Puddles Playgroup

Puddles Playgroup

Unique reference number (URN): 2820232 Address: 8th Sheppey Scout Hut, Rear of 59 Broad Street, Sheerness, Kent, ME12 1EA Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 14/01/2025 Registers: EYR Registered person: Puddles Playgroup

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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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Achievement Expected standard

Children enjoy their time at the setting and engage confidently in a range of activities. They explore their environment with curiosity and show interest in sensory play, outdoor experiences and creative activities. Children develop early communication skills as they listen to familiar words, respond to simple instructions and begin to express their needs. For instance, they learn to use words, such as 'melting' and 'freezing'. Children develop their fine motor skills as they manipulate play dough in different ways. Children show independence as they confidently make decisions about how they wish to explore a range of sensory experiences on offer. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or emerging barriers to learning are supported to access all activities.

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Achievement Expected standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make steady progress from their starting points. Communication and language development are a clear strength across the nursery.

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Achievement Expected standard

Typically, children are well prepared for the next stages in their learning, including school.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children's welfare is supported through warm and responsive relationships. Leaders and staff provide effective care as they have a comprehensive knowledge of the children in their care. Secure attachments are formed and staff have built trusting relationships with the children. Children demonstrate a sense of security. They arrive confidently and quickly settle and engage themselves in a chosen activity. Children enjoy their time outdoors and being physically active. They build up their confidence as they ride around the garden on the ride- on toys and enjoy exploring different coloured water and ice, experimenting with different ways to make it melt and watching the colours mix together.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children show growing independence in managing their own care, such as finding their own sun hats and helping themselves to the water dispenser to make themselves a drink of water. Staff promote healthy lifestyles through daily routines. Children benefit from nutritious snack times, regular opportunities for outdoor play and appropriate activities, such as play trays set up to promote oral health. Staff monitor and support children's welfare and wellbeing effectively. For instance, during an extreme heat wave, staff effectively provide children with cooler spaces, promote good hydration, rest and safety precautions, such as sun cream and sun hats.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff have a secure knowledge of each child from the day they first start at the setting. They use this knowledge effectively as a foundation for targeted teaching. Staff complete regular observations of children and track their progress using a convenient online assessment tool. Leaders and staff provide children with a broad and balanced curriculum. They focus on building on children's existing skills, which helps children to develop secure foundations for future learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Overall, staff plan activities with clear learning intentions. This enables them to deliver well- structured activities that are precisely aimed at narrowing gaps in children's skills and knowledge.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff make appropriate adjustments where required. For example, they use signs and gestures to reinforce language and support understanding. Staff prioritise early communication by modelling simple instructions and consistently reshaping language to support children's speaking skills. Communication and language are a strength and are consistently embedded across the provision. As a result, children develop a love of books. They enjoy joining in with familiar stories and independently access books throughout the day.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff integrate mathematical learning into everyday routines. For example, during sand and water play, they encourage children to compare sizes. Staff use everyday language to develop understanding of measures, such as full and empty, and support children to explore concepts, such as one more or one less. This helps to strengthen early mathematical thinking.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders and staff enrich children's learning through meaningful community experiences. For instance, children enjoyed a visit from a local football mascot as part of their World Cup celebrations. They are also looking forward to a visit where they will learn about and explore 'creepy crawlies'.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have established a caring and inclusive nursery, where every child is known and valued as an individual. They have a secure understanding of children's backgrounds, family circumstances and any barriers that may affect their learning, development or wellbeing. This enables leaders and staff to identify additional needs promptly, implement targeted support and work proactively with families and external agencies where appropriate. As a result, children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those facing additional challenges, receive timely and personalised support that enables them to access the curriculum successfully alongside their peers.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders demonstrate a strong commitment to supporting families. They provide practical support, including hosting a weekly food bank and signposting families to the local Family Hub. This holistic approach helps to reduce barriers to attendance, engagement and learning, ensuring that children arrive ready to participate and thrive.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders use additional funding to meet the individual needs of children and remove barriers to learning. For example, the introduction of a mud kitchen has created rich opportunities for children to develop their communication and language, imagination and problem-solving skills through play. Children who previously lacked confidence outdoors or found social interaction more challenging are increasingly engaged, resilient and willing to explore alongside their peers. Leaders regularly review the impact of additional funding to ensure resources continue to improve outcomes, particularly for children with SEND and those at

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Needs attention

risk of falling behind, enabling them to make positive progress from their individual starting points.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders demonstrate an understanding of the setting's strengths and priorities for improvement. They identify priorities for improvement and put in place action plans to inform change. For instance, a newly embedded curriculum approach means that children show deeper levels of engagement in their play and exploration as they make choices in their play according to their own interests.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff report that they feel well supported and that their workload is manageable. Leaders place a high priority on staff wellbeing and create a culture, where staff feel valued and listened to. Regular supervisions and ongoing feedback help staff to reflect on and enhance their practice. Staff access training that strengthens their professional knowledge. For example, recent training to support children's communication and language development has enabled staff to identify emerging needs more confidently and lead on effective interventions to support children's learning in this area.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders work closely with parents and the wider community. They build trusting relationships with families and support them to understand the importance of regular attendance. Parents say the nursery has supported them well and helped their children to grow and make progress. Information regarding strategies to support children's behaviour and learning is not shared with parents in a sufficiently consistent or detailed way. This limits opportunities for parents to reinforce and extend learning at home, meaning that some children do not benefit from a fully joined-up approach between home and the setting.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

Expectations for behaviour and routines are not implemented consistently by all staff, resulting in children not always having a secure understanding of what is expected of them. Staff respond appropriately to unwanted behaviour and are aware of children who may require additional support with emotional regulation. Positive manners are promoted throughout the setting. However, staff do not consistently use a broad range of effective strategies to explicitly teach, model and reinforce expectations, particularly around turn- taking and sharing. As a result, some children become unsettled or disengaged, reducing opportunities for positive social interaction and sustained learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

Children form warm and trusting relationships with staff and confidently seek reassurance, comfort and support when needed. They generally cooperate well during routines, such as snack and lunchtime, and are developing increasing independence in managing their belongings, including lunch bags and drink bottles. Children attend regularly, arrive happily at the setting and settle quickly into familiar routines. Leaders and staff recognise the importance of promoting good attendance and have effective systems in place to monitor attendance and follow up absences appropriately.

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

Children arrive happy and eager to begin their day. They are warmly welcomed by friendly staff into a nurturing, stimulating environment, where they feel safe and secure. Children confidently wave goodbye to their families and happily enter the setting, demonstrating that they feel settled and comfortable in the familiar routines. They form warm, trusting relationships with staff, who know them well and respond sensitively to their individual needs.

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

Children are developing increasing independence in their self-care skills. Younger children receive support when needed, such as applying sun cream before outdoor play, while older children are encouraged to manage this for themselves. Children demonstrate a strong sense of belonging as they join their friends to explore the wide range of activities available. They are curious, motivated and enjoy learning.

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

Children engage enthusiastically in experiences that capture their interests. They investigate ice and colour mixing, manipulate play dough using a variety of tools, challenge themselves on obstacle courses and express their creativity through a wide range of arts and crafts materials. They benefit from daily opportunities to be physically active and enjoy exploring the outdoor environment.

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

Children sustain their attention well, when engaged in activities that interest them, and enjoy learning alongside their peers. However, opportunities to develop and consistently apply important social skills, such as taking turns, sharing resources and cooperating with others, are not always fully embedded through adult interactions and routines. As a result, some children occasionally become unsettled or require additional support to interact positively with others and remain engaged in their learning.

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

Children attend regularly, arrive ready to learn and settle quickly into the day. Staff work effectively with families to promote the importance of good attendance and ensure children benefit from consistent access to learning and development opportunities.

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Address:

8th Sheppey Scout Hut Rear of 59 Broad Street Sheerness Kent ME12 1EA

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Next steps

The provider is not meeting the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Ofsted intends to take enforcement action.

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Next steps

We will issue a Welfare Requirements Notice requiring the provider to have taken the following action by the assigned date:

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Action Completion Date

Leaders should improve strategies to manage children's behaviour effectively to help them understand expectations, particularly in relation to turn taking and sharing. 31/12/2026

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Action Completion Date

Leaders should strengthen partnerships with parents and carers through more consistent involvement and clearer communication of the planned curriculum, ensuring children's behaviour and learning are effectively supported at home.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, staff 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. Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 09:00 - 15:00

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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.

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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.

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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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