Acorn Grove Nursery

Acorn Grove Nursery Pre School Learning alliance Shirley Road, Woodville Resource Centre, MANCHESTER, M8 0NE

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 6 May 2015 8 May 2014

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement 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

 Since the last inspection staff have been well supported to improve. Effective leadership and good support from senior managers and the local authority has reversed a dip in quality and is driving even further improvement.  The nursery provides a warm, friendly and welcoming place where children are happy, confident explorers and parents trust that their children are safe and well cared for.  Teaching is good overall and as a result, children achieve well. Staff organise the environment and routines effectively, and they respond to children's interests and individual motivations to capture opportunities for learning.  The nursery works well to ensure all children are kept safe. Effective communication and work with other professionals means that staff are well placed to support children and families who need it most.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Occasionally, staff do not support children's understanding of good behaviour in the best possible way. They focus on reminding children about what they don't want children to do as opposed to reinforcing and supporting the kinds of behaviour they would like.  Staff do not use the outside area to support different learning needs and styles, and to promote children's understanding of the world, as effectively as they do inside.

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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

 help children better understand and learn about the best ways to behave by enhancing staff's understanding of how to support, affirm and reinforce positive behaviour  enhance children's learning about the world outdoors and strengthen staff's knowledge of how to use outside, to support different learning styles and needs in the best possible ways.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the nursery rooms and in the outdoor area.  The inspector spoke to members of staff, children and parents and held meetings with the manager, childcare operations manager and the local authority adviser.  The inspector carried out two short joint observations with the manager.  The inspector looked at children's records, planning documentation, evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery and a range of other documentation, including staff performance management, training and qualifications.

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who attend. This is good

Continued improvements to the way staff plan for children, using regular assessment and a focus on what they want them to achieve, helps children make good progress. Children are eager to join in activities because staff follow their interests and respond to their curiosity. For example, during a paint spraying activity, staff allow children to respond to their own idea of adding water to the paint to make it thinner. Staff adapt activities to meet the needs of the children taking part. For example, the attention of a group of boys is successfully sustained in a story session because they are allowed to handle props which support the story. This appeals to their imagination and supports their style of learning. The indoor learning environment is well-planned and allows children to freely access interesting resources which are regularly changed and adapted in response to their identified learning needs and requests. This also means that when staff support children

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who attend. This is good

to achieve a new skill, children can continue to freely access resources to practise their new achievements. As yet, however, staff do not always make the most of ways to continue to support children's learning outside. Boys in particular become boisterous inside towards the end of the session, and for all children, there are fewer opportunities for exploring nature and living things than other aspects of learning.

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good

The staff provide a happy, caring environment which is enhancing children's well-being and enjoyment of learning in readiness for their move to school or other settings. From the moment they arrive, staff support children's understanding of the routines of the nursery. This helps them learn how to stay safe and be healthy. They become accustomed to washing their hands after toileting and before eating. During self-serve mealtimes they learn good manners, turn-taking and self-care skills. Staff make good use of every part of the day to build children's confidence, relationships and ability to follow routines. Children learn to support each other to put on their coats and high visibility vests before going out to play at the allocated time. Occasionally, however, staff do not reinforce positive behaviour to channel children's behaviour and help them understand about expected ways to behave. This leads to repeated boisterous behaviour from a small number of children.

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provision is good

The management team have successfully tackled the actions and recommendations raised at the last inspection. Good use of information from audits, and more regular checks on teaching, makes action plans and staff training well-focused and effective in making improvements. A good start has been made in using a new system to check the progress of individuals and groups of children, especially those groups at risk of falling behind. Regular supervision sessions help staff to improve and staff qualifications have a positive impact on children's learning. Parents value the setting highly, including the friendly relationships, which promote communication and helps them support their children. Safeguarding procedures are securely understood and prioritise children's welfare.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY280214 Local authority Manchester Inspection number 1010716 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 12 Total number of places 65 Number of children on roll 60 Name of provider Pre-School Learning Alliance Date of previous inspection 8 May 2014 Telephone number 0161 740 5687

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Setting details

Acorn Grove nursery was registered in 2005 and is operated by the Pre-School Learning Alliance. The nursery employs 10 members of childcare staff. Of these, eight hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, including the manager who holds an early years degree. 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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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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