Acorn Day Nursery Castlethorpe

Acorn Day Nursery Castlethorpe 17 South Street, Castlethorpe, Milton Keynes, MK19 7EL

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 20 December 2016 28 January 2015

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Outcomes for children Requires improvement

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This provision requires improvement. It is not yet good because:

 The recently recruited manager has had little time to gain a full understanding of all aspects of her role due to a high turnover of staff. As a result, the quality of care, teaching and learning is not yet consistently good.  Staff do not routinely build partnerships with other settings children attend to ensure there is a consistency of approach in teaching and learning.  Managers do not have a clear picture of the progress made by all groups of children who attend. For example, they do not routinely monitor to ensure that those in receipt of additional funding are making as much progress in their learning as their peers.  Parents do not contribute to initial assessments of what their children know, and can do, when they first start at the setting.

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It has the following strengths

 Safeguarding is effective. Recent weaknesses in practice which led to breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements have been addressed effectively and promptly. Staff demonstrate a clear understanding of the processes in place to keep children safe.  Staff are clear about how to identify and address any delays in individual children's learning to make sure that they catch up with their peers as quickly as possible.  The key person system ensures good continuity of care between home and nursery. As a result children are confident, settled and happy in their environment.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage the provider must:

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Due Date

 improve the induction process in place to ensure managers have sufficient time and opportunity to gain a full understanding of their roles and responsibilities 31/01/2017

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Due Date

 improve partnerships with other settings that children attend to ensure that planning for the next steps in their learning consistently meets their individual needs. 31/01/2017

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Due Date

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

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Due Date

 further develop systems for monitoring how well different groups of children who attend are learning, including the progress made by children in receipt of additional funding in comparison to their peers  improve the arrangements in place to assess children's starting points, so that parents are provided with opportunities to contribute to information gathered about what their children know, understand and can do when they first start.

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Inspection activities

 The inspection was carried out following a risk assessment conducted by Ofsted.  The inspector observed the quality of teaching and the impact on children's learning, both inside and outside.  The inspector held a meeting with the management team.  The inspector sampled a range of documentation, including records of children's learning, the nursery's improvement plans, and the policies and procedures in place to keep children safe.  The inspector took into account the views of parents.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the nursery manager.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

The new manager in post is keen to make positive changes, but has been unable to fully embrace her roles and responsibilities. Recent high staff turnover means she is regularly included in staff to child ratios. There has been a small number of parental complaints, along with some recent breaches to the safeguarding and welfare requirements. However, the management has promptly and fully investigated the complaints and taken steps to improve practice. There are clear ongoing plans for improvement. The managers have recently recruited more qualified staff. Staff and management have forged strong working partnerships with parents, who are able to provide feedback and air concerns through a number of forums. Parental feedback indicates that there have been recent and evident improvements.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Staff do not consistently build partnerships with other childcare settings where children attend. As a result, there is a lack of consistency in approach towards teaching and learning. This impacts on the amount of progress children make. Staff do not involve parents in assessments at the earliest possible stage when their children first start. Staff do undertake regular assessments of children’s learning and use this information to plan a wide range of activities to meet their needs. Parents are provided with information about their child’s development through regular parents’ evenings and daily communications. This includes information about how to support their child’s learning at home.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

The process for administering medication to children was not correctly followed on one recent occasion. This was immediately addressed by the management of the setting. A new process was put in place and weaknesses in practice were promptly addressed. Staff demonstrate a full understanding of these process changes. This ensures that children's welfare is promoted effectively. Staff act as positive role models for children. As a result, behaviour is generally good. Staff provide opportunities for children to develop key skills and independence in readiness for school. Children serve their own drinks and food at meal times. Older children recognise when they need to wipe their noses and independently access tissues themselves without the support of staff.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Children are making typical progress for their age. Identified gaps in children's individual learning are addressed promptly to ensure that they catch up with their peers as quickly as possible. Children enjoy playing in the garden area, which is set up with resources to help them use their imagination and develop across all areas of learning. They have fun making 'hot chocolate' for each other in the mud kitchen and making 'cakes' with the sand in the sandpit. They learn important mathematical skills as they play games together such as 'What's the time Mr Wolf?' They count how many scoops of sand it will take to fill up buckets in the sandpit. They enjoy their time at the setting and have formed close bonds with children and staff.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 141751 Local authority Milton Keynes Inspection number 1078459 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 36 Number of children on roll 41 Name of registered person Acorn Childcare Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 28 January 2015 Telephone number 01908 510222

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reference number

Acorn Day Nursery Castlethorpe is one of ten nurseries run by Acorn Childcare Limited. It opened in 1989 and is situated in Castlethorpe, Buckinghamshire. It is open Monday to Friday, from 7.30am to 6.15pm, for 50 weeks of the year, closing only for bank holidays and five additional training days each year. The nursery also operates an out-of-school club for older children, using additional premises in the neighbouring school. There are 10 members of staff working directly with the children, of whom eight hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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

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