Felsted Little Acorns

Felsted Little Acorns Felsted Primary School, Braintree Road, Felsted, DUNMOW, Essex, CM6 3EB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 17/09/2014 18/03/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision requires improvement

 Staff establish warm relationships with children. As a result, children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure.  Staff are consistent in how they deal with behaviour management. Consequently, children learn how to behave and play well alongside their friends.  Partnerships with parents are encouraged by the nursery and make a sound contribution to supporting children's well-being.

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It is not yet good because

 The provider failed to inform Ofsted of changes to members of the pre-school committee, which they are legally required to do. This has the potential to compromise children's safety.  Planning is not fully developed to consistently reflect the individual needs of all children attending the nursery.  The presentation of resources does not consistently challenge and extend children's play and learning.

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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 activities indoors and outside.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of practitioners working with children.  The inspector carried out a joint observation of a teaching activity with the manager.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the manager, staff and parents at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Information about the setting

Felsted Little Acorns pre-school opened in 2001 and is registered on the Early Years Register. It is a registered charity and is managed by a voluntary management committee made up of parents of children at the pre-school. It operates from a single room, in a demountable building within the grounds of Felsted Primary School in Felsted, Essex. The pre-school is open each weekday, from 8.45am to 12.15pm and 12.45pm to 3.15pm, during school term times. There are currently 35 children on roll. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor area. The pre-school employs six members of staff. Of these, all hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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must:

 improve their knowledge and understanding of the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage, with particular regard to what events and changes must be notified to Ofsted

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must:

 ensure that observation, assessment and planning for children is focused on their interests and next steps in learning, so that all children are effectively supported and challenged to make good progress given their age, abilities and starting points.

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

 enhance the presentation of resources to challenge and extend children's learning.

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who attend

Children receive a warm welcome at this friendly pre-school. They play enthusiastically with a range of toys and resources. They participate mostly in freely chosen learning experiences and have some opportunities to extend their knowledge through adult-led, planned activities. Staff plan activities on a weekly basis. These are sometimes, but not always, linked to children's individual next steps of learning. The planning, therefore, is not rigorous enough to ensure that children are appropriately challenged and that their individual learning needs and styles are accommodated. The pre-school has systems for observing and assessing children's progress. However, there is a lack of information about children's starting points and capabilities. This means that there is little evidence to show how much progress children are making. Observations used to identify children's next steps in learning are infrequent, which means that the tracking of their progress is

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who attend

Children enjoy their time at the pre-school and participate in a variety of activities covering the seven areas of learning. For example, a range of easily accessible resources at an easel encourages children to experiment with making marks and promotes their imaginative skills. Staff arrange toys and equipment, so that children can make independent choices, enabling them to follow their interests. However, at times the presentation of resources does not fully support children to direct their own play or extend their learning. As a result, children are not being sufficiently challenged and consequently do not become fully involved in activities.

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who attend

The resources and activities that children participate in generally prepare them for their next stage of learning. For example, staff talk to children about going to 'big school' and looking after their belongings. They encourage children to be independent and develop good listening skills and to learn to organise their belongings in preparation for entering school. Staff encourage children's development in early literacy, as children are eager to share books with them. They enjoy snuggling up together to share a favourite book, establishing children's interest in reading for pleasure and purpose. Consequently, they develop skills to support their move to school.

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

Children share warm relationships with the approachable and friendly staff. New starters settle quickly into the nursery as staff take account of information about individual children's care needs obtained from parents. A key-person system is in place to help children build relationships with their special member of staff, to support their emotional needs and be motivated to learn. Children demonstrate a positive approach to learning, supported by the cheerful interactions of the staff team caring for them.

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

Children explore, play and learn in a safe and secure environment both indoors and outdoors. The pre-school is comfortable and children move freely and safely in their environment because staff take appropriate steps to ensure that hazards are kept to a minimum. Children have access to the outside throughout the session. This supports their ability to make choices and guide their own learning. A range of equipment to support all areas of learning is readily accessible for children to self-select, which promotes their independence.

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

Staff support children's emerging understanding of the importance of a healthy lifestyle that involves physical exercise and a healthy diet. Children benefit from regular fresh air and exercise during outdoor play. Staff provide nutritious snacks and meals, which include fruit and vegetables and children's individual dietary requirements are met. All children are learning about the need for good hygiene practices, as they routinely wash hands before touching food and after visiting the toilet. As a result, children achieve some independence in hygiene and managing their personal care. Children learn about the needs and feelings of others through sharing, taking turns and helping others. Their behaviour is generally good, as the staff share consistent expectations and act as effective role models themselves. Children willingly take on responsibility, for example, tidying away equipment before moving outdoors. Gentle reminders from staff help children to understand about

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

keeping themselves safe as they play and use a variety of equipment. Complying with these expectations means children enjoy their pre-school experiences and have some emerging skills to underpin their eventual move to school.

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provision

Children's welfare is promoted because staff demonstrate a sound knowledge and understanding of safeguarding policies and procedures and are aware of their responsibilities in this respect. They know how to report and record concerns, and have attended relevant training. Vetting and recruitment procedures check that all adults working with children are suitable to do so. The pre-school adheres to regulatory ratios to meet the needs of all children and ensure they are closely supervised to assure safety. Children are protected in the event of an accident because a number of staff have a current paediatric first-aid certificate. Children play in a secure, safe environment where staff complete daily safety checks and regularly review risk assessments to promote their welfare. However, the provider failed to notify Ofsted of a change to members of the pre- school committee. This is a breach of the legal requirements and demonstrates a lack of

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provision

the provider's knowledge of the legal requirements, particularly relating to notifications to Ofsted.

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provision

The manager and her team demonstrate an appropriate knowledge of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They understand their responsibility to promote the learning and development of all children. The manager monitors staff performance, both informally through working alongside the staff and more formally through annual appraisals. All staff hold relevant childcare qualifications and are keen to continually update their professional development. For example, some staff have registered to complete additional online training to further develop their knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The manager demonstrates a commitment to the continual improvement of the provision. She has a sound understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the educational programmes and has effectively identified areas for improvement.

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provision

Effective partnerships with parents are in place. As a result, parents speak positively of the care and learning their children receive. They are regularly informed about their child's learning through daily verbal feedback and newsletters. Relationships with other professionals and external agencies are established, so that children's needs are supported and help them to make progress. Staff promote sound links with local schools and other early years providers, which further aids children's progress and development. Information sharing is effective and this eases children's move to other settings or on to school.

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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. We re-inspect nurseries and pre-schools judged as requires improvement within 12 months of the date of 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

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Grade Judgement Description

is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. Met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. 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 404877 Local authority Essex Inspection number 870708

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 23 Number of children on roll 35 Name of provider Felsted Little Acorns Committee Date of previous inspection 18/03/2009 Telephone number 07917 190328

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Type of provision

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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