Acorns Nursery School

Acorns Nursery School St Birinus House, Langley Hill, Reading RG31 4QX

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Inspection date 25 February 2019 Previous inspection date 16 March 2018

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This inspection: Good 2

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

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This provision is good

n Strong leadership and management, along with ambitious self-evaluation, help to ensure that the nursery is run well. Staff work confidently with the children and have good relationships with them. n Children are provided with a variety of interesting and stimulating learning opportunities. Resources are easily accessible in response to the age or needs of children. n Children's physical development is good. They experience daily opportunities to enjoy fresh air and can assess a range of stimulating and challenging activities in the outdoor environment. n Children show caring attitudes towards each other. Older children learn to manage their behaviour. They take turns and share independently. Younger children receive praise and support for being kind and helpful. n There is a good focus on children's speaking and listening skills. Staff promote language development through fun activities, for example when they encourage

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This provision is good

children to talk about the interesting show and tell items that they have brought in from home. n Staff are well qualified and promote children's learning effectively. This helps them to develop the skills they need for their future learning, including their move to school. Children are confident, enthusiastic learners who are keen to explore and investigate. n Staff do not seek precise information from parents about what children already know and can do from the onset, to identify accurate starting points in their learning. n The arrangements to support staff's continued professional development are not highly focused on identifying training needs, to raise the quality of teaching to a higher level.

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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 gather more precise information when children first start and consider prior achievements fully when assessing their starting points, to inform future planning n extend programmes of professional development for staff and focus more precisely on identifying their training needs, to raise the quality of their interactions further.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

Inspection activities n The inspector observed activities in the four main areas and garden. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager and checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of staff working with children. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation, including planning and a selection of the setting's policies and children's records. n The inspector held meetings with the manager and the deputy manager. She spoke with staff and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection. n The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to during the inspection.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. All staff attend regular core training on child protection matters and are confident of the procedures to follow should they have a concern about a child's welfare. Staff are vigilant and supervise the children well, ensuring that their safety and security are prioritised. The manager reflects on the quality of practice and actively involves staff, parents and children in this process. Leaders accurately monitor the progress that children make in their development. Gaps in learning are effectively monitored and addressed. Parents feel well informed about their children's development and speak positively about the nursery and the warmth and friendliness of the staff. Staff have developed good partnerships with the local schools and other professionals. Overall, the manager holds supervision and staff meetings and generally provides opportunities to support staff to gain knowledge and strengthen their skills.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff support children's learning well, which they base around children's interests and individual learning needs. This contributes towards children making good progress in their learning and development. For older children, staff plan interesting activities that excite them to take part and promote their thinking. For example, children explore sounds and their letters and are eager to find objects that start with the letter 'M'. Staff successfully promote children's communication and language skills. For example, older children use complex sentences to describe their actions. Staff use children's interests to provide stimulating activities that children enjoy. They interact well with the children and actively support their ideas. Children develop an interest in numbers as they count each other, sing number songs and predict how many are left when one is taken away. Younger children develop their hand-to-eye coordination as they use paints for making

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

marks and thread tiny beads onto pipe cleaners.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children are encouraged to be independent learners as they manage their own personal care. The effective key-person system contributes towards children developing strong emotional bonds and trusting relationships with staff. Children thrive in the outdoor areas. They balance on logs, take risks as they climb on large play equipment and use their imaginations and cooking skills in the pretend kitchen area. Staff provide consistent boundaries that help children learn how to behave well. Staff plan a wide variety of opportunities that support children to become aware of similarities and differences between people in society. This helps all children to feel valued and they demonstrate a strong sense of belonging in the nursery.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children explore in the rich and stimulating environment. They have an array of opportunities to develop their communication and language skills and continually extend their vocabulary. All children make good progress, including those who receive early years pupil premium funding and those who speak English as an additional language. Older children are enthusiastic, active learners who have a keen interest in early reading and writing in readiness for school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY493676 Local authority West Berkshire Inspection number 10084825 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Sessional day care Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 41 Name of registered person Love Your Community

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 16 March 2018 Telephone number 01189 420475

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reference number

Acorns Nursery School registered in 2015. It is based in a self-contained converted house in the grounds of the Baptist Church in Tilehurst, Berkshire. The nursery offers term-time care. Opening hours are 9.15am to 4pm from Monday to Thursday and 9.15am to 1.15pm on Friday. The nursery provides funded early education for children aged two, three and four years. It employs seven members of staff. Of these, three hold qualified teacher status and four have a childcare qualification at level 3.

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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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