Little Acorns Pre-School

The Little Acorns Pre- School And Oaks Afterschool Club Kennington Primary School, Kennington Road, Fulwood, PRESTON, PR2 8ER

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 23 April 2015 22 November 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 Outstanding 1

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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

 Practitioners promote exemplary partnerships with parents and other professionals to meet the needs and well-being of every child.  The comprehensive and accurate observation, assessment and tracking system means any gaps in children's learning are quickly identified and targeted plans are put in place to support their continued progression.  Staff have an excellent understanding of safeguarding and child protection issues; this means that children are kept safe from harm.  Practitioners have developed highly effective links with local schools and this supports children's emotional well-being during transitional periods.  Children are fully independent within the environment enabling them to make choices and take an acceptable level of risk during the daily activities and routines.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Children that are more able are not always effectively challenged during adult-led activities.  Staff who support more challenging children are not always confident in knowing what action to take when dealing with difficult situations.

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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

 ensure that planned, adult-led activities provide further challenge for those children who are more able, in order to maximise their learning  improve the processes for supporting those staff who may be less confident in dealing with more challenging children; by ensuring they have the strategies in place to deal with difficult situations confidently.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching and learning both indoors and outside.  The inspector spoke to members of staff and children at appropriate times throughout the day and carried out a meeting with the management team.  The inspector spoke to parents and took their views into account.  The inspector looked at documentation including children's records, planning and assessment, staff suitability and a selection of policies and procedures, for example, safeguarding and the complaints procedure.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the deputy manager.

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who attend. This is good

Children play and explore in a welcoming and well-resourced environment both inside and outdoors. Planning and activities across the seven areas of learning is evident. The individual good planning systems ensure that children's interests are used to plan meaningful activities for them, for example, children found a spider in the book box. Practitioners then initiated making spider footprints in the dough and using clay for children to make their very own spider. Practitioners routinely use their good observations to plan next steps in children's learning so children are motivated and engaged in their play. On occasions, children who are more able are not always as effectively challenged during focused adult-led activities, therefore their understanding is not fully extended. Nevertheless, children make good progress given their starting points and practitioners demonstrate their understanding of how children learn.

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outstanding

The key-person system is exemplary. Staff know each and every child as a unique individual and they are valued and celebrated. Partnerships, particularly with parents, are highly successful in promoting involvement in children's learning. The use of an online system for communicating with parents is especially effective and it is widely used by parents who can access information about their child's day. Children are confident to freely move around the pre-school, making choices and taking acceptable risks, for example, they freely access the snack table and use a safety knife to cut fruit ready to eat. Practitioners work hard to ensure that children are emotionally ready for their future learning. The pre-school is currently involved in a health and dental campaign and has been working with the parents to ensure packed lunches contain healthy, low-sugar foods. Children talk about how to keep safe in the hot sun commenting that "we need lots to

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outstanding

drink" showing a good understanding of how to keep safe. Additionally, their physical needs are well met.

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provision is good

The manager and staff have a good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Children are kept safe as recruitment procedures and all safeguarding requirements are met. Ongoing supervision and appraisal meetings enable practitioners to reflect on their own practice and set targets with their management team. The impact of continued training and the good staff qualifications all contribute to improving the provision for all children and improving staff practice. Staff feel supported by the management team, however, sometimes when dealing with more challenging children they are less confident when difficult situations arise. Peer to peer observations are used well and leaders clearly identify any strengths or weaknesses for the practitioner to address with support. Leaders effectively monitor the planning and assessment systems to ensure consistency and to quickly identify any gaps in learning. Managers use self-evaluation to form action plans,

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provision is good

with the views of committee members, staff, parents and children taken into account.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY417226 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 851810 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 32 Number of children on roll 60 Name of provider The Little Acorns Pre- School And Oaks Afterschool Club Date of previous inspection 22 November 2011 Telephone number 01772717881

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Setting details

The Little Acorns Pre-School And Oaks Afterschool Club was registered in 1998. In 2010 it changed its registration status to management by a voluntary committee with charity status. It operates from a modular building in the grounds of Kennington Primary School in Fulwood, Preston. The pre-school employs nine members of child care staff. Of these, six hold appropriate early years qualification at level 3. Additionally, there is one member of staff qualified to level 4, one to level 5 and one to level 6. The pre-school operates from 8.30am to 3.30pm Monday to Friday, term-time only. The out of school operates from 3.30pm until 5.30pm. The pre-school provides funding for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The pre-school supports children with English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and /or disabilities.

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Setting details

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

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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Setting details

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Setting details

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

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