The Nursery at Folkestone College

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children's behaviour is impeccable, and they are incredibly polite. Their attitudes towards learning and to each other are outstanding. Staff are dedicated to ensure that children are motivated to learn in a safe and secure environment.

Children have good levels of respect and understanding for other people's similarities and differences. For example, they learn about a wide range of celebrations and events traditional to other religious beliefs and countries, such as Diwali and Eid. Staff skilfully build on children's ideas and interests well to extend their learning.

For example, children who have a keen interest in ...a story about Santa, go on to wrap different items as 'presents'. Children then enjoy guessing what the presents may be as they unwrap them. This brings the story alive and helps them to develop good hand-eye coordination.

Children have good opportunities to learn about the importance of healthy lifestyles. They independently follow good health and hygiene routines and discuss washing away bad germs before mealtimes. All children challenge and develop their physical abilities.

For instance, they negotiate obstacles such as balancing and climbing beams, tyres and wooden ladders. Staff ensure that they provide all children with the skills they need to succeed and make good progress. This includes those who speak English as an additional language.

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

Staff get to know individual children and their personalities well. This helps children settle confidently, quickly and happily into their play. Children have a good sense of belonging and positive well-being and self-esteem.

The manager and staff establish positive relationships with parents and communicate with them regularly. They keep them involved and informed in their children's learning. For example, staff encourage parents to regularly share their children's achievements from home.

Staff share regular tips and activity ideas with parents, such as the importance of reading books together. This helps to support children to develop their communication skills.Children are confident to communicate and share their thoughts.

For example, they are keen to share their ideas during role play and intently listen to other people's ideas. Staff support children to develop good communication skills. For example, they provide good running commentary and sensitively reinforce the correct pronunciation of words.

The manager and staff evaluate their practice together effectively. For instance, they have daily room meetings to discuss how the day's events and activities engaged children and motivated them to learn. Staff use their findings to support their future activity plans.

The manager closely monitors the quality of care and education that staff provide to children. She observes staff interact with children daily and provides them with helpful feedback to support their future practice and highlight any potential training needs.Staff are keen to keep up to date with new early years information and build on their skills and knowledge even further.

They attend beneficial training. For example, they have learned about the different ways that they can communicate with all children, such as simple signing. All children, including babies, respond well to the signing, and both staff and children use it consistently throughout the day.

Children develop outstanding social skills and build extremely good friendships. For instance, they play exceptionally happily together, wait patiently, share and take turns with excellent levels of maturity. Children respect each other and are keen to help each other complete tasks and encourage and praise each other's achievements.

Staff establish positive partnerships with other early years professionals. This helps provide all children with a positive and consistent approach to their shared care and learning experiences. This includes those children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

For instance, staff regularly share helpful tips and strategies with outside specialists, such as speech and language therapists. This helps staff to enable all children to reach their full potential.Staff provide children with stimulating activities to cover all seven areas of learning.

However, staff do not make the most out of ways to extend children's skills and interest in mathematics even further. Children are incredibly eager to learn and have an exceptionally positive attitude to the activities that they choose to participate in. However, staff do not consistently build on children's opportunities to further explore and investigate their senses and the natural world around them.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.All staff, including the manager, have a good knowledge and understanding of the safeguarding and child protection policies and procedures. They understand how to help keep children safe and protect their welfare.

For example, they complete thorough risk assessments to cover all areas of practice. Children learn how to keep themselves and others safe. For instance, they learn how to cross the road safely and remain safe near water during regular trips to the beach and walks within the local community.

Staff meet the required ratios and supervise all children effectively. Staff know who to contact to seek additional advice and how to report and follow up any potential concerns.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nextend children's opportunities to develop their interest and skills in mathematical activities to help them gain more skills to support their future learning build on the experiences children have to explore and investigate the natural world and their senses more extensively.