Helmdon Acorns Pre-School

Helmdon Acorns Pre- School Hintons Close, Helmdon, Northamptonshire, NN13 5QP

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 29 June 2015 13 November 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

 The quality of teaching is good. Staff allow children to lead their play, making suggestions for how they could extend their game and introduce new and descriptive language which supports children to learn.  Children are keen to take part in activities because their ideas, interests and suggestions are used by staff to fully inform the planning on a daily basis.  Children enjoy listening to their favourite stories on a compact-disc player. They are supported by staff to take on the roles of the characters, wearing masks and acting out the story.  Staff gradually enable children to develop skills for their future learning, including problem solving, making choices and being independent, which results in children being ready for their eventual move on to school.  Children are safe because staff understand the importance of maintaining supervision of children and the procedures for dealing with any safeguarding issues that arise.

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This provision is good

 The staff team are supported by the committee and are effective in driving improvement. Daily evaluations and reflection on their activity with children results in a responsive team, who identify well-targeted plans for the future.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 There are fewer opportunities for children to explore writing outdoors.  Occasionally, some children lose interest in activities in the garden because there are not enough resources to allow them to take part alongside their friends.

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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

 enhance the opportunities for children to practice their reading and writing skills during outside play, for example, by providing clipboards and a range of writing materials with the different activities outside  extend the availability of resources and equipment, particularly in the outside play area to ensure that all children are able to take part.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the playroom and pre-school garden.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector held meetings with the manager and two members of staff.  The inspector checked evidence of the suitability of staff working with children, looked at children's records and planning documentation and took account of the pre-school's self-evaluation.  The inspector spoke with a number of parents and carers on the day of the inspection and took account of their views.

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who attend. This is good

Staff have a good knowledge of how children learn and they offer them a good range of activities, both inside and outside that cover the seven areas of learning. Staff's positive interaction with children contributes to their learning because they show a genuine interest in what they are doing. Children's communication and language skills are promoted well. They bring items from home to talk about with their friends. They take part in specific group activities to support their confidence to speak and share their ideas. Children enjoy taking part in a wide range of learning activities outside. Staff spend time with them, talking to them and showing them how things work. However, on occasion children do not have access to enough resources at their chosen activity, which results in some of them losing interest. Children are supported well to be interested in reading and writing. They have access to text, books and writing materials inside. However, there are

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who attend. This is good

fewer opportunities for children to write during their outside play activities. Effective observation and assessment clearly shows the good progress that children make.

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good

Detailed and consistent discussions between parents and staff, results in each child having their needs met. Children clearly show the positive relationships they have with the staff. They enjoy relaxed conversations together. Children are confident to ask for assistance or for the items they want. They are learning about healthy lifestyles. They choose when they have snacks, make choices about what they want to eat and drink, and serve themselves. Children practise getting changed into their sports kit for physical activities, and talk with staff about how exercise affects their body. Children are kept under close supervision during their play. They are learning about how to keep themselves safe and how to reduce the risks in their chosen activities, through discussion with staff. Children behave well. They listen to the staff's clear reminders about expectations for behaviour and to think of others.

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provision is good

The management and staff team work together, sharing a commitment to provide all children with high-quality experiences. The provision is reflective in all aspects of its work and continually devises plans for continuous improvement. The staff team have taken positive steps to address the issues raised at the last inspection. The committee are supportive of all staff, who are continuing to increase their knowledge and skills through attending training courses and working towards qualifications. The increase in confidence of staff through this extra knowledge has a positive impact on their teaching and interactions with children. There are effective arrangements for recruiting new staff, regular supervisions, checking children's progress and staff's performance. This results in a consistent approach from the staff team. Responsive risk assessment and effective deployment of staff means that children are safe.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY420501 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 999051 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 41 Name of provider Helmdon Pre-School Committee Date of previous inspection 13 November 2014 Telephone number 01295768327

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Setting details

Helmdon Acorns Pre-School was registered in 2010 and is managed by a committee. The pre-school employs eight members of childcare staff. Of these, six hold an appropriate early years qualification at level 3, including one with Qualified Teacher Status. The pre- school opens from Monday to Friday during term time. Sessions are from 9am until 3.30pm. The pre-school 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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