Little Acorns Pre-School

Little Acorns Pre-School Playgroup Ingham Village Hall, The Green, Ingham, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, LN1 2XT

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 4 June 2015 5 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 know how to support and extend children's learning. In addition, staff recognise children's interests and use these to enhance the environment and plan for the next steps in their learning. As a result, children make good progress.  Children develop good communication and language skills. This is because staff ask questions that make children think about several different answers.  The playgroup has a community atmosphere. The staff clearly know the children and their families well. As a result, children show secure attachments to the staff and demonstrate self-confidence.  The manager has developed very good relationships with the host school. Children regularly visit the Reception class, which helps them to be emotionally ready for their move to school.  Staff professional development is good. They attend courses and conferences to gain information and ideas, which they implement to improve their practice. This means

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This provision is good

children benefit from a continually improving provision.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff are sometimes too focused on adult-led activities. This means that children do not always get the opportunity to play and explore independently.

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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

 allow more time for children to fully explore the child-led activities that they are engaged in, particularly on pre-school day.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector had a tour of the playgroup and held discussions with the provider and the manager.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector observed adult-led and free-play activities taking place in the playroom and outside area.  The inspector took into account the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.  The inspector checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of staff working with children and discussed the playgroup's self-evaluation and improvement plan.

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who attend. This is good

Staff understand that children learn best through a balance of adult-led activities and child-chosen play. However, staff sometimes place too much emphasis on adult-led experiences. As a result, children cannot always explore independently and be imaginative. Children develop their physical skills well. They practise moving in different ways, such as hopping, skipping and crawling. Staff encourage children to think about how their bodies feel after exercise by touching their heart and listening to their breathing. Staff develop children's interests. They find a snail and staff use the opportunity to encourage them to search for more bugs. Staff introduce new words, such as 'woodlouse' and 'slug'. Children ask questions about the bugs; this develops their understanding of nature and living things. Children spontaneously write their names on pictures and they form recognisable letters. In addition, staff use daily routines, such as lining up to come

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who attend. This is good

indoors, for children to practise counting. As a result, children begin to learn important skills to support their readiness for school.

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good

Children settle well when they join the playgroup. This is because staff find out important information about their likes and dislikes. In addition, the parents share what their child can already do at home. Children develop their independence skills well. They prepare for school by practising dressing and undressing for a physical education session. Staff sit with the children at lunchtimes and encourage them to make healthy food choices from their packed lunch before having a treat. Consequently, children develop an understanding of a healthy diet. Staff are deployed well across the environment to ensure that children are kept safe and supervised appropriately.

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provision is good

The provider and committee members are closely involved in the running of the playgroup. They understand their role in ensuring children are safeguarded and support the manager with staff observations. Staff understand the procedure to follow if they have any safeguarding concerns about a child in their care. The well-qualified staff team work together to ensure that children's learning needs are met so they make good progress. Parents comment they cannot speak highly enough of the playgroup and the staff. They praise the progress their children have made and the relationships that exist between staff and children. Staff provide parents with many opportunities to be involved with their children's learning and development. Managers ask staff, parents and children for their views. This helps managers to identify and address any weaknesses in the provision.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 253462 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 866740 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 31 Name of provider Little Acorns Pre-School Playgroup Committee Date of previous inspection 5 July 2011 Telephone number 01522 730119

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Setting details

Little Acorns Pre-School Playgroup was registered in 1992. The playgroup employs eight members of childcare staff. Of these, five hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and one holds level 2. The playgroup opens from Monday to Friday during term time only. Sessions are from 9am until 11.30am on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, and 9am until 3pm on Thursday. The playgroup provides funded early education for 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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