Ashbourne Day Nurseries at Wing

Little Acorns Childcare Overstone School, Church Street, Wing, LEIGHTON BUZZARD, Bedfordshire, LU7 0NY

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 14 August 2017 29 May 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:

 Staff do not always take account of the individual needs of all children when planning activities and experiences. As a result, the amount of progress they make in their learning is not always maximised.  The quality of teaching is variable. Staff do not always make the most of opportunities to promote younger children's communication and language skills.  Arrangements for monitoring and developing staff's professional practice are not yet fully embedded or effective.  Leaders do not always evaluate the quality of the provision effectively. Identified priorities for improvement do not always have sufficient impact in ensuring the quality of teaching is consistently good.

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It has the following strengths

 Leaders and managers have a positive attitude towards making the required improvements identified at the inspection.  Strong partnerships are in place with the parents of children who attend. Parents report that they are very happy with the care provided to their children.  Staff are very caring towards the children and have formed positive relationships with them. As a result children settle quickly and are confident in their surroundings.  The manager has formed strong links with other settings children attend. This ensures that children are well supported in their transitions to school.

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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 arrangements in place for the planning of activities, so that is effective in meeting all children's individual needs, and ensure that children are provided with sufficient levels of challenge and interest 31/10/2017

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Due Date

 improve the quality of teaching so that all staff understand how to better support children’s communication and language development, especially for younger children 31/10/2017

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Due Date

 ensure the quality of teaching is consistently good across the setting and improve the systems for monitoring staff practice so that weaknesses in practice are identified and addressed, including through effective coaching. 31/10/2017

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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

 develop self-evaluation so that leaders have a fully accurate picture of what needs to improve, and action plans for improvement have greater impact on the quality of teaching and learning for all children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching, both inside and outside of the nursery, and the impact this has on children's learning and development.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the nursery manager.  The inspector took account of the views of parents of children who attend the nursery verbally, and in writing.  The inspector sampled a range of documentation, including records of children's learning, accident records, and staff files.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager and area manager of the setting.  The inspector spoke with staff at suitable times during the inspection.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

The manager has recently implemented systems to monitor staff practice across the setting. However this is still in its early stages and staff do not receive regular feedback about the quality of their teaching. Systems to coach and support staff to improve specific weaknesses in their practice are not yet fully established. Self-evaluation is not robust in identifying all weaknesses in the quality of the provision. As a result, plans for ongoing improvement are not always fully considered or effective. Safeguarding is effective. Recent safeguarding training has had a positive impact on staff members understanding of the processes in place to keep children safe. They know what action they must take if they have concerns about a child's welfare, or if they are concerned about the conduct of another member of staff towards children.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Some planned activities and experiences do not always sufficiently take into account children's individual needs. As a result, children's interest in activities is not always sustained. They sometimes move away from activities quickly and this limits the extent to which they can learn. Staff do not always make the most of opportunities to support younger children's communication and language skills during activities. They model language and ask some open ended questions, for example. However, they do not always allow children sufficient opportunities to respond, or support them to express themselves. Partnership with parents is effective. Parents receive regular feedback about the progress their children are making. They are encouraged to provide ideas about activities they wish staff to plan for their children, and to take an active interest in supporting their learning.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

Staff do not always provide a stimulating environment for children due to weaknesses in the planning of activities. As a result, some children do not always show high levels of motivation or interest in the activities provided. Behaviour is generally positive. Staff address unacceptable behaviour well and consistently. Children have formed positive relationships with other children and staff. They are secure and well-settled. Pre-school children are encouraged to learn important skills to manage their own personal needs in readiness for school. They recognise when their noses need wiping and access tissues themselves. They independently take themselves to the toilet, and clear away their plates after meals. Staff ensure that the areas where children play are clean, safe and secure.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Children are making typical progress for their age. Babies are supported by staff in exploring their different senses with cooked and dried pasta shapes. They develop early physical skills as they walk confidently with the aid of push-along toys in the garden area. Older children enjoy exploring and learning about the natural environment in the adjoining school field. They role play as they work busily together as a team to collect twigs and sticks to build a camp fire. The manager has started to monitor the progress of different groups of children. However, it is still too early to see the impact this has in ensuring that all children make as much progress as they can.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY441452 Local authority Buckinghamshire Inspection number 1108243 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 57 Number of children on roll 77 Name of registered person Kids Activ8 Ltd

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 29 May 2015 Telephone number 01296 682822

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reference number

Little Acorns registered in 2012. It is located in Wing, Buckinghamshire. The nursery is open Monday to Friday from 7.30am until 6.30pm all year round. There are 24 staff employed to work directly with the children. Of these, 19 hold relevant qualifications between levels 2 and level 6. The nursery receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four. The nursery also operates and breakfast and after- school club during term times, and a holiday club during the school holidays.

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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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