Little Acorns Pre-School

Little Acorns Pre-School 500 Locking Road, Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, BS22 8QY

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 24 September 2015 29 January 2010

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1

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This provision is outstanding

 The manager and deputy provide excellent supervision and role models for staff. They work directly with them and feedback immediately on ways to improve their practice further. This ensures that children receive the highest quality support.  Staff skilfully follow the children's lead as they explore the inviting resources, which excite and motivate them to learn. Consequently, children make rapid progress in their learning and development.  Managers and staff promote children's language and communication skills extremely well. They introduce new vocabulary and children use it in context, showing their understanding. Through excellent support from staff, children work out how to solve problems through trial and error, and become highly independent learners.  The excellent partnerships with parents, outside agencies and other early years providers have a significant impact on children's development and care. Parents

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This provision is outstanding

comment extremely positively on the ideas staff provide for them to support learning at home.  Managers and staff plan an exciting environment and experiences. This is because through their constant and meticulous planning, they identify every child's interests. They observe how the children use the resources and where this leads their thinking.  Staff provide outstanding support for children's well-being. They meet children's physical and emotional needs really well. Children develop high self-esteem and comment on how proud they are of themselves and others.  Managers and staff implement highly effective procedures to protect and promote children's welfare, keeping children safe and secure.

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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

 develop children's understanding of healthy practices even further with regard to eating.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities and the quality of teaching indoors and outdoors.  The inspector spoke to children, staff and parents present at the inspection.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager and the deputy manager, and carried out a joint observation.  The inspector checked safeguarding information and the premises.  The inspector sampled documentation, including policies and procedures, children's development records and planning.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

The manager and deputy have an excellent understanding of their responsibilities. They monitor the children's development extremely well to identify gaps in their learning. They plan extremely effectively and work closely with outside agencies and parents to ensure the gaps close quickly. Following the last inspection, staff have reviewed and improved their use of the outdoor area in all weathers. In addition, they are implementing the use of the local school's facilities. This better meets the needs of those children who prefer to learn outdoors. Safeguarding is effective. The constant team has an excellent knowledge of their procedures and follows them to ensure it protects children from risk of harm. The manager and qualified staff team continue to attend training and review their practice. Through ongoing self-evaluation, they continue to drive improvement and therefore keep high standards.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

The quality of teaching is outstanding. Staff deploy themselves highly effectively so children can make full use of all areas and receive excellent support. They enable children to lead their learning, prompting them to use additional resources and extend their thinking. For example, at the inspection, children used bricks to construct buildings. They looked closely at pictures of architecture and using a spirit level as they discussed what would happen if their construction was not level. Staff are excellent role models, encouraging children to keep trying and if one method does not work then try another. As a result, children want to achieve and help each other to succeed too.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

The highly effective key-person system ensures that staff understand the uniqueness of each child. Children soon settle on arrival because staff know how to involve them so they become engrossed in the activities. Staff teach children the importance of keeping safe and healthy, although they occasionally miss opportunities during routines such as snack time. Through training, the management and staff have looked at how to support boys in wanting to have a go at new skills without the worry of failing. They provide sensitive support so that all children persevere with new skills. This promotes their development extremely well. Children's behaviour is exemplary. They work together harmoniously and express their feelings appropriately. Staff support children exceptionally well in developing a high sense of belonging and celebrating each other's backgrounds.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

From their starting points, children make excellent progress in their learning and development. They become confident and independent learners, making decisions and enjoying their learning. Children gain excellent skills in their key areas of development, such as speaking and listening. This prepares children exceptionally well for school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 115273 Local authority North Somerset Inspection number 825089 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 3 - 8 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 37 Name of provider Sharon Maureen Arvin Date of previous inspection 29 January 2010 Telephone number 01934 514735

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Setting details

Little Acorns Pre-School is privately owned and registered in 1995. The pre-school operates from Worle near Weston-super-Mare in North Somerset. The pre-school is open during term time only on Monday to Thursday from 8.30am to 12.30pm and 1pm to 4pm, with an optional lunch club between sessions and on Friday from 8.30am to 12.30pm. There is an optional cookery club each Tuesday from 4pm to 5pm. The group receives funding to provide free early education for children aged three and four years old. There are six members of staff, including the owner. Of these, one holds Early Years Professional Status and the rest hold early years qualifications at level 3.

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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

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Setting details

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