Spring - RAF Cosford

Acorn Childcare Centre RAF Cosford, Albrighton, Wolverhampton, WV7 3EX

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 11 January 2017 Not applicable

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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 Outstanding 1

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This provision is good

 Leaders’ effective action planning and their astute understanding of the setting’s strengths and weaknesses have resulted in significant improvements to the provision.  Strong leaders, ambitious for success, set high expectations of staff. The wealth of training and support provided enhances staff's performance and practice. Staff receive timely and professional supervision focused on improving teaching, care and outcomes for children. Most children have skills and abilities typical for their age.  Settling-in arrangements are exemplary. Home visits and excellent communication with parents support children's emotional well-being as they move into the setting and beyond. Parents are confident that their child is safe in the care of trusted staff.  Partnerships with parents are highly effective. Key persons provide superb support to parents to help their child's learning at home. Target bags and other high quality

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This provision is good

resources provide parents with fresh ideas for playing and talking with their children; quickening the pace of children's learning and progress.  Children thrive in the care of key persons who provide professional, loving care. Information sharing with other settings and key partners is effective. Together, they provide good quality and consistent care for individual children.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff make accurate assessments of what each child can do on entry and they chart the progress individual children make in their learning journeys. However, the leaders’ current tracker does not provide evidence of the progress children make over time or whether outcomes are equally good for different groups of children.  In the Butterflies room, less confident speakers are, at times, reluctant to fully participate in activities. For instance, when the RAF police officers visited, staff did not fully support all children to engage with them.

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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

 develop further the leaders’ tracker data to provide evidence of the progress that individuals and groups of children make over time  provide greater support for less confident children in the Butterflies room, so that they gain more confidence to talk, mix and join in with group activities.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed the improvements that the provider has made since registration and the plans for future improvement.  The inspector observed children during a range of play and learning activities in the designated play areas, including outdoors. The inspector carried out a joint observation with the nursery manager.  The inspector held meetings with the leaders and staff.  The inspector looked at a range of documentation including children's learning journals and staff's planning of children's learning and development activities.  The inspector checked evidence of the suitability of all staff working at the premises, and the professional qualifications and training of the leaders and staff.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and those of children spoken to on the day of the inspection.  The inspector explored the safeguarding arrangements, the security of the premises

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Inspection activities

and how effectively the leaders have identified and taken steps to minimise any potential risks.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Leaders effectively drive improvements and they ensure that staff share their vision for success. They continually strive to achieve their shared aims. Well considered policies and procedures complement the leadership of the setting. Leaders' accurate self-evaluation effectively supports and sustains improvements. Performance management and quality assurance arrangements are well established and effective. Morale is good and leaders and staff work in harmony to secure good quality provision. The arrangements to safeguard children are effective. A positive culture of safeguarding permeates the setting. Staff's safeguarding credentials are reinforced during regular training activities.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff accurately assess the child's capabilities and individual learning needs and they effectively communicate this information to parents. Staff monitor children's progress and take effective action to help identified children to catch up in their learning. Teaching is consistently good. Children's speaking and listening, knowledge of number, space and measure, and literacy are strongly supported through the use of high quality resources and targeted support. Specially selected reading books help children to become familiar with characters and to develop their vocabulary and speaking. Staff eagerly share with parents teaching resources, so that they too can support their child's learning at home.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Dedicated key persons respond sensitively to individual children’s feelings and behaviours. They consistently meet the child's emotional needs and provide the right support at the right time because they know all they can about the child. Staff promote positive behaviour extremely well. Children learn about the rule of law in discussions with RAF police officers. The older children readily adhere to agreed rules of positive behaviour. Consequently, children's behaviour is consistently good. They are exposed to good quality resources, activities and language which help them to develop tolerance and respect for others. Staff use their expertise and experience to provide parents with high quality guidance and advice. For instance, parents receive expert support to help their child to become toilet trained. Staff produce and share with parents a range of high quality learning resources and written guidance. They positively collaborate with parents to

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

support their child's welfare and development in the setting and at home.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children develop an understanding of healthy and active lifestyles during outdoor play. They have lots of opportunities for physical activity and freedom of movement. Children relish taking part in activities that help them learn to understand and respect nature. They learn about food production and nutrition as they grow and harvest vegetables which are then cooked and served for lunch. The youngest children develop their sensory and physical coordination through a wide range of hands-on experiences. For instance, good quality sensory play helps them to make connections to others and the environment. Skilled staff help children to become emotionally resilient and self-confident. As they grow and develop as unique individuals, children are being well prepared for school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY539502 Local authority Shropshire Inspection number 1080186 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Age range of children 0 - 4 Total number of places 99 Number of children on roll 94 Name of registered person Action For Children Developments Ltd

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 07515 883076

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reference number

Acorn Childcare Centre was re-registered in 2016 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register, under the proprietorship of Action for Children. Set within the grounds of RAF Cosford, Shropshire. The setting employs 20 members of childcare staff. Of these, almost all hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and above. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 07.45 until 17.15. There are currently 94 children attending who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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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

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

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