Little Acorns Pre-School

Little Acorns Pre-School Kennington Primary School, Kennington Road, Fulwood, PRESTON PR2 8ER

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Inspection date 11 October 2018 Previous inspection date 23 April 2015

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Previous inspection: Good 2 Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1 Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1 Outcomes for children Outstanding 1

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The provision is outstanding

n The manager and deputy make an exceptional leadership team. They are committed, passionate and entirely invested in raising outcomes for children, a vision they share with the equally dedicated staff team. Managers and staff continually go above and beyond to meet the needs of the children and families who attend the setting. n Staff are highly valued and receive superb support and guidance, through rigorous performance management, supervisions and team meetings. Managers make incisive evaluations of staff's interactions with children. As a result, a wave of outstanding teaching and practice has been strongly embedded across the longstanding and highly qualified staff team. n The learning environment is inspiring. Staff create a truly unique, vibrant and innovative setting, inside and out, filled with a wealth of exciting and engaging resources and learning opportunities. Children show extremely high levels of motivation

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The provision is outstanding

to learn, and with outstanding teaching, they make rapid progress in their learning. n Staff use a range of highly-effective, well considered and entirely consistently applied behaviour management strategies. Use of hand gestures, visual aids and a calm, nurturing approach, immediately settles children's behaviour and they are swiftly re- engaged in their play. As a result, children learn rapidly the expectations of their behaviour and develop high levels of self-control and cooperation. n Partnership working is exemplary. The managers and staff work tirelessly to seek out and utilise all available support and resources. Support for children who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities is excellent. Intervention is sought at the very earliest stage from external agencies and services and advice is swiftly threaded into practice. n Parents are highly valued as their children's first educators. Regular information sharing

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The provision is outstanding

helps to ensure that parents are entirely involved in their children's learning, both in the setting and at home. Parents are extremely complimentary about the setting, the staff and the progress their children make.

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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

n enhance the already excellent evaluative practice and highly successful drive to maintain the highest levels of achievement for all children.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

Inspection activities n The inspector observed the quality of teaching and the impact this has on children's learning, during play inside and outside. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the pre-school manager and deputy. n The inspector spoke to members of staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection and held a meeting with the pre-school manager and deputy. n The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day of the inspection and other written comments. n The inspector looked at children's records, evidence of the suitability of staff and a range of other documentation, including policies and procedures.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. All staff have a comprehensive understanding of safeguarding and their individual responsibilities to protect children. They receive regular training and have a secure knowledge of wider safeguarding practices. Children's progress is closely scrutinised and additional support is swiftly implemented. A culture of evaluative practice is extremely well embedded across the whole staff team. Managers and staff routinely reflect upon all aspects of practice, taking into consideration how children use the environment and resources and feedback from parents and other professionals involved. The managers are aware of the importance of continuously reflecting on practice and reviewing the impact of all planned changes.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Highly effective systems of observation and planning are implemented with outstanding results. For example, planning is done 'in the moment'. Staff use their expert knowledge to assess children's learning and plan spontaneously to draw out children's knowledge and build on it there and then. Children become entirely absorbed in the story of 'The Three Little Pigs', through staff's skilful and thoughtful questioning that greatly encourages children's thinking and communication skills. Following the story, staff seize the opportunity to extend children's learning as they enthusiastically suggest children go outside and try to build a house like one in the story. Staff's infectious enthusiasm, exceptional questioning and outstanding facilitating of ideas and challenge, provides children with the highest quality learning opportunities.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children thrive in this outstanding setting and develop a very strong sense of emotional well-being. Highly effective and entirely tailored settling-in procedures, along with the particularly well-established key-person system help to ensure children settle very quickly and develop the confidence to explore and learn. Children explore healthy lifestyles through a number of innovative activities. For example, they explore the impact of physical activity on their heart rate and enjoy visits from student doctors and dental hygienists, giving children wonderful first experiences. Children have excellent opportunities to learn about people and communities beyond their own experiences, in context of their understanding. For example, children enjoy using a wide range of cultural resources during their role play, such as traditional Indian cooking utensils and serving dishes.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

All children are confident, motivated and highly active learners. There is an abundance of opportunity for all children to make marks and write for purpose, in excellent support of their small-muscle movements and emerging literacy skills. Children count, measure and explore quantities as they make their own dough. Children are exceptionally well prepared for their future learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY417226 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 10070905 Type of provision Full day care

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Childcare on non-domestic premises Age range of children 2 - 11 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 52

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Name of registered person

The Little Acorns Pre-School And Oaks Afterschool Club

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 23 April 2015 Telephone number 01772717881

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reference number

The Little Acorns Pre-School registered in 2010. The pre-school operates each weekday from 8.30am to 3.30pm and the out-of-school club operates from 3.30pm until 5.30pm, term time only. In total, eight staff work at the pre-school, all of whom hold relevant qualifications. The pre-school receives funding to provide free 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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procedures set out in the guidance Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, 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.ofsted.gov.uk

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