Little Acorns Pre-School

Little Acorns Pre-School Father's House Shaftesbury, Christys Lane, Shaftesbury, Dorset, SP7 8PH

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 27 January 2016 8 February 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

 Staff work together exceptionally well as a team and are highly committed to helping each child reach their full potential. They frequently and very closely monitor children's development to help them provide superbly inspiring play activities that significantly motivate children to learn. Children become very active learners and make extremely good progress from their starting points.  Staff are highly effective at nurturing children's excellent behaviour. They use very successful strategies to skilfully promote children's positive interactions with their friends, boost their self-esteem and sense of self-worth.  Children are extremely happy and content. Staff support children's emotional well-being exceptionally well. Children feel very secure and develop very strong relationships.  Management has established highly effective evaluation systems. They work very effectively with staff to make continual improvements that significantly enrich outcomes

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This provision is outstanding

for children.  Partnerships with parents are extremely strong. Staff work exceptionally well with parents to include them in their children's learning, providing excellent support and guidance. This very successfully helps children to gain the confidence and skills needed to help them get ready for school.

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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

 continue to extend the outside area to provide even greater learning opportunities and experiences for children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children's interactions in play indoors and outdoors.  The inspector sampled documentation, such as operational policies, procedures and required records, including those relating to staff suitability.  The inspector took into account the written and spoken views of parents.  The inspector discussed the pre-school self-evaluation with the managers.  The inspector undertook a joint observation with one of the managers.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

Safeguarding is effective. The management team and staff have an excellent understanding of their responsibility to protect children and have clearly detailed procedures to follow should any safeguarding concerns arise. The management team implements very clear recruitment and employment procedures to assess the ongoing suitability of staff. They give clear emphasis to supporting staff and regularly monitor their practice. Staff attend training frequently and make highly successful improvements, for example, to extend opportunities to promote children's creative thinking more through their play. Staff work extremely well with parents and other agencies involved in children's care. They successfully promote continuity and inclusion to help children make very positive achievements, including those with specific additional needs.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff are highly responsive to children's individual styles of learning and plan very exciting play activities around their interests. For example, children experiment making a 'volcano' and watch with fascination as this erupts. They develop an excellent enjoyment of early mathematics and are quick to recognise numbers of personal significance, such as their age. Staff promote children's imagination, language and literacy skills extremely well. For instance, they skilfully ask questions about children's play and extend their creative thinking and ideas. Children have great fun making pretend phone calls, typing on keyboards and writing on notepads in the role play office. They start forming recognisable shapes and letters. Staff know children's development exceptionally well. They identify their next steps of learning and expertly challenge and build on their existing skills.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Staff clearly value and welcome each child and they create a very nurturing, caring play environment where children thrive. Children develop very positive attitudes to others, for example, older children act as good role models and help the younger ones in play. Children eagerly greet their friends, asking how they are and showing clear concern for others. Staff are highly effective in promoting children's good health and physical well- being. Children gain a very good awareness of where different foods come from. They enjoy very healthy, nutritious snacks. Children develop excellent control and coordination. They enthusiastically sway their bodies, jump backwards and forwards, and dance to a favourite song. Children enjoy playing outside; however, staff are still developing this area and the use of natural resources to promote learning opportunities further.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children develop exceptionally good independence skills. They gain high levels of interest and confidence in play. This significantly prepares children for their future learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 141104 Local authority Dorset Inspection number 825762 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 42 Name of provider Father's House Shaftesbury Date of previous inspection 8 February 2010 Telephone number 01747853715

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Setting details

Little Acorns Pre-School registered in 2000. It operates from rooms within the Father's House situated in Shaftesbury, Dorset. The pre-school opens term time only on Mondays and Fridays from 10am to 2pm, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9.15am to 3pm, and on Thursdays from 9.15am to 11.45am. The pre-school receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are 10 staff employed. One staff member holds Qualified Teacher Status, one holds a foundation degree in early years, and six staff hold childcare qualifications at level 3. The staff team receives support from the registered person who holds Early Years Professional Status, and two volunteers.

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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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