Kindergarten Forest Hill

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

There are trusting relationships throughout this busy and welcoming kindergarten.

Children arrive happy to attend and say goodbye to their carers at the door. They receive a warm and friendly greeting from staff on their arrival. Children benefit from the staff's respectful and caring nature and their attentiveness to their individual needs.

All children build strong attachments with their key person which supports their emotional well-being. Staff promote children's independence and have high expectations based on their capabilities. Children hang up their coats, change their shoes and add items to their labelled bask...ets with confidence and enthusiasm.

This gives them a strong sense of belonging and develops their self-help skills. Children engage in a wide range of exciting and challenging activities which promote their interests. As a result, they show good concentration and a positive attitude towards learning.

For example, they make predictions and test their theories. They discuss the weight and size of objects with staff before experimenting to see if they will float or sink. Children delight in seeing their predictions proven.

This supports their mathematical knowledge and understanding.Children behave very well. Staff support them to manage their behaviour and provide gentle reminders.

Children show a good understanding of rules, they share equipment and take turns with their peers. Staff support children to learn about their feelings and facilitate self-regulation.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

Children thoroughly enjoy their time in the spacious and stimulating outdoor area.

They develop valuable physical skills by climbing, running around and playing with bats and balls. They learn to ride bicycles in designated lanes, which supports their coordination. They develop an understanding of the natural world and enjoy growing a range of fruit, vegetables and herbs.

These experiences enable children to develop valuable skills for their future lives.Staff plan and implement a well-planned curriculum which builds on children's previous knowledge and skills. They use observations and assessments which ensures all children are making good progress from their starting points.

This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. However, the curriculum for younger children is not always consistently implemented during group activities.The kindergarten has developed strong partnerships with parents.

They regularly share information about children's development progress, next steps and ideas to continue learning at home. Parents comment on the good progress their children are making, particularly with their language skills and increased confidence.The staff fully promote a culture of diversity and inclusion.

Children communicate in both English and German, which many children speak at home. They sing songs, share stories, celebrate festivals and taste different foods. Parents contribute to show-and-tell sessions and share their cultural experiences.

This supports children to learn about their uniqueness and the wider world.Children benefit from the language-rich environment. Staff fully engage in conversations and skilfully ask questions.

The introduction of 'words of the week' is helping children to increase their vocabulary and extend their sentences. Children repeat and use words like 'predict' and 'absorb' as they play. Children communicate confidently and share their ideas and needs.

The manager and staff regularly evaluate their practice to raise the quality. They review activities and recap on learning to help children consolidate their understanding. They seek views from parents and implement ideas from the borough improvement team.

For example, displays have been lowered to children's levels to enhance their interaction and learning.The kindergarten works well in partnership with other professionals. Visits to the setting and advice shared helps support staff to meet individual children's needs.

Leaders have formed links with local schools in the community. Staff have visited school with children to help support their transitions.Staff promote a good understanding of healthy lifestyles.

They have reduced sugar in snacks and teach children about good oral health routines. Children have opportunities to develop their balance and coordination as they use equipment and learn to manage risk.Recent changes to the management structure at the kindergarten have resulted in clear direction and strong leadership.

The staff team say that they feel supported and encouraged in their roles and are motivated to do their very best for the children in their care. However, there is scope to drive staff development even further to gain stronger consistency in how the curriculum is implemented.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff use risk assessments and complete daily checks to ensure the environment is safe. All new staff have an induction to the kindergarten and understand their roles and responsibilities. They know the signs and symptoms that may indicate a child is at risk of harm or abuse.

Staff know the procedures to follow if they have any concerns regarding a child's welfare. Staff have a good understanding of the whistle-blowing policy. However, not all staff have completed safeguarding training regarding the 'Prevent' duty.

Staff maintain ratios and supervise children well. The manager ensures all staff are suitable to work with children.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: build the arrangements for practitioners' professional development even further to enhance consistency in the teaching of the curriculum review the arrangements for group activities, specifically ensuring that younger children have rich experiences that are within their understanding and fully engage them.