Acorns Pre School Limited

Acorns Pre School Limited Church Road, Great Yeldham, Halstead, Essex, CO9 4PT

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12 May 2016 4 June 2015

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Good 2

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

p.1

This provision is good

 The pre-school has worked hard to address weaknesses identified at the last inspection. The management team has acted swiftly to implement the required changes and has secured improvements to the quality of the provision.  The quality of teaching and learning are good. Staff plan a wide range of purposeful activities across all areas of learning. Children make good progress and show high levels of curiosity, imagination and concentration.  A very effective key-person system is in place. Children have formed strong attachments to their key persons. They often invite staff to join in their play and proudly share their achievements and accomplishments with them.  The manager and staff have put much time and thought into ensuring the outdoor environment has plenty of activities that reflect children's interests, and inspires them to use their senses and learn about the natural world.  Staff have established very good partnerships with the host primary school and other

p.1

This provision is good

early years settings. This helps to provide consistent support for children's development and prepares children for the move to full-time education.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff are not always making every opportunity to encourage children to gain enjoyment from reading and retrieve information from books.  Staff do not always seek detailed initial information from parents about their children's starting points on entry, in order to obtain a more precise picture of each child's learning and development.

p.1

What the setting needs to do to improve further

To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

p.2

What the setting needs to do to improve further

 enhance opportunities for children to extend their literacy skills and use an increasing range of books  extend the range of information sought from parents when children start at the pre- school, and establish an in-depth understanding of children's starting points.

p.2

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 carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector held discussions with the manager, staff, children and a director of the management company.  The inspector viewed a sample of the children's development records.  The inspector reviewed evidence of the qualifications of the staff, suitability checks of the staff and directors, self-evaluation, risk assessment and policies and procedures.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day and from their responses to surveys organised by the pre-school.

p.2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff and directors complete the appropriate checks to confirm they are suitable to be with children. Comprehensive risk assessments effectively ensure that the environment is safe and suitable, and any accidents are dealt with appropriately. Children are closely supervised to keep them safe and secure. Staff are clear about the procedures to be followed to report any safeguarding concerns they may have. Regular supervision meetings and training events are held. These are effectively used to support the qualified staff, help them to build on their expertise and gain greater understanding of their roles and responsibilities. The manager now monitors children's assessments on a regular basis. This ensures that any support individual children, or groups of children, may require is secured to meet their needs.

p.3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff have a thorough understanding of how children learn. Children are encouraged to be active learners, with a great emphasis placed on children having opportunities to explore and investigate the world around them. Staff complete regular observations and assessments to highlight children's abilities and ongoing development. They use this information well in order to plan a range of activities that excite, motivate and interest children. Staff ensure that parents are kept well informed about their children's learning and development. They receive verbal feedback and attend regular meetings with key persons to discuss their children's achievements. They are also invited to add items to the children's chatterbox, and join workshops to help them promote children's language skills at home. Children who speak English as an additional language are given effective additional support to develop their communication and language skills. Staff speak clearly

p.3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

and use a good range of visual prompts, sign language and also helpful words in the child's home language.

p.3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children enjoy their time at pre-school. They are effectively supported by staff to become independent and do things for themselves. They help lay the table, pour drinks and prepare fruit for snack time. Children show good control and coordination as they use tools and move confidently around the pre-school. Children's behaviour is good. They are learning to be kind and considerate, responding to the emotions of others. Staff help children to learn how to take turns and listen when others are speaking. Staff promote equality and diversity well and children enjoy activities based around cultural festivals. Children also learn to be respectful of the environment and they use recycled items imaginatively in their activities.

p.3

Outcomes for children are good

Children make good progress in their learning and development. They initiate their own play as they select their own resources, both indoors and outside. Children confidently count, calculate and recognise the sound of letters. They develop good social skills, as they learn how to play cooperatively with other children and are well prepared for the move to school.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number 508710 Local authority Essex Inspection number 1017080 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 18 Number of children on roll 28 Name of provider Acorns Pre-School Limited Date of previous inspection 4 June 2015 Telephone number 01787 237684

p.4

Setting details

Acorns Pre School Limited was registered in 1998. The pre-school employs four members of childcare staff. Of these, two staff hold an appropriate early years qualification at level 3 and two staff hold a qualification at level 2. The pre-school also employs two bank staff to cover for emergencies. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday, during school term times. Sessions are from 9am until midday on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday and from 9am to 3pm on Thursday. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports children who speak English as an additional language.

p.4

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.

p.4

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.

p.4

Setting details

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/, write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.5

Setting details

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our website for news, information and updates at www.ofsted.gov.uk/user.

p.5

Setting details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

p.5