Little Acorns Pre SchoolOfsted inspection, 15 Jun 2015

Little Acorns Pre-school Playgroup Sidegate Primary School, Sidegate Lane, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4 4JD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 15 June 2015 5 October 2010

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3

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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3

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

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3

The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision Requires improvement The setting meets legal requirements for early years settings

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This provision requires improvement. It is not yet good because:

 The setting has not provided Ofsted with all the relevant information about changes to committee members.  Staff are not yet making the most of the different ways to further enhance their own practice, in order to improve their teaching to an outstanding level.  Children are occasionally not involved in purposeful play and learning because the organisation of lunchtime takes too long.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff have good knowledge and understanding of what to do if they have concerns about a child in their care and can identify the potential signs and symptoms of abuse. Consequently, staff keep children safe from harm.  Partnerships with parents are good. Staff regularly share children's learning journeys with parents. In addition, parents are encouraged to continue learning and development with their children at home by borrowing books from the lending library. This supports continuity of learning between home and the pre-school.  Children settle very quickly at the pre-school. This is because the staff go to great lengths to find out about children before they start. For instance, staff offer home visits, a joining open day and gradual settling-in sessions. Once a child has registered, staff give them a welcome book that includes pictures of staff and the environment.

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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

 build further on the good quality of teaching by, for example, introducing a programme of peer observations to focus more specifically on the sharing of good practice  review the organisation of lunchtime so that children are able to spend more time being involved in play and learning.

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Inspection activities

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

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who attend. This is good

The well-qualified staff gain information about children's starting points and interests, monitor their progress and clearly identify their next steps in learning. As a result, all children make good progress in their learning, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Children benefit from the highly positive involvement of staff during their play. However, delays in some routines, such as getting ready for lunch, mean that children spend too much time waiting instead of being engaged in play and learning. Staff understand that children learn best from a balance of adult-led and child-led play. During small-group sessions, staff encourage children to use their listening and attention skills to follow instructions. For instance, they choose an instrument and listen for instructions to play it loudly, softly, quietly and to stop playing. As a result, children begin to learn important skills to support their readiness for school.

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good

Staff talk with great affection about the children they look after. Children develop secure emotional attachments to their key person. Consequently, children demonstrate self- confidence around adults. Staff help children to have an understanding of how to keep themselves safe. For instance, children are involved in the daily, outdoor risk-assessment check. Children behave well because staff offer lots of praise and encouragement. They help children to understand good behaviour by setting clear boundaries for them. For example, they make sure children remember to take turns and share. Children love to experience fresh air and exercise in the outdoor play area. They make pretend cakes in the mud kitchen and climb and slide on the large equipment. Consequently, they are developing an understanding of the benefits of physical exercise and a healthy lifestyle.

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provision requires improvement

There are effective procedures in place to establish the suitability of new staff. The management team follows safe recruitment procedures and have a clear induction procedure for all staff and volunteers. However, the provider has not followed the correct procedures for providing Ofsted with the required details about some committee members. Although this is a breach in requirements, there is minimal impact on children in the pre-school because these committee members do not work directly with them. The managers of the pre-school have very positive attitudes towards making improvements. They regularly make changes to practice and have a focused improvement plan for future developments. The management have regular supervision meetings with staff. This creates opportunities to discuss issues about individual children, teaching practice and training needs. However, staff have not yet had the opportunity to share their good skills,

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provision requires improvement

for example, by evaluating each other's practice to improve the quality of the pre-school even further.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 251558 Local authority Suffolk Inspection number 864453 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 36 Number of children on roll 62 Name of provider Little Acorns Pre School Committee Date of previous inspection 5 October 2010 Telephone number 01473 712 236

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Setting details

Little Acorns Pre-school Playgroup was registered in 1994 and is located in Ipswich, Suffolk. The pre-school employs 15 members of childcare staff. Of these, two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 6, six at level 3 and two at level 2. The pre- school opens from Monday to Friday, term time only. Sessions are from 9am until 3pm, Monday to Thursday, and 9am to 12 noon on a Friday. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The pre-school supports 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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