Little Acorns Pre-School

Little Acorns Pre-School Playgroup Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 253462 Inspection date 05/07/2011 Inspector Tara Street

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Setting address Ingham Village Hall, The Green, Ingham, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, LN1 2XT Telephone number 01522 730119 Email Type of setting Childcare on non-domestic premises to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as

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you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way.

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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of the registered early years provision. ‘Early years provision’ refers to provision regulated by Ofsted for children from birth to 31 August following their fifth birthday (the early years age group). The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and welfare, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Introduction

The provider must provide a copy of this report to all parents with children at the setting where reasonably practicable. The provider must provide a copy of the report to any other person who asks for one, but may charge a fee for this service (The Childcare (Inspection) Regulations 2008 regulations 9 and 10).

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Introduction

The setting also makes provision for children older than the early years age group which is registered on the voluntary and/or compulsory part(s) of the Childcare Register. This report does not include an evaluation of that provision, but a comment about compliance with the requirements of the Childcare Register is included in Annex B.

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Introduction

Please see our website for more information about each childcare provider. We publish inspection reports, conditions of registration and details of complaints we receive where we or the provider take action to meet the requirements of registration. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Description of the setting

Little Acorns Pre-School Playgroup is run by a voluntary committee. It was registered in 1992 and operates from the village hall attached to Ingham Primary School in the village of Ingham, near Lincoln. Children have access to a secure, enclosed, outdoor play area. The pre-school serves the local and surrounding villages.

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Description of the setting

A maximum of 26 children aged under eight years may attend the pre-school at any one time. The pre-school currently takes children aged from two to five years. The pre-school is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 9am to 11.30am and on Thursdays from 9am to 3pm term time only. Children attend for a variety of sessions.

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Description of the setting

There are currently 38 children on roll, all of whom are within the early years age range. Of these, 26 are in receipt of funding for early education. The pre-school supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The pre-school is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the setting

There are eight members of staff, including the manager, who work directly with the children. Of these, three hold National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) at level 3 in early years and four hold NVQs at level 2. The setting is a member of the Pre- School Learning Alliance and receives support from the local authority.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children enjoy coming to the pre-school and achieve well in a bright, stimulating and inclusive environment. They enjoy an interesting range of indoor and outdoor activities which cover most areas of learning well. Staff successfully meet each child's individual needs and most policies and procedures are implemented effectively to safeguard and promote children's welfare. Staff work hard to build and maintain strong relationships with parents, carers and other early years professionals. The manager and staff have a clear understanding of the pre- school's strengths and areas for improvement. They regularly reflect on and evaluate their practice to ensure continuous and sustained improvements in the care and education they provide for children.

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 review procedures to ensure regular evacuation drills are carried out  plan and implement a wider range of activities which enable children to This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 explore the local community and develop their understanding of the world around them  develop further the use of the outside play area to provide regular opportunities for children to investigate and explore the features of objects and living things.

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the early years provision

Children are effectively safeguarded because all staff have a good understanding of safeguarding and child protection issues. Detailed policies and procedures are mostly effectively implemented to ensure children's safety in the indoor and outdoor areas. Thorough risk assessments are carried out regularly to minimise danger and keep children safe. However, regular evacuation drills are not carried out to ensure all children are sufficiently familiar with the routine for keeping themselves safe in an emergency. There are robust collection procedures in place and high security within the pre-school. There are thorough systems in place for the recruitment and vetting of all staff and adults who work with the children. Staff are vigilant in supervising the children to ensure their safety, and a good range of equipment is used that is safe and suitable for their age.

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the early years provision

Staff build warm and friendly relationships with parents and carers and create a purposeful environment, where all children are included. Parents and carers receive detailed newsletters, email updates and useful information is displayed on the parents' notice board. They are actively involved in supporting their children's learning and development and regularly access and discuss their children's learning journey files. Partnerships with local schools and other early years professionals are good and information is shared effectively to ensure a smooth transfer into full-time education. In addition the pre-school has established good links with outside agencies to ensure children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are effectively supported.

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the early years provision

The pre-school is well-led and managed. There are good self-evaluation systems in place, which ensure that improvements have a positive impact on the children's experiences. The committee, manager and staff value the views of parents and carers and take these into consideration when identifying areas for development. There are detailed plans in place for future improvements. The recommendations made at the last inspection have been fully implemented. The manager and staff actively promote equality and diversity in the pre-school by ensuring all children's individual needs are fully met. They also use resources imaginatively to meet the needs of the individual children.

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and outcomes for children

All children are making good progress in their learning and development. Staff are effective in their interaction to support children's learning through discussion, This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 explanation and questioning. As a result, children show care and concern for each other and their environment. They form good relationships with staff and other children. Planning systems are very clear and detailed to provide a varied range of play opportunities for children. Good consideration is given to children's interests as well as their stage of development. There is a good balance of adult-led activities as well as free play. All the areas of learning are covered frequently and meaningfully, and are linked to routines and activities that interest the children. Detailed and useful records of children's progress are used well by staff. As a result, all children are given effective support to enable them to make good

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and outcomes for children

Children use their imagination well, spending long periods of time in the role play areas and when playing with dough. They confidently use rolling pins and happily count the number of candles they add to their pretend birthday cakes before singing 'Happy Birthday'. Other children eagerly paint their feet, from a variety of colours available and make foot prints on a large sheet of paper. Celebrations and festivals are carefully planned to enhance children's awareness of the wider world. In addition, children access a wide range of resources which reflect diversity. However, local resources are not always fully utilised to further enhance children's understanding of their community and the locality. Children play well together, without adult involvement, which develops their social skills. For example, children eagerly play in the sand and water trays and share the various resources available. They confidently use scissors, glue and a wide range of textured art materials

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and outcomes for children

when creating collage pictures. Children frequently count during games and activities and have good opportunities to recognise numbers and learn simple calculation through songs and rhymes. They enjoy stories and listen avidly when they are read to by staff, joining in with discussions about the different characters or predicting what might happen next. They are well supported to mark-make and have access to a good variety of crayons, chalks and paint, which develop their early writing skills well. Such skills ensure they are well prepared for their future success.

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and outcomes for children

Children's good health and well-being are effectively promoted. Children thoroughly enjoy outdoor play and the free flow between the indoors and outdoors. They eagerly participate in games, balance on small equipment and practise their throwing and catching skills. However, opportunities for children to investigate and explore the features of objects and living things in the outdoor environment are less well developed. Children use tools with skill and are aware of hazards as they build with wooden bricks or play with sand. All of the required information is captured regarding children's health and dietary needs and a healthy snack is available to promote children's good understanding of healthy eating. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

Grade 1 is Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Grade 2 is Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Grade 3 is Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Grade 4 is Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

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Early Years Foundation Stage

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 2 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers

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Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 2 The extent to which children feel safe 2 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 2

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Stage

procedures set out in the guidance available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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