Southwater Pre-School

Little Acorns Nursery School Southwater Infant School, Worthing Road, Southwater, Horsham, West Sussex, RH13 9JH

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 5 January 2018 26 February 2015

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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

 The nursery has a very purposeful atmosphere where children and staff play extremely happily together. Overall, staff provide children with challenging and interesting activities that match children's individual interests and learning needs well. All children make good progress.  Children are extremely confident, independent and well-motivated to direct their own learning. Children eagerly talk about their activities, share thoughts and ideas.  Staff continually develop children's literacy and mathematical learning through spontaneous and planned activities. For example, they count and share out fruit as they cut it up for snack. This helps to prepare children very well for school.  Relationships are excellent across the nursery and with parents. Staff nurture a sense of belonging to the group and manage behaviour extremely well. Children show politeness and care for each other and their environment.

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This provision is good

 The strong management team is well qualified and very knowledgeable. Managers use their expertise to run the nursery effectively and strive for excellence.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Some staff do not consistently use opportunities to follow children's play and extend learning, particularly the younger, quieter children.  Supervision systems do not consistently support staff precisely enough to improve their good teaching even further.

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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

 make better use of opportunities that arise to extend all children's learning, particularly younger, quieter children  enhance the supervision system for staff to help increase the potential to drive teaching to an even higher level and focus on raising children's outcomes even further.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed teaching and considered the impact this has on children's learning and development.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the acting manager to assess how well the quality of practice is monitored.  The inspector spoke to a number of parents and took their views into account.  The inspector spoke with the children and staff.  The inspector met with the management team and sampled some nursery documentation, including the safeguarding policy and procedures.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Managers make accurate and honest judgements about how the nursery operates. They use advice from other professionals, such as from other managers in the nursery group, and ideas from parents, and make changes to improve the service. All staff take part in regular, good-quality training to enhance their qualifications. This follows on from a comprehensive induction that is targeted so that everyone understands their individual role. Managers develop the skills and knowledge of all staff and role model good practice. Safeguarding is effective. Staff understand the thorough procedures and use them when they have any concerns about children's welfare. This, as well as a secure and well- maintained building, helps to fully promote children's safety.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff provide a range of activities that encourage children to be inquisitive and active learners. Children show great imagination as they play. For example, they make up stories about the different clothes and hats they buy in the shop sale. Staff plan very precisely to support children's progress in learning. They help children to link their learning and develop talking and listening. For example, children thoroughly enjoy cutting and decorating elephant ears to wear on a walk outside. They listen carefully, talk about and record what they can hear and see. Later, they take the ears home to listen to sounds with their parents, which helps parents to be involved in their children's learning. Teaching in the area of personal development is outstanding.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children readily share their great excitement and wonder in learning. They show huge enjoyment as they play together and develop their social skills and learn about healthy food. For example, they take turns to confidently sort out which food is healthy for them and feed the junk food to the gorilla. They grow vegetables and herbs to cook and smell. Staff promote children's physical health extremely well and teach them to manage their own risks, such as how to safely climb the very large tyre in the garden. Staff consistently use a wide variety of extremely effective strategies to support appropriate behaviour. The children are motivated to have a positive attitude by joining in a 'we can do it' rhyme.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children concentrate and maintain their interest in an activity for long periods. They persevere and solve problems in their learning. For example, children use tape measures to check whether clothes in the shop will fit. They go on to excitedly explore lengths in a range of situations around the room. Older children can write recognisable letters and know the sounds in their name. They sit still and join in well in group situations, such as story or singing times. They gain all the skills and a good attitude to learning they need, ready for school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY416030 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 1085929 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 2 - 4 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 44 Name of registered person A Step Ahead Ltd

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 26 February 2015 Telephone number 07939241551

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reference number

Little Acorns Nursery School registered in 2010 and is open each weekday from 8am to 6pm during school term time. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. There are six members of staff, five of whom hold a childcare qualification to a minimum of level 2.

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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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