Little Acorns Nursery at High Halden

Little Acorns Nursery at High Halden Church Hill, High Halden, Ashford, Kent, TN26 3JB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 17 May 2016 4 June 2015

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

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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 newly appointed management team is leading the provision well in promoting good-quality care and learning. Management monitors children's progress effectively.  Staff provide a stimulating, exciting environment for children, indoors and outdoors. They plan activities which interest and challenge children and motivate them to learn. Children make good progress from their starting points.  The manager and staff successfully engage parents in their children's learning. This helps to provide children with a good level of consistency in their care and learning.  All children are settled and confident in the welcoming environment. Staff provide regular praise and encouragement to boost children's confidence and self-esteem.  The quality of teaching is good. Staff assess children's progress accurately and plan activities with care to capture children's interests and extend children's learning.  The manager implements effective self-evaluation to monitor the provision. Staff help

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This provision is good

to identify areas for development to provide even better outcomes for children.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not consistently organise activities to develop children's early writing and literacy skills.  Staff do not extend children's awareness of the wider world to help them learn about other people's similarities and differences.

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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

 extend opportunities to promote children's literacy and early writing skills  provide more opportunities for children to develop a greater understanding of cultures and languages other than their own.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities and the quality of teaching indoors and outdoors.  The inspector sampled a range of documentation, including children's development records, the self-evaluation form, and key policies and procedures.  The inspector took account of the parents' views through discussions.  The inspector spoke to members of staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector held a meeting with the nominated person and manager, and completed a joint observation with the manager.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The management team, with the help of the committee and local authority, has made good progress in addressing the weaknesses found at the previous inspection. For example, staff now use effective questioning to support children's learning. Safeguarding is effective. Staff understand child protection issues and keep up to date with current guidance and legislation. They regularly attend relevant training to enhance their ongoing skills and to help to develop their knowledge of children's learning. The manager uses a range of ways to check the effectiveness of teaching and learning, such as regular supervision meetings, which give the manager and staff the opportunity to discuss any areas of practice where they need training or support.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff make regular and accurate observations of children's learning. They use the information to help children make good progress and to identify any gaps in their learning. Staff have meaningful conversations with children. For example, they ask thought- provoking questions that encourage children to think about the answer. Good support for parents helps to promote their children's learning at home. Staff work closely with the receiving schools, to help prepare children for their next stage in learning and to ensure the move to school is as problem free as possible. Staff develop children's learning in a wide range of interests. For example, children pretend to be archaeologists, finding dinosaur 'bones' in the sand pit, and they learn about other creatures as they dig for worms.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff promote children's emotional needs effectively. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, and staff show enthusiasm and affection towards children. Staff teach children about the importance of keeping themselves safe. For example, children are reminded how to handle sand and pebbles. Their behaviour is good. Staff celebrate children's individual achievements and praise their efforts. Children develop good physical abilities. For example, they negotiate space safely and with confidence as they climb the 'A' frame, developing their hand-eye coordination. They learn about the benefits of healthy eating, for example, by growing their own fruits and through discussions with staff at snack time.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children make good progress from their starting points. They are confident and learn basic reading skills effectively. Children develop well in mathematics as they match and discuss the size of dinosaurs and their bones. Children gain the personal, social and independence skills that prepare them well for moving up through the nursery and to school. They play cooperatively, share, and take turns well.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 127342 Local authority Kent Inspection number 1016968 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 28 Number of children on roll 29 Name of registered person Little Acorns Nursery at High Halden Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 4 June 2015 Telephone number 01233 850113

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reference number

Little Acorns Nursery registered in 1993 and is located in the grounds of High Halden Primary School in High Halden, Kent. It is open Monday to Friday from 8.45am to 3.30pm, during term time only. The nursery employs five staff members. The manager and two other staff hold National Vocational Qualifications in childcare at level 3. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years.

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reference number

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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reference number

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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reference number

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reference number

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