Little Explorers Day Care Kent (HB) Limited

Inspection of Little Explorers Day Care Kent (HB) Limited Little Explorers, The Explorer, Lismore Road, Herne Bay CT6 6PN

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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 Not applicable

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The provision is good

Children thrive at this inclusive and welcoming setting. Staff warmly greet children, who bounce and skip through the gate on arrival, showing their enjoyment for the day ahead. Leaders carefully plan a curriculum that is highly ambitious, with personal, social and emotional development at its core. Staff spend time getting to know children before they start, such as through home visits. This helps children feel settled and happy to attend nursery.

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The provision is good

Staff meticulously plan a variety of trips and visits to widen and vary children's learning experiences and to help them learn about the wider world. For example, they visit a local care home and a farm and go on local walks. Where there is additional funding, it is used well to support children to access these activities. Parents appreciate the range and quality of the learning experiences children receive.

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The provision is good

Children demonstrate a secure knowledge of the routines and boundaries positively role modelled by staff. For instance, children help to tidy away after snack time by tucking the stools under the table and sweeping the floor. Staff skilfully teach children to use glasses and crockery during snack time. For example, children confidently fill their glasses with water using the dispenser. This shows good levels of self-control and independence.

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need to do better?

n Leaders are very passionate and enthusiastic about the nursery. They create a working culture where staff can have professional and challenging discussions to share their views on aspects of practice. These are used as learning opportunities for all to increase their knowledge. Staff say that they feel well supported in their roles and have good opportunities for professional development. n All children, including those who have emerging or known special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make solid progress in their learning and development. Staff swiftly identify if any specific support is needed for children and work with parents and other professionals to source further guidance. n Children benefit from excellent opportunities to develop their physical skills. For example, staff teach children to swim through one-to-one swimming lessons each week. Children learn how to use a range of tools to help develop their

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need to do better?

small-muscle skills, such as using hammers and nails. n Partnership working with parents is good. Parents share very positive feedback about how staff support their children's learning and development. Parents appreciate the strong support they receive to enable them to further support their children at home.

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need to do better?

14 August 2025 n Staff show clear enjoyment and pleasure in being in the company of children. The team works well together and creates a calm and curious learning environment for children. Staff role model turn-taking and consideration of others. Children respond very well and their behaviour is excellent. n Children show strong and confident communication and language skills. Staff interact positively with children through planned activities and spontaneous play. For example, younger children enjoy choosing items linked to songs and join in with actions. Older children share their favourite stories. Children continually initiate conversations and enjoy sharing stories and important information from home. n Staff know children's individual personalities and needs very well. Staff use their knowledge to carefully plan to ensure that children feel emotionally secure. For example, they are aware that some children need a verbal discussion to help

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need to do better?

them understand the routine of the day, but others may understand better from visual information. This supports children's emotional development effectively. n Mostly, staff implement the curriculum intention well to support children's learning. However, some staff are not consistently implementing agreed teaching approaches. This means that they are not maximising children's learning effectively. n Children enjoy spending time playing with each other. Staff skilfully discuss each child's idea, for example building a farm with the animals. However, when children all come together for group activities, these times do not fully support the youngest children to ensure their learning is fully extended.

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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 further to build their knowledge of specific agreed teaching strategies as part of the curriculum to continue to build on children's learning n expand the support for younger children during group-time activities to fully extend their engagement in learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2750118 Local authority Kent Inspection number 10413461 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 22 Number of children on roll 45

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Name of registered person

LITTLE EXPLORERS DAY CARE KENT (HB) LIMITED

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reference number

Telephone number 01227 287700 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Little Explorers Day Care Kent (HB) Limited registered in 2023. The nursery is in the Beltinge area of Herne Bay, Kent and employs 11 members of childcare staff. Of these, 10 hold appropriate early years qualifications, with one member of staff at degree level. The nursery is open from 7.30pm to 6pm, Monday to Friday, all year round except for two weeks at Christmas. The setting provides funded early education for children from 9 months to 4 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 Staff spoke to the inspector about how they support children with SEND. n The manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation. n The inspector gained parents' views, through face-to-face discussion and through written feedback. n The inspector spoke to children and observed their play to gain their views of the setting. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.

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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 August 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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