Little Acorns Pre-School

Little Acorns Pre-School Whitby Methodist Church, Bridge Meadow, Great Sutton, ELLESMERE PORT, CH66 2LF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 19 April 2017 2 March 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 provider has failed to ensure the manager is appropriately qualified for her role.  The provider has failed to ensure there is a member of staff who has a current paediatric first-aid certificate on the premises at all times when children are present.  Staff are not always consistent in their approach to helping children learn about appropriate behaviour. Consequently, children do not always know what is expected of them and at times, they display unwanted behaviour.  Self-evaluation lacks rigour and is not fully effective in helping to identify areas for development in the pre-school.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff are sensitive and kind to the children. They take time to settle children into the pre-school and make sure children's care needs are well met.  Staff involve parents in their children's learning and provide them with good information about children's care, activities and progress.  Staff provide a range of appropriate toys and resources to help promote children's learning and development. They encourage children to access resources freely and children show good levels of independence, curiosity and imagination.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

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Due Date

 ensure the manager has a full and relevant level 3 qualification 21/04/2017  ensure there is a member of staff on the premises at all times who holds a paediatric first-aid qualification 21/04/2017

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Due Date

 ensure staff are consistent in using strategies which help children behave well and develop good concentration and listening skills. 21/04/2017

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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

 improve self-evaluation and focus specifically on raising the quality of the pre-school to a good level.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed all areas used by the children, including the outdoor environment.  The inspector observed play and learning opportunities for children and spoke to staff and children at appropriate times.  The inspector carried out an interview with the manager and looked at a range of documents. He discussed the provider's self-evaluation.  The inspector checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of staff working with children. The inspector carried out a joint observation of an activity with the manager.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day of inspection.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

Self-evaluation is not accurate. The provider has failed to recognise weaknesses. The nursery manager does not have the necessary qualification for her role. However, she does have relevant knowledge, experience and skills to manage the provision effectively. Staff have not had recent enough training in first aid. This means that the requirement to have a qualified first aider present at all times is not met. That said, staff do have the knowledge and skills to deal with accidents or illness appropriately. Staff work closely with local schools, parents and other professionals to help ensure children's needs are met appropriately. The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff are aware of the procedure to follow should they have any concerns about a child's welfare.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

On occasions the expectations for children's behaviour are not reinforced sufficiently by staff to ensure that children can listen and concentrate at all times. This hinders learning for some children. Staff use some effective teaching strategies to model the sounds letters represent and to reinforce and extend children's vocabulary. Staff know children's interests and use these satisfactorily when planning a variety of activities. Outdoors, children get involved in planting flowers and develop an understanding of how roots enable plants to feed. They practise balancing and jumping. Staff are enthusiastic and use effective explanations and questions to promote children's imaginations. Children enjoy the activities.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

Staff help young children to settle well and to feel secure because they offer close, caring support. However, weaknesses in teaching mean that children's personal and social development are not consistently well promoted. Children's physical needs are met well. Children enjoy moving in different ways as they ride bikes or balance on a beam. Older children show confidence and independence as they move around the pre-school, selecting their own activities and initiating play. Staff encourage children to manage age- appropriate tasks. Children enjoy putting on their own coats and attempting to fasten them, receiving support from staff who demonstrate how to achieve this. Staff provide children with a healthy diet and children enjoy daily access to fresh air to promote their health.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Although children make progress, they do not achieve as well as they could, because staff do not help all children to behave in ways that do not affect the learning of others. Children are happy and are beginning to be independent. They enjoy some opportunities to use language during play and extend their communication skills. Children are developing well physically. They move around the pre-school with confidence. They are beginning to recognise numbers, pattern, shape and colours. They enjoy expressing themselves using paint, glue and flower petals to create pictures. They are developing sound friendships and social interactions, helping to prepare children emotionally for the move to school, when the time comes.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 305155 Local authority Cheshire West and Chester Inspection number 1090600 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 - 5 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 20 Name of registered person Christine Shane Bellis

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 2 March 2015 Telephone number 07801 332 497

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reference number

Little Acorns Pre-School opened in 1964. The pre-school employs four members of childcare staff, three of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 9am until midday. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons it is also open between 12.45pm until 3.45pm. The pre-school 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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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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