Little Acorns Baby Unit & Pre-SchoolOfsted inspection, 19 Jan 2015

Little Acorns Baby Unit & Pre-School 21 Parkhill Drive, COVENTRY, CV5 7PF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 19 January 2015 6 July 2011

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Good 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

The setting meets legal requirements for early years settings

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This provision is good

 Staff observe, assess and plan for children's individual learning. The quality of teaching is good as staff ensure that children are challenged to reach the next stage in their development. Therefore, children are making good progress.  Children form good relationships with the staff who care for them. They are warm and kind in their approach towards the children which helps them develop strong attachments.  Children's behaviour is very good. Staff consistently manage children's behaviour by gently reminding them of their expectations.  Children are safeguarded because the staff team are aware of their responsibilities in the event of a child protection concern.  There is good capacity for continuous improvement. The manager and her staff accurately identify their strengths and what they need to do to improve outcomes for children and their families.  Partnerships with parents and carers are effective. Staff spend time getting to know the

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This provision is good

children and their families during the settling-in procedures. This ensures parents' wishes and the children's needs can be met.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Children's speaking skills and critical thinking are not fully maximised. Staff do not consistently give children time to think and give a considered response about how they want to answer questions.  Staff sometimes organise adult-led activities in areas of the room where there are already a number of children enjoying child-led activities.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 extend children's speaking skills and critical thinking by making sure that they are given time to think about how they want to respond to questions asked of them  make sure that staff make best use of available space for adult-led activities in less busy areas of the room, so that children can concentrate and not become distracted.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the playrooms and the outside learning environment.  The inspector conducted observations of the activities and evaluated the teaching methods with the manager.  The inspector held meetings with the manager and spoke to staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector looked at a selection of children's records, policies and procedures and a range of other documentation.  The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of practitioners working with children and the provider's self-evaluation form.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

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who attend. This is good

Staff observe and assess children's individual learning and plan meaningful activities. The quality of teaching is good as staff have a good understanding of how young children learn. For example, staff understand the benefits of providing children with lots of first- hand experiences. Children independently access toys and resources that stimulate their imaginations. Staff support the children as they play and take opportunities to extend their learning. For example, they read them a story about a bus and then engage them in imaginative play using small world figures, a bus and a fire engine. Most staff make good use of the space available. However, some staff working with the pre-school children organise adult-led activities in the busiest areas of the room. Consequently, children are not able to fully concentrate and occasionally they become distracted. Most of the time children are presented with challenging experiences that enhance their communication

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who attend. This is good

skills. For example, staff encourage the children to talk about what they are doing as they use tools and equipment in the outdoor mud kitchen. However, some staff do not give the children enough time to think and respond to questions asked of them. Consequently, children's language and thinking skills are not fully maximised.

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good

Relationships between the staff and children are secure. The staff are very kind, caring and warm towards the children in their care. Babies enjoy playing in close proximity to staff and having a cuddle. Settling-in procedures are sensitive towards both the children and their parents. This ensures children feel emotionally secure. Children's behaviour is consistently managed by staff and children are praised for their achievements. Therefore, children feel good about themselves and are learning how to behave well. Children have many opportunities to be physically active. For example, children spend time digging in the mud and building with bricks in the construction area outside.

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provision is good

Staff understand their responsibilities in the event of a child protection concern. There are good procedures in place for recruiting new staff. For example, the manager requests references from previous employers and discusses any gaps in employment. As a result, this helps to ensure that staff caring for the children are suitable to do so. Staff attend training and meetings that help to ensure they are aware of current legislation and requirements. Therefore, staff are very knowledgeable about the their responsibilities with regard to the progress check when children are aged between two and three years. The manager and her team are committed to providing good-quality care for the children and their families. They effectively identify their strengths and swiftly action any areas for improvement. Parents spoken to on the day of the inspection are extremely happy about the service they receive. They say they especially appreciate the good progress their

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY418098 Local authority Coventry Inspection number 851901

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 36 Number of children on roll 65 Name of provider Stephanie Ison Date of previous inspection 6 July 2011 Telephone number 02476402277

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Type of provision

Little Acorns Baby Unit and Pre-School was established in 2003 and was re-registered in 2010. The nursery is privately owned. The nursery employs 13 members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and above. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Type of provision

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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Type of provision

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

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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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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