Little Acorns Pre-school

Little Acorns Pre-school Brancliffe Lane, Shireoaks, Worksop, Nottinghamshire, S81 8PW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 26 April 2016 16 December 2015

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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

 The manager and committee have made good progress since the last inspection and have successfully addressed the actions raised to keep children safe. Examples of improvements include completion of necessary checks to determine the suitability of all committee members to be childcare providers. Attendance records have also been reviewed to reflect the times children arrive and leave the setting.  The manager completes an accurate self-evaluation and regularly reviews the provision. She includes the views of those who use the pre-school in her evaluations and acts on advice to drive continuous improvement.  Children's behaviour is good as they enjoy playing with a wide range of toys and materials. They learn to interact well and play cooperatively with their peers as their social skills develop.  There are good parent partnerships and the key-person system is effective. Parents speak highly of the pre-school and the progress their children make from their starting

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This provision is good

points. They value the friendly and caring practitioner team and the regular reports from observations of their child's learning and development.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not make the best use of all opportunities to promote children's growing awareness of healthy eating.  Although teaching is consistently good, some activities are not meticulously planned in line with individual children's next steps in learning. Consequently, staff are not always able to effectively support children to make rapid progress.

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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

 make more effective use of opportunities to teach children about healthy eating  use children's next steps in learning more effectively when planning future activities.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the pre-school manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the pre-school manager and provider. He looked at relevant documentation, such as the pre-school's self-evaluation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the setting.  The inspector spoke to a small selection of parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

All practitioners are qualified and the manager makes good use of their individual skills to enhance the care and teaching children receive. All practitioners are aware of their roles and responsibilities and this has a positive impact on the overall effectiveness of the pre- school. Supervision of staff and professional development opportunities are good. The manager works closely with committee members to encourage staff to further build on their formal qualifications and to share training with colleagues. This has supported practitioners to improve their teaching skills. Safeguarding is effective. Practitioners routinely assess and minimise risks successfully. They are confident and fully aware of the local safeguarding procedures and their responsibilities to protect children from abuse and neglect. The manager closely monitors the learning experiences offered to children to ensure there are no gaps in their learning. She has developed an action plan to ensure

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

good standards are maintained and to bring about further improvements to the provision.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Practitioners work well together as a team and promote children's language well. Children start their daily routine by singing rhymes and joining in action songs, preparing them well physically for the day. The development of early mathematics skills is good. An example of how practitioners achieve this is by supporting children to estimate amounts of liquid that will fit into different sized bottles. Searching questions are asked to help children look at the difference that adding one more cup of water will make when filling the containers. This helps children develop their reasoning and critical-thinking skills as they investigate and experiment. Children have good opportunities to learn about their local community and the wider world through outings and visits, which extend their knowledge of their local environment and the wider world.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children happily play and explore in the pre-school with confidence. They feel safe and secure and are ready to learn. This is because there are good settling-in procedures, which allow practitioners to build on their interests well. Outdoor learning is positively promoted. Children are provided with lots of opportunities to develop their physical skills. They learn effectively by leading their own play and are supported well to build on their curiosity and develop their imaginations. Children learn to be independent in their self-care needs and practice appropriate hygiene routines. Positive links have been made with local schools to share information about children's achievements and their next steps in learning. This helps to support continuity of care and learning for these children.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children are supported to make good progress from their starting points, preparing them well for their eventual move to school. Children learn to be independent, capable and self-assured individuals. They benefit from a wide variety of learning opportunities and enjoy their time in the setting. Children's early literacy and mathematical skills are developing well. Ongoing observational assessments are used to monitor children's progress to ensure each child is achieving well in all areas of learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 253063 Local authority Nottinghamshire Inspection number 1035210 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 51 Name of provider Little Acorns, Shireoaks Committee Date of previous inspection 16 December 2015 Telephone number 01909 506 666

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Setting details

Little Acorns Pre-school was registered since 1984. It is open Monday to Friday term time only. Sessions run from 8.55am to 3.10pm. In total, nine staff work with children, all of whom hold early years qualifications. Of these, one member of staff holds a qualification at level 2, seven at level 3 and one at level 5. The pre-school receives funding for children aged three and four years.

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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

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Setting details

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Setting details

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Setting details

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