Little Acorns Pre-School Nursery

Little Acorns Pre-School Nursery Croftlands Infant School, Oakwood Drive, Ulverston, Cumbria LA12 9JU

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Inspection date 13 June 2019 Previous inspection date 11 January 2016

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Good 2 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 The manager works closely with the committee to ensure that standards of care and education are very good. They are committed to meeting the needs of every child. The views of parents, children and other professionals are sought and acted upon as part of their drive for continual improvement. n The manager has worked with the committee and staff to develop a robust range of policies and procedures that meet legal requirements and are evident throughout practice. n Staff are well qualified, knowledgeable and experienced early years practitioners. They have a good understanding of how children develop and learn, and they work together to ensure that all children progress well. n There are very good systems in place for observation, assessment and planning. Staff support children's interests and help children to achieve their next steps in learning. n Children's behaviour is very good. Staff encourage children to think about the needs of

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This provision is good

their peers and to understand how their actions affect others. n Staff are positive role models and show children how to be respectful. They help children to understand different social situations and develop good manners. n Although staff have started to track the progress of some groups of children, they are not doing this for all groups in order to help all children make the best possible progress. n Staff training is not focused closely enough on improving the quality of teaching to the highest 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 strengthen the tracking of progress of all groups of children to ensure that they all make the best progress possible n seek professional development opportunities to raise the quality of good teaching even further.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The management team acts swiftly if there are allegations made against a member of staff. The team keeps detailed records of any accidents, understands its duty to keep children safe, and ensures that the setting is secure and free from hazards. Staff have a good system in place for administering medicine and keep a record which is shared with parents. Staff are beginning to use tracking systems to highlight and plan for any gaps in the attainment of individual children. Staff work well with the on-site school and engage with other professionals to support their practice and to respond to children's changing needs. Children are closely supervised and the deployment of staff meets ratio requirements at all times. Staff work together to maintain this as children move between the indoor and outdoor learning environments.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff get to know children well and provide a developmentally appropriate range of activities and experiences, wherever children choose to play. Older children develop good physical skills as they learn to hold and cut with scissors inside and practise ball control with their feet and hands outside. In the baby room, children spend long periods engrossed in exploring the properties of oats, lifting and filtering them through their fingers, transporting them between vessels and scooping with spoons. Staff work very closely with parents. They ensure that parents know what children are doing and learning and what they can do to help children at home. Parents appreciate the effective communication and enjoy sharing children's achievements to enable staff to build on these in the setting. Children have easy access a range of good-quality and attractively presented texts. Children are keen to read and enjoy listening to stories.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff gather detailed information about children's interests and care needs when they start in the setting. This helps them complement children's home routines and help children settle quickly. The key-person system works well. Children form strong bonds with staff and are clearly happy and feel safe in the setting. The learning environment is attractive and inviting. Children of all ages and stages of development access resources independently and learn to lead their own learning. Staff help children to keep active and develop an understanding about how to make healthy choices. Children help to serve at mealtimes, follow hygiene routines and chat together happily as they sit and eat.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children of all ages and stages of development make good progress. From a very young age children begin to do things for themselves. They keep trying when tasks are difficult but know when to ask for help or support. Children develop resilience and a positive attitude to learning new things. They work together and help each other as they play. Children are confident and ready to move on to school when it is time for them to do so.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 317497 Local authority Cumbria Inspection number 10062403 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Sessional day care Age range of children 0 - 4 Total number of places 22 Number of children on roll 86 Name of registered person Little Acorns Pre-School Nursery Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 11 January 2016 Telephone number 01229 480 018

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reference number

Little Acorns Pre-School Nursery registered in 1988. The setting employs 12 members of childcare staff. Of these, 11 staff hold an appropriate early years qualification at level 3 and one holds a qualification at level 2. The setting opens from 7.30am to 6pm on Monday to Friday, all year round, and provides funded 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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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.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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reference number

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

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