Acorn Pre School Group

Acorn Pre School Group Paulton Village Hall, Farrington Road, Paulton, Bristol, BS39 7LW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 07/05/2014 04/07/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 Previous inspection: 3 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 Children's care, welfare and learning is fully enhanced by the highly effective way the nursery is led and managed.  A highly effective key-person system promotes children's sense of security and helps them to form very strong emotional attachments. Staff are kind, caring and interested in what children say and do, totally respecting the needs of children.  There is an extremely good balance of adult-led and child-initiated tasks. There is an emphasis of ensuring children are well-prepared for school. The staff teach with enthusiasm, expertise and encouragement.  Staff develop exceptional partnerships with parents and carers and involve them fully in the nursery and their children's care and education.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children at play both indoors and outdoors.  The inspector interviewed the manager and carried out a joint observation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled paperwork including policies, children's files and risk assessments.  The inspector discussed the provision with staff throughout the inspection.  The inspector sought the views of parents through discussion and questionnaires.

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Information about the setting

Acorn Pre-School registered in 1981. It is a parent committee charitable pre-school and operates from the village hall situated in Paulton, near Bath. Children have use of a main hall, kitchen and toilet facilities. An enclosed outdoor play area at the back of the premises is available for outside play.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 43 children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age group, who attend a variety of different sessions. The pre-school is open from Monday to Thursday from 9am to 3pm and on Tuesday until 12 noon, term time only.

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Information about the setting

The parent committee employ seven staff, six of whom have relevant qualifications in childcare and early years education and one member who is training. The pre-school receives support from the local authority and supports children with additional needs and with English as an additional language.

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 develop the outside play area to further extend the opportunities to learn, explore and investigate.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is outstanding. The nursery staff have expert knowledge of how children learn through play. This means that they gather valuable information from their detailed observations of children, which they use to plan very exciting and challenging activities. Therefore, all children make excellent progress in their learning and development. The kind, warm and long-established staff team fully promote reassurance among children that enables them to be curious and grow in confidence. Excellent teaching, combined with the care staff take to get to know children's starting points, helps children to become happy and very confident learners. For example, at registration times children are completely transfixed and concentrate. Staff talk about the day and the weather and children contribute enthusiastically. Children sit and listen; when it is time for them to talk, they do this with excitement and clever suggestions.

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who attend

Excellent educational programmes are evident across the nursery. For example, children learn about insects and reptiles when they play in the sand. Staff are quick to promote their understanding and question the children 'what do you think it is?' Children respond excitedly 'is it a reptile.' Staff genuinely applaud the children's ideas and suggestions and the learning extends to discover the identity of insects in the books close by. This support from adults means that children's inquisitiveness is celebrated and they are able to extend their learning. Staff constantly model the mathematical language of measurement and comparison. Children begin to understand and use terms such as magnificent, bigger and smallest. All children's needs are met as highly reflective staff have clear expectations for children's learning, knowing their readiness to be challenged. The quality of teaching across all age groups of children is highly effective with children good progress in all

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who attend

aspects of their learning. As a result, they are gaining many vital skills to give them the very best foundation upon which to support their future learning. All staff record observations of children's achievements during each day. A lead member of staff carries out Letters and Sounds activities with older children and this gives them good preparation for school.

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who attend

Staff are highly effective at meeting the needs of the range of children who attend, including those who speak English as an additional language. Staff make excellent relationships with families to allow communication to flow. Parents receive regular updates to tell them what the children have participated in. They complete ongoing 'All About Me' forms throughout their child's time at the setting, which means that staff have constant information to inform their planning. Parents are encouraged to contribute to learning journals and they are keen to talk with staff about activities at home as well as how they have extended children's experiences from nursery to home. Some children take guided reading folders home and these routines are discussed with teachers from local schools, this makes sure children are supported sincerely.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Each child has a key person who brings observations of the children together in a learning journal and identifies the next steps to nurture, look out for, and celebrate. Children approach adults with familiarity and initiate conversations, asking them for help or simply sharing something with them. This confidence builds from the security of the highly effective key person system, which firmly embeds knowledge of children's needs, preferences and home routines. This system also means liaison with parents, both formally and informally, to share their knowledge of children's progress and interests are effective. Staff and parents discuss written updates and next steps in all areas of learning on a termly basis.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Staff are extremely attentive and caring and make an outstanding contribution to the well- being of the children. The warmth and genuine interest of staff in children's achievements helps children feel valued and confident to explore and ask questions. Children learn about safety through careful planning. The children say they need to 'stay with the ladies' if they go for a walk. They say when they use scissors they must remember to 'point them to your toes if you walk around the table.' Staff consistently give children guidance that helps them learn to manage risks. Regular emergency evacuation procedures carried out every day for one week in a term makes sure all children can consolidate their understanding.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children behave exceptionally well. This is because the session is structured and children respond instantly and knowingly when the bell rings. They know that a change in the routine is about to happen and all children move on to the next part of their day. They stop in their tracks, they listen and they carry on happily. This enables children to feel safe and secure and establish their confidence and self-esteem. A 'Values Tree' displayed helps staff and children to learn the rules and this means they know what is expected of them. Staff highly praise children and acknowledge their positive behaviour, which in turn also fully promotes their self-esteem. Children of all ages play together, take turns and share. As a result, the setting has a calm and happy atmosphere.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children engage in a range of daily routines to support and promote their awareness of maintaining their own health, for example, washing their hands before meals and after toileting or when playing in the sand or messy play. Children receive a good balance of snacks, such as, fruit and toast further supporting their health. Children discuss good foods to eat and staff reinforce their understanding throughout the session. This makes certain children are building healthy attitudes for life.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Resources both inside and outside cover all areas of learning and offer children challenge and risk. Children can independently access most of these toys and when they show interest, staff take note of this. This means staff nurture children's interests and children learn happily playing with resources that they have chosen.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children benefit from regular opportunities to explore their own cultures and beliefs and that of others. They enjoy a wide range of resources. Displays show positive images of people from the local community, which include images of disability and the wider world. This also includes photographs of themselves, which acts to help them understand and respect people's differences. A display of self-portraits of each child show that there is a celebration of difference. Children use different colours of skin toned paper for their faces and wool for their hair. This gives them the chance to talk about, and celebrate how different they all are.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Very effective and positive working relationships with other early years providers promotes continuity in children's care and learning. The staff have made excellent connections with the local school and the reception teacher is a regular visitor. This gives children an ideal opportunity to become familiar with the teacher and vital information is exchanged. If children need extra support, this is planned and prepared for to assure smooth transitions are put into place.

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provision

Staff have an exceptional understanding of the learning and development, safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Staff demonstrate a secure understanding of the local safeguarding procedures and are confident to follow these if it is needed. Leadership and management systems are comprehensive and the nursery manager is competent, confident and capable in her role and responsibilities. She is supported extremely well by the rest of the team. All staff demonstrate excellent skills in promoting children's well-being and learning. They are experienced and have lots of knowledge. The staff know what they are doing and where they should be. This means they can meet the needs of all of the children. They supervise children well at all times.

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provision

Recruitment, induction and supervision systems are thorough. Regular appraisals take place to monitor and assess the continued suitability of staff. Vetting procedures are secure and a record of staff suitability checks and qualifications are readily available for inspection. Staff undergo regular opportunities to extend their knowledge and skills and keep up-to-date with changes in legislation through in-house training. There is an appropriately qualified and experienced deputy manager in place to provide temporary cover for the manager if required. The manager is organised and efficient and she supports the staff team very well.

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provision

A comprehensive written risk assessment is in place and the staff complete daily visual checks on the premises, toys and equipment. Children participate in regular emergency evacuation procedures to develop their confidence and familiarity. As a result, of these excellent practices, staff keep children safe at all times.

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provision

The nursery has a wide range of written policies and procedures to share with parents. They receive copies of these in a prospectus when children first start. Staff implement the policies and procedures very well across the nursery. Record keeping is thorough and provides evidence that parents are fully involved in agreeing appropriate procedures to promote children's safety and well-being. Medication, accident and injury forms are recorded and efficiently organised. Therefore, staff meet children's individual needs very effectively and consistently.

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provision

The educational programmes and assessment systems are highly effective. Children's next steps link directly to future activities. The manager evaluates the daily practice and this information is used effectively to support the staff. The system provides the best opportunities for children to learn because staff are homing in on their interests to promote their development. The staff demonstrate considerable skills in their interactions with children and the quality of teaching and learning is outstanding. As a result, children make excellent progress in relation to their starting point.

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provision

Partnerships with other agencies and parents contribute to meeting children's individual and specific needs. As a result, all children receive the support they require. The nursery regularly reflects on their practice to monitor and evaluate their overall effectiveness. Recent initiatives allowed video recording of the staff to analyse their performance. This helped staff to identify their strengths and weaknesses and consequently carry out effective evaluation. The manager uses a local authority evaluation format to monitor the provision. The local authority team has commended these efforts and the manager for their commitment and dedication. Since the last inspection, the manager and the team have acted upon previous recommendations. There is a positive attitude to drive for continued improvement.

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provision

Staff work closely with parents and children to identify appropriate areas for future improvement. Annual questionnaires give parents the chance to offer suggestions for this. Parents speak highly of the provision, they say, "my child has made such good progress" "staff are approachable." When early intervention is successful and consequently settling in at school, parents are delighted, "thank you for all the amazing things you have done."

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Requires improvement The provision is not giving children a good standard of early years education and/or there are minor breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected within twelve months of the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement action. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of

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Grade Judgement Description

the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted 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.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 132997 Local authority Bath & NE Somerset Inspection number 813788 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 43 Name of provider Acorn Pre School Group Committee Date of previous inspection 04/07/2011 Telephone number 01761416767

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Setting details

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. 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,

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Type of provision

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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