Little Acorns

Little Acorns Summerhill School, Poverty Lane, Maghull, Liverpool, L31 3DJ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 15 October 2015 21 April 2011

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This inspection: Good 2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

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This provision is good

 Staff make detailed observations, accurately assess and regularly plan to meet children's needs, taking account of their interests. Children's individual learning needs are well met and they make good progress in their learning.  Children are happy and settle quickly because the key-person system is effective. Staff have a warm and caring rapport with the children and are knowledgeable about the children that they care for. This helps to meet children's emotional needs and care routines.  Staff are very successful in working in partnership with parents. They develop positive relationships and work with them to promote children's learning in the nursery and at home.  The manager is committed to continuous improvement and seeks a variety of ways in which to enhance the experiences for children. She effectively uses information from staff, parents and children to drive improvements forward.  Staff are well qualified and attend a wide range of training courses. The manager

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This provision is good

makes effective use of their individual skills to enhance the care and teaching children receive.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 On occasions, during some activities, staff do not always provide the older children with opportunities to enhance their thinking and reasoning skills.  The manager has not yet established a highly successful system to monitor and review the progress of different groups of children.

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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

 encourage older children to think even more about what is taking place during activities and to consider different ways they can approach their learning and find solutions to achieve their desired result  review and monitor the progress of specific groups of children, and use this information to assess whether the provision for different groups can be enhanced further.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.  The inspector met with the manager and checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of staff working with children, policies, procedures, and the nursery's self- evaluation.  The inspector spoke to both children and staff and observed play and learning activities within the main environment and the outdoor environment.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector took into account the views of parents spoken to on the day.  The inspector carried out a tour of the premises.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The manager is skilled and well qualified. She has a thorough understanding of statutory requirements which helps to ensure the nursery runs smoothly and effectively. The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff have a secure understanding of what would cause them to be concerned about the welfare of a child and good attention is paid to the safety and security in the setting. Staff have regular and supportive supervision meetings with the manager to review the quality of their work and to plan for their professional development. Information about children's progress is frequently shared with parents and they are supported to continue their children's learning at home. The manager monitors the progress made by individual children to identify any gaps in their learning. However, systems to monitor the progress made by different groups of children are not yet fully in place. Parents offer very positive feedback about how much their

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Children are eager to investigate and thoroughly enjoy the varied experiences on offer. For example, children thoroughly enjoy singing times and staff skilfully use props to encourage all of them to take part. Overall, the quality of teaching is good. Staff are very enthusiastic in how they interact with the children. Staff provide activities that motivate children and encourage them to learn. These activities are well supported by staff as they use a variety of teaching strategies to support and extend children's knowledge and discussions further. However, the teaching in some group sessions does not always extend the older children's concentration and thinking skills to challenge their learning to a higher level. Disabled children and those with special educational needs are very well supported by staff who have a very good understanding of their individual needs.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

A caring and sensitive staff team provide a welcoming and highly stimulating environment. Children are becoming increasingly confident, inquisitive and eager learners. The well- established key-person system ensures all staff have a good understanding of children's individual needs and interests. On entry, parents provide key information to staff to ensure that children's individual requirements and stages of development are known. Children settle well and are happy and confident as they explore. Children behave well and staff are good role models. They encourage children to be kind and play cooperatively. Children learn to respect each other and tolerate each other's differences. Children show good levels of independence and are comfortable within their surroundings. Children enjoy daily outdoor play in the highly stimulating outdoor environment. Children's physical development is good. Children are handling equipment efficiently and gaining good control

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Outcomes for children are good

All children make good progress from their starting points. Children acquire necessary skills are well prepared for the next stage in their learning and for school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 310440 Local authority Sefton Inspection number 867943 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 2 - 11 Total number of places 48 Number of children on roll 84 Name of provider Maryvale Nursery Ltd Date of previous inspection 21 April 2011 Telephone number 0151 284 0796

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Setting details

Little Acorns was registered in 2000. The nursery employs five members of staff, of whom three hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The nursery is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm for 51 weeks of the year. The out-of-school club is open each weekday from 3pm to 6pm during term time and 8am to 6pm during school holidays. The setting provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of disabled children and those with special educational needs.

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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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