Littlebourne Ladybirds Pre-School

Inspection of Littlebourne Ladybirds Pre-School School Grounds, Church Road, Littlebourne, CANTERBURY, Kent CT3 1XS

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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 thrive in the care of dedicated and experienced staff. The pre-school is a hive of happy children, chatting and playing with their friends. Staff use routines to help children feel settled and secure. Children tell staff that they are looking forward to playing with their best friend. Leaders plan a well-sequenced curriculum that builds on what children know and can do. For example, staff take children on a nature walk to look for insects and plants. In the pre-school garden, children explore with magnifying glasses to look for ants. Staff help children to draw blossom and decorate butterfly pictures to take home. These experiences help children to explore and discuss what they have learned.

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The provision is good

Staff design lunchtime as a social occasion when everyone sits together. Children get their own packed-lunch box and talk about the raspberries that they have for dessert. Staff encourage children to tidy up after themselves and wash up their own cups and plates. This helps children to develop their independence and do things for themselves. Generally, children's behaviour is good. Staff are quick to intervene when children have disagreements. They encourage them to share and explain why they should not take another child's toy.

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need to do better?

n Children are exposed to mathematics from an early age. Staff weave numbers into activities and conversations. For instance, children count the number of carrots they have and the number of fingers they are holding up. Staff ask them to compare amounts to introduce more difficult concepts, such as quantity. This helps children to use mathematics with confidence in their play. n Staff plan a range of exciting and imaginative activities following children's interests. For example, they build a tower from tyres so children can roll balls down a chute and race to the end to try and catch them in a basket. In the mud kitchen, staff provide children with real herbs to make a salad. However, due to the way the setting is organised, some children miss out on these experiences because they are taking part in small group sessions. This means that sometimes children do not access the full and varied curriculum on offer.

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need to do better?

n Children have access to a wide range of outside spaces. Staff have created an exciting and enticing garden in which children can climb, dig and explore with their friends. They lift up logs to search for bugs. Children take walks in the local woodlands and visit a forest school area. These experiences help children to develop an awe and wonder for the natural world. n Staff work hard to build effective relationships with parents. They come into the pre-school to talk to staff during drop-off and pick-up times. Staff discuss what children have been learning at pre-school, for example healthy food choices. Parents feed back that their children have been trying new fruit at home. These

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need to do better?

30 April 2025 discussions help parents know how to support their children's learning further at home. n Leaders spend additional funding to enhance the curriculum for children. For example, children take part in an animal handling experience, and a music teacher visits the pre-school each month. These experiences help children to develop their confidence and social skills. n Staff use effective communication techniques with children. They engage children in conversation and are positive role models. However, on occasion, staff do not recognise when they can use interactions to extend children's understanding. This does not always provide children with the opportunity to further their communication and language skills. n Staff make effective use of their observations of children. This helps them to recognise when children need more support. They help parents access other professionals, for example speech and language therapists. This ensures that

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need to do better?

children do not fall further behind and are ready for the next stage in their learning. n Staff undertake good-quality professional development to enhance teaching. For example, after attending training, staff understand the importance of introducing daily tummy-time sessions. They encourage children to develop their core strength while they read stories to them. This helps children develop physically as well as promoting a love of books. Training that staff attend has a positive impact on children's learning experiences.

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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 review and improve the organisation of some routines, such as group sessions, so that all children have access to the full and varied curriculum n support staff to build on their interactions with children to help develop their communication and language skills further.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 127346 Local authority Kent Inspection number 10398332 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 46 Name of registered person Littlebourne Ladybirds Playgroup

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reference number

Telephone number 01227 728 388 Date of previous inspection 16 October 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Littlebourne Ladybirds Pre-School registered in 1996 and operates in the grounds of Littlebourne Primary School, in the village of Littlebourne, Kent. It is open during term time only, each weekday from 8.30am to 3pm. The pre-school employs 10 members of staff; of these, one holds a foundation degree, five have early years qualifications at level 3 and two at level 2. The pre-school receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years.

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Inspection activities

n The manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want the children to learn. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector spoke with the nominated individual about the leadership and management of the setting. n Staff spoke to the inspector about how they support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. 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 and the manager carried out a joint observation of a storytelling activity. n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The manager showed the inspector documentation to demonstrate the suitability of staff.

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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

30 April 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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