Mighty Acorns Day Nursery Ltd

Mighty Acorns Day Nursery Ltd Wexham Road Children's Centre, Wexham Road, Slough, Berkshire, SL2 5JW

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 14 August 2017 24 March 2014

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3

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:

 New arrangements to improve daily practices are not working effectively. For example, staff leave daily logs incomplete and managers do not monitor or evaluate the impact of new practices on raising outcomes for children.  The managers’ systems of support, coaching and training for staff are not effective enough to ensure that teaching is consistently strong for experienced staff or improving steadily for junior staff. Staff are not always effective in working as a team to meet the needs of the younger children, particularly when they adapt the provision to serve different children during the school holidays.  The managers take some effective action to develop their service but, overall, self- evaluation is not effective enough to identify all areas where improvement is needed.

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It has the following strengths

 Key staff work well with parents to provide continuity in care and learning between home and the nursery. Parents speak positively about the support they and their children receive from the managers and staff.  Staff work effectively with other professionals to support children’s individual needs and secure any additional support they require to promote their future progress.  Staff give children time to follow and develop their own interests. Children make good levels of progress in their physical development. For example, they thoroughly enjoy strengthening their physical skills and stamina through activities, such as cycling, balancing and riding scooters.

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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

 ensure that actions taken to improve the quality of the provision are monitored and effective in raising care and outcomes for all children 04/09/2017

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Due Date

 ensure that all staff have appropriate support, coaching and training to fulfil their teaching and care roles effectively. 30/10/2017

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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

 make better use of self-evaluation to identify areas where improvement is needed.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed, listened to and talked with children as they played indoors and during outdoor play.  The inspector talked with parents and listened to their views about the nursery and their children's progress.  The inspector looked at children's records, discussed staff planning and evaluation of activities, and how they exchange information with parents.  The inspector reviewed records and procedures relating to safeguarding and risk assessment, and discussed a range of other procedures relating to children's welfare with the co-manager on site.  The inspector observed care routines and completed a joint observation with one of the managers. Together they discussed how staff training had contributed to children's learning and development.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

Safeguarding is effective. The managers check that all levels of staff know how to respond appropriately to any child protection concerns or injuries. They inform the correct agencies promptly to discuss and work through any such concerns. The managers are using their current training in leadership to evaluate and improve some aspects of the nursery. For example, they are updating key policies on equality and inclusion, and making complaints procedures clearer for all parents to follow. The managers use additional funding well to raise outcomes for some children. They are beginning to monitor how effective teaching is for different groups of children. However, support and guidance for apprentices, new or established staff are not sharply focused on improving the quality of teaching to a consistently good standard.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Two members of staff have recently completed foundation degrees in early years and continue to share higher expectations for children's learning with staff. For example, key staff make accurate observations and assessments of children's progress and share these well with parents. Staff establish clear starting points for children and identify the next steps in their development. However, staff do not always share information effectively as a wider team so that all staff know how to extend individual children's knowledge and skills. For instance, some children do not develop speech and language skills as quickly possible as staff lack confidence in communicating with them.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

Staff are kind and caring, and soon nurture trusting relationships with children and their parents. Children confidently explore the interesting indoor and outdoor play areas. Staff provide clear and consistent guidance to children and they behave kindly to each other. The managers continue to refine the policies, procedures and daily practices in place to raise standards in care and well-being across the nursery. However, at times staff do not implement them consistently so improvements are ineffective. Staff carefully record any accidents and injuries and share this information with parents. However, managers do not review them to check if more can be done to improve the play environment for children.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Generally, children are making sufficient or good progress in their learning. This includes children who receive additional funding and those with delayed starts who are catching up. For example, children who are learning to speak more than one language leave the nursery with the communication skills necessary for school. Older children develop a range of skills that prepares them for school, such as working together with others.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY405551 Local authority Slough Inspection number 1068980 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 52 Number of children on roll 100 Name of registered person Mighty Acorns Day Nursery Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 24 March 2014 Telephone number 01753570310

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reference number

Mighty Acorns Day Nursery registered in 2009. It is one of three nurseries operating from the Wexham Road Children's Centre in Slough, Berkshire. The nursery is open daily from 8am to 6pm, for 51 weeks of the year. The provision includes a breakfast club, after- school club, day nursery and holiday playscheme. The nursery is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education to children aged two, three and four years. There are 18 staff working with the children, 17 of whom hold appropriate qualifications at level 2 to level 5. The nursery also employs a housekeeper.

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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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