Little Acorns Nursery HMP Styal Mother and Baby Unit

Little Acorns Nursery HMP Styal Mother and Baby Unit H M Prison, Styal Road, Styal, WILMSLOW, Cheshire, SK9 4HR

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 21 March 2016 Not applicable

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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

 Managers are fully committed to continuous improvement and are highly ambitious. They are uncompromising in their drive for excellence and have successfully led a team of staff to provide the highest levels of care and educational experiences for children. They are at the forefront of innovative practice which benefits both the children who attend and their families.  Teaching and learning are of the highest quality. Staff are experienced and well qualified. They fully recognise that each child is unique and adapt their approach accordingly. They provide an outstanding learning environment for babies, with extensive opportunities and resources for sensory play, exploration and discovery.  Partnerships with parents are exemplary. Parents state that they value the specialised input staff provide into their child's development. They find staff approachable and this provides a strong base for staff to help empower parents, so that they can continue to

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This provision is outstanding

support their children's future learning and care needs.  Staff meticulously track the progress children make. They ensure that any gaps in children's learning are rapidly identified. Effective partnerships with other agencies and professionals mean that any need for early intervention is swiftly accessed.  Children's emotional well-being is promoted exceptionally well. Staff are highly responsive to the individual needs of children. They help babies to successfully form strong emotional attachments and to feel very secure within the nursery.

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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

 implement the plan for the outdoor environment to build on the excellent outdoor learning experiences already provided for children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector spoke to a selection of the staff during the inspection and held a meeting with nursery managers.  The inspector examined a sample of policies, including staff qualifications and suitability checks, children's assessment profiles and planning documentation.  The inspector discussed the nursery's self-evaluation and explored how the managers evaluate the quality of provision and practice to drive improvements.  The inspector spoke to parents during the inspection.  The inspector and manager jointly observed practice in the nursery.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Children's safety and welfare are given the utmost priority. Potential risks to children in all indoor and outdoor areas are meticulously assessed. All staff have an excellent understanding of how to protect children from harm. Managers provide inspirational leadership to the strong staff team. Supervision meetings accurately identify aspects of staff practice that can be further developed, and these are addressed through relevant training courses. All those working within the nursery are truly passionate about what they do. Self-evaluation systems are rigorous and take into account the views of staff and parents. Areas identified for further improvement are carefully considered to ensure that any changes will bring significant benefit to children. For instance, there are excellent plans to enhance the outdoor environment. These now need to be implemented to build on the already high-quality learning

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff demonstrate expert knowledge and have high aspirations for all children. Accurate assessments are used to plan challenging activities and staff tailor their teaching to support each child to achieve their next steps. Staff are highly responsive to children's changing interests. For instance, they respond to babies' fascination with shiny materials, using a mixture of water and glitter to extend their sensory development. Staff capture babies' curiosity further as they encourage them to explore how to make sounds by pressing the shiny keys on a toy piano. There is an extremely sharp focus on helping babies to develop their early communication and language skills. For instance, staff repeat key vocabulary as they share books. Children benefit from an exceptional range of toys and resources which promotes positive images of diversity.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Babies settle very quickly and are extremely happy. Staff promote their independence superbly. They sensitively stand back while babies explore and engage in new experiences. All staff are warm and loving towards the children. Babies smile with delight and are confident in their interactions with staff, enjoying many cuddles. Babies show that they feel at home and there is a strong sense of belonging throughout the whole nursery. Staff engage parents in a range of high-quality activities to help them engage with their children. For example, baby massage, music, cooking, messy play and parenting programs are all provided. Moves into or out of the nursery are managed extremely sensitively to help children cope with change positively. Healthy lifestyles and effective hygiene routines are fully promoted. Staff provide plenty of opportunities for children to enjoy fresh air in the garden or through visits to local parks and play centres. Behaviour is excellent. Staff

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

are positive role models and constantly praise children's efforts and achievements.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

All children make rapid progress from their starting points. Children are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage in their learning. They are self-aware, confident to explore and keen to interact with others, demonstrating strong communication skills for their age.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY336987 Local authority Cheshire East Inspection number 1039329 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 0 - 1 Total number of places 9 Number of children on roll 3 Name of provider Action for Children Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01625 553128

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Setting details

Little Acorns Nursery HMP Styal Mother and Baby Unit was registered in 2006. It operates from within Styal Prison, Cheshire. The nursery is managed by Action for Children. The nursery offers sessions each weekday from 8am to 12pm, for 50 weeks of the year, excluding bank holidays. The nursery employs eight members of childcare staff. Of these, all hold appropriate early years qualifications, including one who holds Early Years Professional status. The setting has recently been awarded a Nursery World Award for Parent Partnership.

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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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