Stepping Stones Day Nursery

Little Acorns Nursery 29 Reform Street, Gomersal, Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire, BD19 4JX

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 14 March 2017 19 April 2013

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1

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This provision is outstanding

 The whole staff team is thoroughly committed to ensuring they provide a high-quality service to children and their families. Highly effective and finely tuned reflective practice enables them to constantly identify and address areas they can improve.  Partnerships with parents are exemplary. The information they provide contributes significantly to the staff's success in accurately planning for and meeting each child's needs. Parents are fully informed about and agree their children's next steps in learning. They are actively involved in supporting their children's learning at home and in the nursery.  Teaching is outstanding because staff know the children in their groups extremely well and have an excellent understanding of how young children learn. They use their knowledge of individual children's development and interests to ensure that the children make rapid progress in their learning and acquire skills quickly.

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This provision is outstanding

 The behaviour of children is excellent in this happy and friendly nursery. Children quickly learn that their ideas are valued and that they will be listened to. They are excited to join in with activities indoors and outdoors showing a keen curiosity, focus and interest as they complete the challenges set for them.  Strong support from a key person for each child helps children to develop secure emotional attachments quickly. Children are provided with a nurturing environment and are supported to develop positive relationships with their peers. They are extremely happy and confident and they demonstrate a positive sense of belonging.  The manager robustly tracks and monitors children's development very effectively. Information from this is used to develop staff training and specific educational programmes for the children so that all gaps in learning close very swiftly.

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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

 provide even more rich opportunities for babies practise their growing physical skills.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector spoke with staff and children during the inspection.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the nursery manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the nursery manager. She looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of adults in the nursery.  The inspector spoke to a parent during the inspection and took account of their written views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff have an excellent understanding of safeguarding issues and are well versed in the procedure to follow in reporting any concerns they may have about a child's welfare. Recruitment and vetting procedures are robust to ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children. The manager places a strong emphasis on continued professional development and uses staff supervision to highlight any training needs. Staff are keen to ensure that their professional skills are constantly fine tuned through training. Staff work very closely with other agencies and other early years providers that children attend. Information about children's development is shared on a regular basis. This helps promote the rapid progress that children make.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff use their observations and in-depth assessments of the children to plan challenging and interesting activities. Staff are very skilled at playing alongside children and know precisely when to intervene to extend children's learning. They use careful questioning and give children opportunities to explain and give reasons for why something has happened. Every opportunity is taken to encourage children's communication and language skills further and to introduce new vocabulary through discussion and role play. The playrooms and outdoor areas are stimulating and used very well by staff to provide an exciting and imaginative range of activities. However, opportunities for babies to pull themselves to standing position is not always fully considered. Activities range from babies making shakers, using containers and dried pasta, to pre-school children making up their own stories using props.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children's good health and physical skills are promoted exceptionally well. They enjoy freshly cooked, nutritious food. Children begin to learn about the effects of a healthy diet on their bodies. Pre-school children are encouraged to monitor how much water they drink through the day. Staff also discuss with children how many of their five-a-day fruit and vegetables they have had after lunch. Children thoroughly enjoy outdoor play. The excellent organisation of resources that can be used in different ways supports their enquiring minds and well-being.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children display high levels of enthusiasm and interest in their learning. Pre-school children write their own names and are beginning to use the sounds of letters to spell the names of animals. Children develop their skills of observation, prediction, thinking and discussion. They predict what will happen when they splash in the puddles outside and observe the changes to the water when washing up liquid and paint is added. Toddlers develop their vocabulary and counting skills in the role play area as they name and count the different types of fruit they have chosen. All children are exceptionally well prepared for school including those in receipt of funding and those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY305237 Local authority Kirklees Inspection number 1064721 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 0 - 4 Total number of places 48 Number of children on roll 69 Name of registered person Little Acorns Nurseries Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 19 April 2013 Telephone number 01274 872877

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reference number

Little Acorns Nursery was registered in 2005. The nursery employs 19 members of childcare staff. Of these, 15 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above. There are two member of staff, including the manager, who hold early years professional status. Another member of staff holds qualified teacher status. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30 to 6pm. 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

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reference number

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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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