Little Acorns

Little Acorns Davenport Methodist Church, Garners Lane, Davenport, Stockport, Cheshire, SK3 8SD

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 13 March 2018 18 March 2013

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Good 2

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

p.1

This provision is good

 Staff have a good understanding of how children learn. They observe and assess children's learning and development, which helps them to plan purposeful experiences to support individual children's next steps in learning.  Children demonstrate that they are happy and feel safe in their environment. Staff take time to build strong, nurturing relationships with children and get to know children very well. This helps children to develop good levels of confidence and self-esteem.  Parents are actively involved in supporting their child's development and are kept well informed about their child's progress. Parents speak very highly of staff and the quality of provision for their children.  Partnerships with other providers and external support professionals are strong. This makes a strong contribution to staff successfully promoting children's welfare and learning, especially children who have special educational needs (SEN).

p.1

This provision is good

 The staff work well as a team to maintain the good standards of care and learning they offer. Effective self-evaluation includes the views of children, parents and staff. This helps staff to identify and address ongoing areas for development.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not consistently offer children the opportunities they need to develop a correct pencil grip, to support them further with their early writing skills.  Systems to identify, monitor and compare the differences in progress between groups of children are not yet precise enough so that steps can be taken to close any gaps as rapidly as possible.

p.1

What the setting needs to do to improve further

To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

p.2

What the setting needs to do to improve further

 provide more consistent opportunities for children to learn correct pencil grip to support their writing skills even further  strengthen systems to track and compare the progress of groups of children to help identify and address any emerging gaps in learning as quickly as possible.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector spoke with staff and children throughout the inspection.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the nursery manager.  The inspector had discussions with the nursery manager and deputy manager. She looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery.  The inspector spoke to a number of parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

p.2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. Staff are vigilant about the signs that might lead them to be concerned about a child's welfare. They are clear about the correct procedure to follow to keep children safe from harm. Robust recruitment procedures are in place and thorough induction procedures ensure all staff have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities. The manager regularly observes her team's practice and provides feedback to improve staff skills and to identify future training needs. The manager works closely with parents in using additional funding effectively to provide further support when children need extra help.

p.3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Children are provided with good-quality play areas which staff use to support their growing curiosity and interests. Staff interact with children positively during activities. For example, they introduce and model language and ask questions to help support children's communication and language development. Younger children benefit from a wide range of activities to stimulate their senses and creativity. For instance, they are fascinated as they explore different translucent objects using a light box. Children enjoy a variety of opportunities to develop their imaginations, such as dressing up for role play. They have fun pretending to be emergency vehicle drivers and exploring a large toy fire station. Staff use effective teaching strategies to help children develop their mathematical understanding. For example, children investigate filling containers with sand and design ladybirds, counting different numbers of spots. Pre-school children confidently recognise

p.3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff are good role models and help children to share resources and cooperate well during play. They use gentle encouragement to help children manage potential conflict with others and children behave well. Children's efforts are consistently valued and praised. Staff help children to lead a healthy lifestyle. Children have access to plenty of fresh air and a well-resourced outdoor play area. Staff encourage children to eat healthily and support them to learn about positive food choices. Children are confident and sociable. Staff support their understanding of diversity and provide opportunities for children to learn about the similarities and differences between themselves and others.

p.3

Outcomes for children are good

Children make good progress in their development from their starting points and develop positive attitudes to their learning. They are enthusiastic learners who are independent and learn to manage their self-care skills effectively. Staff support children's early literacy skills well. For instance, older children enjoy talking about their favourite characters in stories and predicting what might happen next. Children have good opportunities to practise skills that support their readiness for school. For example, during circle time they eagerly identify and respond to visual prompts to help them sit well and listen carefully during activities.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number EY345786 Local authority Stockport Inspection number 1064952 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 28 Name of registered person Karen Jane Jackson

p.4

reference number

Date of previous inspection 18 March 2013 Telephone number 07796 784 746

p.4

reference number

Little Acorns registered in 2006 and operates from three rooms in Garners Lane Methodist Church in Davenport, Stockport. The setting is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 3.15pm, during school term time only. There are five members of staff employed, of these, four members of staff hold an early years qualification at level 3. The manager holds an early years qualification at level 6. The setting provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

p.4

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.

p.4

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.

p.4

reference number

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/, write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.5

reference number

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our website for news, information and updates at www.ofsted.gov.uk/user.

p.5

reference number

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

p.5