children demonstrate high levels of engagement in activities. They are extremely curious and inquisitive. Children are able to make choices about what they would like to do and select resources to enhance their own play and learning. For example, in the outdoor nature area, children work together to make potions, using different-sized containers to tip and pour different liquids to fill up bottles. Staff provide children with opportunities to develop their critical thinking skills, allowing them opportunity to problem-solve, predict what might happen and take risks. Children are proud of their achievements and demonstrate delight in showing their peers what they have created.

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need to do better?

n Children's voices are highly valued, respected and listened to in the setting. Children are effective communicators who are confident to express their views, feelings, wishes and interests. Children's home languages are celebrated. Children smile in delight as staff say key words in their home language. Parents praise the staff for going above and beyond to create an inclusive environment that supports children's individual cultures and backgrounds. n A language-rich environment in the setting supports all children to acquire and use language. Staff teach children to develop a love of reading. They regularly read stories to children, and children demonstrate that they enjoy this time with the staff. They listen intently to the words of the story and answer and ask appropriate questions about the storyline and pictures in the book. Children are able to articulate their own views. For example, they are able to talk about the

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need to do better?

emotions of the character in the story and how they could make the sad character feel happier. n Staff demonstrate excellent knowledge about child development and their individual key children. They are able to talk at length about children's strengths and any concerns they have with regard to their learning and development. They confidently describe how they provide children with opportunities to build upon

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need to do better?

17 January 2025 what they know and can do, to support all children to make fantastic progress. Staff have high aspirations for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Individualised support is carefully planned and implemented to ensure children that may need additional support are provided with what they need to reach their full potential. n Children demonstrate they feel safe, content and happy in the setting. They are reassured and soothed by highly responsive staff who use knowledge of individual children to find ways to distract them if they become upset. Younger children seek out comfort from staff when they feel unsure, and older children demonstrate they feel confident to ask for help to complete tasks when required. n Leaders work with the staff to create a nurturing environment for everyone in the setting. They prioritise the well-being of their staff and ensure that highly

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need to do better?

effective and meaningful engagement takes place. When issues are identified, they are consistently dealt with appropriately and quickly. As a result, all staff praise the support they receive from the leadership team. n Parents speak extremely highly of the setting. They praise the staff team, who are passionate about their roles, for providing children with a rich set of experiences and a strong foundation in their learning. They explain that the setting communicates effectively in a variety of ways, and they feel involved in their child's learning. They talk about how they are provided with activity ideas to extend their child's learning at home. Parents of older children explain that their children are eager to tell them about what they have learned during their time in the setting, which they feel demonstrates deep levels of concentration in activities provided to enable children to recite what they have been taught.

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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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Setting details

Unique reference number 251765 Local authority Suffolk Inspection number 10368671 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 57 Number of children on roll 69 Name of registered person Lewison, Andrea Clare

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reference number

Telephone number 01206 299511 Date of previous inspection 29 March 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Lavender Hall Kindergarten registered in 1998 and is privately owned and managed. The kindergarten employs 21 members of childcare staff, 15 of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at levels 2, 3, 4 or 6. It also employs one finance administrator and one chef. The kindergarten opens from Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, all year round. The kindergarten provides funded early education for all eligible children.

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Inspection activities

n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk, and the manager talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want the children to learn. n The inspector spoke to children to find out about their time at the setting. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n Staff spoke to the inspector about how they support children with SEND. 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 a joint observation of a physical activity with the manager. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the setting. n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector, both verbally and through written feedback.

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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

17 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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