Tadpoles Nursery School, Kensington

Inspection of Tadpoles Nursery School, Kensington The Studio, 8 Hornton Place, London W8 4LZ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not applicable

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The provision is good

Children settle exceptionally well in this very nurturing nursery. Staff take great care to ensure that children feel happy in the nursery. For instance, when children first arrive, staff observe children and place them into groups with their friends to support their well-being. Staff value each child highly and create individual displays of pictures featuring each child's favourite things, places and songs. Staff are careful to reflect children's interests fully in activities and children thoroughly enjoy activities. Children behave in very positive ways. They show kindness to each other, and older children act as role models to younger children. Staff encourage children to bring in donations, which they then take to their local church each month, to support families in need.

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The provision is good

The curriculum is broad, rich and imaginative, and all children make good progress. Children are highly motivated, eager learners who concentrate well. Staff support children's mathematical development effectively. Children confidently count lolly sticks to match written numerals. This helps to secure their counting and number recognition skills. Staff teach children about volume and use words, such as 'full' and 'empty', as children scoop rice grains into pots. Staff support children's creative development successfully. For instance, they encourage children to use open- ended, flexible and recyclable resources to create their own toys. Children enjoy using a range of textures and materials to create decorative crowns and have good creative abilities.

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need to do better?

n Children are well able to do things for themselves. They confidently peel their own fruit and pour their own drinks. Children put on their coats and shoes and concentrate well as they skilfully pull on outdoor trousers without any adult assistance. Staff support younger children to gain these skills very effectively. n Children have good turn-taking and sharing skills. They use sand timers independently to wait their turn to use toys and resources, such as outdoor toys. Older children act as excellent role models to support younger children to learn turn-taking skills. n Staff teach children about the importance of eating well in excellent ways. For instance, children show what they have eaten by completing colour-coded rainbow drawings linked to different food groups. Staff display these in the nursery to act as a reference point for children to support their learning. An external caterer provides nutritious meals for children, which meet their special

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need to do better?

dietary needs. All meals are carefully balanced and appetising. n Leaders reflect on all areas of the nursery and have a good insight into its strengths and weaknesses. For instance, they plan to continue to enhance the outdoor area to promote best outcomes for children.

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need to do better?

4 February 2025 n Children gain a good understanding of the world. Staff arrange for visits from zookeepers to bring reptiles into the nursery to teach children about reptilian life. They teach children about different seasons and about animals that hibernate in winter. Staff plant seeds with children and teach them how things grow. n Leaders monitor and support staff well. They observe staff in group rooms regularly and provide feedback to build ongoing improvements. Leaders have regular meetings with staff to review and support their work. They are committed to staff's professional development and provide a variety of training opportunities. For example, staff have attended a course on exploring music with children, which has led to improved outcomes in this area. n Staff support children's physical development successfully. They organise a range of interesting challenges in the spacious outdoor area. Children carefully balance

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need to do better?

along low planks and jump safely from low heights. They steer wheeled toys skilfully and learn to throw and catch balls. A gymnastics teacher visits the nursery each week to promote a wide range of skills. n Staff have strong partnerships with parents and carers. They give parents daily updates on children's progress. Staff provide good ways for parents to support children's development. For instance, they provide workshops for parents to offer advice on how to manage children's behaviour to support children's personal and social development. Comments from parents express high levels of satisfaction with care and learning. One comment from a parent stated, 'Children go in happy and come out even happier!' n Overall, children have effective communication, language and literacy skills. Staff read a wide variety of stories which they link to activities to support children's language and literacy skills. For instance, children talk about the main character

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need to do better?

in the book 'The Smartest Giant in Town' as they make crowns for the giant. However, at times, some staff do not ask questions that promote full answers from children during activities, such as role play and cooking, to promote their conversational skills further.

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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 support staff to enhance children's communication and language skills, particularly in relation to consistent effective questioning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2697963 Local authority Kensington and Chelsea Inspection number 10367796 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 50 Number of children on roll 40 Name of registered person Tadpoles Nursery Group Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 02079375522 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Tadpoles Nursery School, Kensington registered in 2022. The nursery is located in Kensington, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The nursery is open from Monday to Friday, from 8.35am to 3.30pm, during term time only. There are 13 staff, including the manager. Of these, 12 staff hold appropriate early years qualifications. This includes seven staff who hold qualified teacher status, one staff member who holds early years professional status and four staff who hold a level 3 qualification in childcare. The nursery accepts government funding for childcare places.

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Inspection activities

n During the inspection, the inspector went on a learning walk around the nursery with the provider to discuss the aims of the curriculum. n The provider carried out a joint observation of a group activity with the inspector. n The inspector observed the interactions between staff and children and spoke with children, when appropriate. n During the inspection, the inspector held a meeting with the provider and sampled some documentation. n The inspector considered the views of staff and parents during the inspection.

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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

4 February 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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