Blundellsands Kindergarten

Blundellsands Kindergarten

Unique reference number (URN): 310399 Address: 1 Blundellsands Road West, Liverpool, Merseyside, L23 6TF Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 27/12/1996 Registers: EYR Registered person: Blundellsands Kindergarten Playgroup Committee

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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.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

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

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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.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders have created an established culture of inclusion where children and families are known well, and individual circumstances are carefully considered. They identify children's needs early and work closely with parents to ensure support remains responsive. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), children in receipt of additional funding, such as early years pupil premium, and those known to children's social care. Additional funding is used purposefully to reduce barriers to learning and wellbeing. For example, leaders purchase resources to support children's individual developmental and emotional needs. Leaders regularly review children's progress and adapt support where required.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders take effective action to reduce barriers that children and families may face. They work closely with a range of professionals, such as social workers, speech and language therapists and health professionals. They use their advice to adapt provision, routines and support strategies. This helps children access the curriculum, promotes emotional wellbeing and ensures support remains relevant as children's needs change.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders demonstrate a strong commitment to supporting vulnerable children and families. They carefully consider children's individual experiences and circumstances and make thoughtful adjustments to help ensure children are fully included in the life of the setting. Parents speak highly of the support they receive and value the strong relationships they have with staff. As a result, children, including those who face disadvantage, those with SEND and those known to children's social care, are fully included and make progress from their starting points.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children make progress from their starting points across the curriculum. They develop confidence in their abilities and communicate their ideas, experiences and interests with increasing ease. Parents report significant improvements in their children's communication and language skills since attending the setting. Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those in receipt of additional funding and those known to children's social care, benefit from support that helps them access learning and make progress.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop increasing independence through everyday routines and experiences. They confidently manage personal care tasks, make choices about their play and take responsibility for simple tasks. Older children develop the confidence and skills needed for their move to school and benefit from opportunities to become familiar with their future teachers before they leave the setting.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children are happy, settled and demonstrate a strong sense of belonging. They form positive relationships with staff and their friends and confidently welcome one another into play. Children understand daily routines and expectations. They respond positively to instructions, tidy away resources when asked and move between activities with confidence. As a result, the setting is calm and orderly and children feel secure.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children's behaviour is typically positive. They generally play cooperatively, show consideration for others and respond well to reminders from staff. However, staff do not always reinforce expectations consistently when supporting children to listen to others, wait for their turn and manage their behaviour. For example, when some children become distracted, they occasionally push their friends to gain attention and opportunities to reinforce expectations are sometimes missed. As a result, opportunities to further strengthen children's social skills, participation and positive attitudes towards learning are not always maximised.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders recognise the importance of regular attendance and monitor attendance patterns closely. They work with families to identify and address barriers to attendance where these arise. This helps children access their entitlement and benefit from the experiences on offer.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children benefit from warm and nurturing relationships with staff who know them well and understand their individual needs and circumstances. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals to help ensure children receive the care and support they need. As a result, children feel emotionally secure and confidently seek reassurance and support from familiar adults.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff promote children's health and wellbeing through meaningful experiences and discussions. Children develop a secure understanding of how to keep themselves healthy, including making balanced food choices and recognising the importance of caring for their bodies. They confidently explain that sun cream helps reduce the risk of their skin burning and understand why it is important to drink water to help keep them hydrated during hot weather. As a result, children are developing healthy lifestyle habits that support their ongoing health and wellbeing.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff support children's emotional wellbeing sensitively and help them recognise, understand and talk about their feelings through a range of strategies, such as discussions, books and the use of mirrors to explore facial expressions. This helps children develop confidence, resilience and a positive sense of self. However, opportunities to help children develop their understanding of personal safety and risk are not always fully maximised. While staff address potential risks quickly, they do not consistently explain why actions may be unsafe. As a result, opportunities to further develop children's understanding of how to keep themselves safe are sometimes missed.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have designed a broad curriculum that reflects children's interests, experiences and individual needs. Staff know children well and use observations, assessment and discussions with parents to identify next steps and plan learning. Communication and language are prioritised effectively across the setting. Staff create language-rich environments and use open-ended questioning to encourage children to share ideas, explain their thinking and extend vocabulary. For example, younger children engage in role play in the 'Toddler Café', where they take orders and make purposeful marks as an introduction to early writing. Older children build on this as they create potions outdoors, describing smells and distinguishing between lemons and limes. Children develop the skills they require for their next stage of learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff weave mathematical learning naturally into play. Younger children explore quantities, fill and empty containers and solve simple problems. Older children build on this as they use tape measures to compare and identify the lengths of 'dinosaur bones' found in the sand. This supports children to develop securely in mathematics. Furthermore, staff plan the curriculum for physical development around children's next steps. For example, younger children develop strength, coordination and control through transporting resources. older children engage in ball games and a range of outdoor experiences to support their next steps.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The quality of teaching is typically secure. Staff interact well during play and small-group activities. For example, staff extend children's understanding of the wider world through activities linked to their interests, such as learning about different countries through World Cup-themed play. This supports children to develop confidence, independence and a broad understanding of the world. However, during larger group sessions, teaching is not always adapted to ensure all children remain engaged, and opportunities to extend learning are sometimes missed.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a clear understanding of the strengths of the setting and are committed to continual improvement. Following a period of staffing changes after the previous inspection, leaders have successfully established a more stable team. They regularly reflect on practice, seek feedback from parents and staff and identify areas for further development.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders promote staff wellbeing and have established systems to support staff in their roles. Mandatory training is completed and staff receive coaching, supervision and guidance to support their professional development. However, leaders do not always demonstrate how professional development is precisely targeted, implemented and reviewed to address identified weaknesses in practice. As a result, improvements in teaching are not always embedded consistently across the setting.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders work in partnership with parents and a range of professionals to help ensure children and families receive the support they need. They respond positively to individual circumstances and make decisions that are in children's best interests. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those in receipt of additional funding and those known to children's social care.

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

Children arrive happily at this welcoming setting and quickly settle into familiar routines. They confidently put away their belongings, change into slippers and greet their friends. Leaders and staff build warm relationships with children. They know children well and understand their individual personalities and interests. Children feel safe, secure and valued and demonstrate a strong sense of belonging within this close-knit setting.

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

Children enjoy their time at the setting. They make choices about their play, explore resources independently and eagerly share their ideas with others. Children become absorbed in a range of activities indoors and outdoors. They use their imaginations during role play, investigate and solve problems during construction activities and enjoy opportunities to be creative. Children talk confidently about what they are doing and happily involve their friends and adults in their play.

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

Children are developing increasing independence. They manage personal care routines, make decisions about their play and move confidently between activities. Children understand routines and expectations and respond positively to guidance from staff. They cooperate with their friends, take pride in their achievements and show confidence when speaking to familiar adults and visitors.

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

Children, including those who may face additional challenges, are welcomed and included in the life of the setting. Staff work closely with families to help children feel settled and supported. As a result, children are happy, confident learners who are developing the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need for their next stage of learning.

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Next steps

Leaders should support staff to consistently adapt teaching during group activities so that children remain engaged, benefit from intended learning and build on what they already know and can do. Leaders should support staff to make better use of everyday opportunities to help children understand, assess and manage risks for themselves.

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Address:

1 Blundellsands Road West Liverpool Merseyside L23 6TF

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Registered person: Blundellsands Kindergarten Playgroup Committee

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 15:15

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Address:

Local authority: Sefton Leaders should ensure staff consistently provide children to develop an understanding of how their behaviours impact on others. Leaders should develop and implement effective systems to ensure that inconsistencies in teaching and practice are swiftly identified and addressed through targeted professional development and support.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, parents and children during the inspection.

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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, known as the early years foundation stage.

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About this inspection

We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. The provider will be able to give parents further information about this.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

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

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Exceptional

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

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Strong standard

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

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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.

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Needs attention

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

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Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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

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