Little Oaks Capel

Little Oaks Capel

Unique reference number (URN): 2802832 Address: The Old School, Capel Street, Capel-le-Ferne, Folkestone, CT18 7EY Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 01/08/2024 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Little Oaks Early Years Limited

p.1

Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

p.2

How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

All children make progress from their starting points in development. They are well prepared for the transition on to school. Children are inquisitive and use what they know in their learning. For example, children start to recognise and are interested in the sounds of words that are important to them. Older children can recognise their name and know what letter it starts with. Children are confident communicators. They talk with their friends as they play and enjoy singing. Children know that they can ask adults for help and that they are listened to.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders and staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. They are clear about the boundaries and explain these to children in ways that they will understand for their age. For example, children know that they must sit down when they are eating and tidy up after playing.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Staff have age-appropriate expectations for children. They plan group activities so that children learn to play in collaboration. Staff encourage children to wait their turn, share and ask for toys rather than snatching. Children respond by telling their friends that they can have a turn. They receive lots of praise and gentle reminders when needed. Staff are positive role models and build effective relationships with children. They interact and play with the children, taking time to reinforce boundaries when needed.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders work with families to support children's individual needs. They share lots of information so that there is a collaborative approach. For example, they provide guidance about healthy eating and reinforce the importance of good attendance.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders design a comprehensive settling-in programme. This includes home visits to help staff to build relationships with children and families before they start. Staff understand how to support the youngest children to settle with confidence. For example, babies take home teddies with scent from the setting. This aroma is diffused into the baby room so that there is a familiar smell for when babies start. This helps them to feel safe and secure in their environment. Transitions between rooms are well managed, with children's wellbeing carefully considered.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children develop secure attachments with their key person. Staff know their children well and can respond to children quickly with cuddles and reassurance when needed. They talk about how they feel to help children manage their emotions. Children thrive with the setting's routines. Staff ensure that the afternoon is a quiet time for children to relax and reflect. They create a calm environment with dimmed lights and gentle music. Children snuggle down with their comforter in cots or on floor mats and fall asleep with ease. Staff read stories to those children who are awake, while others engage in calm play. These routines promote children's health and wellbeing.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders plan a purposeful and exciting curriculum following a 'wanderlust' approach. This allows children to explore through the seasons using sensory play and nature. Staff consult with parents and carers about children's interests and find out what is going on in their lives. They use this information to build interests into the daily activities on offer. For example, staff read stories about tractors and children play with dinosaurs in chia seed slime. Older children explore how to mix colours while staff introduce mathematical language, such as 'quarter' and 'half', to build their vocabulary and communication skills. They encourage children's fine motor skills as they cut herbs such as chives and explain what they smell like. This helps children to engage in their play for long periods of time for their age.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

However, there are some inconsistencies throughout the setting in promoting children's independence skills through daily routines. At times, staff are quick to help children do things, rather than encourage them to try for themselves. This does not consistently support children's growing independence and help them to develop a 'can-do' attitude.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children develop age-appropriate knowledge and skills as they progress through the setting. Staff track progress and set individual targets for all children to achieve. During activities, staff support children who need help to regulate their behaviour. However, staff do not consistently know what teaching strategies or experiences that children have in other rooms. This means that, sometimes, children need to wait until they transition to other rooms before they can take part in these experiences and access the full curriculum on offer.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders work hard to get to know each child and their family before they start. This means that they can respond to children's individual needs as soon as they start. Staff make effective use of their observations and assessment so they can identify when children need more support. They have undertaken training so that they know how to make timely referrals to outside agencies, such as speech and language therapy. Staff seek guidance from other professions to use in their daily practice. For example, when children's speech is unclear, they encourage children to slow down and support them to repeat words to practise the correct pronunciation. This provides children with a consistent approach that helps them make progress against their targets. Leaders include parents and carers in discussions about how to spend additional funding. This has a positive impact on children to ensure that everyone, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, can access the

p.3

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have worked hard to address issues raised in their previous inspection. They have taken swift action to reflect and make changes to improve the setting for children. Their procedures for administering medication are robust, and staff apply these with confidence. They have a renewed focus on improving children's communication and language development across the setting.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff have undertaken professional development alongside leaders, who conduct peer reviews to give support and guidance. The majority of staff use varied and rich language with children. They encourage children to slow down and repeat tricky words. This helps children to make good progress with their language development, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders have plans to enhance children's language development further to continue to have a positive impact for all children.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders prioritise the wellbeing of staff. Staff feed back that they are happy at work and feel well supported. They have supervision sessions that are positive and productive. Staff discuss opportunities for professional development and leaders support their internal progression.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff share information with parents and carers about their children's learning so that they feel informed. Parents feed back that they appreciate the daily discussions about their child and value the termly parent meetings. This helps them to know how they can support their children further at home.

p.4

Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

p.4

Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

p.4

Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.

p.5

Register

When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

p.5

What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children arrive happy and are confident to leave their parents and carers. The friendly staff team meet them at the door and welcome them in to play. Staff use this time to find out how children are and discuss care routines for the day. Children engage with a wide range of activities that staff plan for them. Staff follow children's interests to make sure that they meet each child's individual needs. Children are excited by the large amount of sensory play on offer, which encourages them to experiment and investigate. For example, they dig in the mud to look for bugs and stomp dinosaurs in custard. Staff introduce new words, such as 'squidgy' and 'smooth', as they describe different textures. Children are happy and inquisitive learners.

p.5

What it's like to be a child at this setting

Leaders help children to learn about nature and have enhanced the outdoor spaces. Children access a large outside space where they spend time every day. When outdoors, staff help children to learn to appreciate the different seasons as they climb, slide and play games to support their physical development. Children take great delight when cows from the local farmer's field appear at the fence. Staff organise for children to spend time outside the setting in the local community. Children take walks in the forest, visit the beach and explore the local garden centre. Staff use these experiences to help children to be physically active and enjoy outdoor learning.

p.5

What it's like to be a child at this setting

Leaders use the positive relationships that they have built with children and families to reduce any barriers to children's learning. Staff create support plans and seek outside help from professionals for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This helps to reduce any gaps in children's development so that they are ready for the next stage of their learning.

p.5

Address:

The Old School Capel Street, Capel-le-Ferne Folkestone CT18 7EY

p.6

Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

p.6

Address:

Registered person: Little Oaks Early Years Limited

p.6

Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00

p.6

Next steps

Leaders should review the curriculum across all ages and support staff to share teaching strategies so that children have access to a wider range of experiences in each room. Leaders should develop staff's knowledge of how to support children's independence skills consistently so that they develop their growing independence and a 'can-do' attitude.

p.6

About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, children, the special educational needs coordinator, parents and carers during the inspection.

p.6

About this inspection

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, knows as the early years foundation stage.

p.6

Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

p.7

Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

p.7

Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

p.7

Expected standard

The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

p.7

Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

p.7

Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

p.7

Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

p.7

Urgent improvement

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.8

Urgent improvement

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Urgent improvement

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8