Garden Cottage Nursery At Kent College

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are extremely focused on their play as they interact with devoted and attentive staff. Children extend their independence from an early age. Babies build muscle strength as they enthusiastically play with an extensive range of resources, which develop their mobility and hand-eye coordination. Children are highly inquisitive, for instance, they use trial and error as they join tubes using a variety of connectors. They confidently express their ideas to friends as they become self-aware.

Children's behaviour is exceptional. They learn to manage their feelings and treat each other with kindness. Children develop social skills as they work in teams to complete tasks. For example, they combined their strength to push a plunger into a tube filled with play dough. The children excitedly commented on the wiggly worm shaped dough that emerged through the holes. Children gain a high sense of satisfaction in their collective achievements.

Children feel safe and thrive on the secure emotional attachments they have forged with the nurturing staff. They learn about different feelings and emotions. For instance, they draw pictures of things that make them happy. Children enjoy revisiting their pictures and talk about what they have drawn in detail. They make exceptional progress in the truly inspiring environment created by highly professional and knowledgeable staff.

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

• The manager is passionate about the nursery and devoted to ensuring they foster an extended family environment for babies and children. For instance, they provide a family style breakfast club where children attending the school eat breakfast with their siblings in the nursery. The manager and her team have a clear ethos and are intent on continually evolving the outstanding facilities available.
• Parents are very impressed with the help, advice and support they receive, including during COVID-19 restrictions. The deputy manager put in place a wealth of resources to support parents via an online platform. This includes information on activities for children at different stages of development, with links to websites for further support. Parents commented that they particularly liked making chia seed slime with their children. Parents state that the strong personal bonds their children have established with the staff makes leaving them at the nursery immeasurably easier as they know they are well cared for.
• The manager has in place exceptionally supportive settling-in procedures to ensure babies and children receive the comfort and support they need. This is mirrored in the outstanding procedures in place for children as they transition from room to room and on to school. Staff support children's understanding of what makes them and others unique. The nursery and school work exceptionally well together to ensure children are at the forefront of everything they do.
• Staff have an exceptional knowledge of how to captivate children's attention. They build on children's knowledge and interests to enable them to construct a curriculum that is ambitious. Staff expertly support children as they develop their own ideas. For instance, children make their own laptops as they open folded paper and make marks to represent the keys with paint stamps. Children confidently lead activities as they create imaginative new resources.
• The manager is extremely committed to supporting the staff team. She places a high priority on helping staff develop professionally to continually maintain the high quality of education children receive. Staff say that they are extremely well supported.
• Staff provide children with an abundance of experiences and opportunities that enhance their life experiences. For example, staff make skilful use of technology to help explain how different trains operate. They make story time interactive and bring it to life. Staff enrich children's knowledge of the world around them. For instance, they sing songs and learn dances from different countries. Children are learning about their own cultural heritage and the wider community.
• Staff have an excellent understanding of children's learning and care needs to ensure they achieve the best possible outcomes. Children's progress is constantly monitored, and highly effective plans are in place to ensure every child makes tremendous progress. Staff make sure any additional interventions are thoroughly entwined into daily activities and routines. As a result, all children are incredibly well supported throughout their time at the nursery.