Little Acorns Day Nursery (Hampshire) LTD

Little Acorns Day Nursery (Hampshire) LTD 19 St. Johns Road, Hedge End, Southampton, Hampshire SO30 4AF

p.1

Inspection date 24 July 2019 Previous inspection date 27 October 2014

p.1

This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 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

p.1

This provision is good

n The management team has a proactive vision for the nursery. Managers gain the views of children through observing their play, interactions and through conversations. They develop their environment to reflect their findings, which has a positive impact on children's development. n Practitioners have a good knowledge of how to promote children's learning. They capture moments as children play to identify the progress they are making, for example as babies develop their core strength and begin sitting unaided and older children use numbers when filling up containers. n Children have secure bonds with their key person. These help them to develop their confidence to explore the environment and find their interests. This supports children to learn how to make their own decisions. n Children make good progress from their starting points. Children who need additional support are identified early and given the appropriate intervention. Practitioners work

p.1

This provision is good

closely with outside agencies to support individual children's learning needs. n Parents speak highly of the setting. They comment on the flexibility that is offered to them as working families and how well their children are cared for. n Some practitioners are highly skilled at extending children's learning. However, others could offer further challenge to children as they do not make full use of their questioning to encourage critical thinking. n Occasionally, group activities are not well organised in the pre-school room. This leads to children losing interest and provides fewer opportunities for learning.

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

n strengthen practitioners' knowledge of skilful questioning to extend children's critical thinking skills to the highest level n review further the organisation of activities and routines for older children to help keep them focused and engaged in their learning.

p.2

What the setting needs to do to improve further

n The inspector observed the quality of teaching in all three rooms to assess the impact on children's learning. n The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager in the pre-school room to discuss and evaluate practice. n The inspector sampled documents, including safeguarding procedures, staff suitability checks and children's development records. n The inspector spoke to parents, staff and children and took into consideration their views. n The inspector tracked children's learning and development from their starting points to view progress made.

p.2

Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

The manager empowers her team effectively and delegates roles and responsibilities well. Through appraisals and working closely with practitioners she observes their skill sets and finds their passions. This helps her ensure she is using the strengths within the team to develop the setting further. For example, a member of the management team has excellent knowledge of how to monitor children's progress. She now monitors all children's progress across the nursery and liaises with other practitioners to address her findings. Safeguarding is effective. The manager has a robust knowledge of protecting children and what to do should she be concerned. She demonstrates that the safety of children is paramount. Practitioners are vigilant. They monitor children's welfare and know how to share any concerns.

p.3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Practitioners know their key children well and can therefore form accurate assessments of their learning. They plan effectively for individual children based on what they know they can do already and their current interests. For example, younger children show persistence as practitioners support them to use pipettes to collect coloured water. This helps children develop their physical skills, which supports them well for early writing. Practitioners enhance older children's interest in role play. They develop a 'shopping theme' as they introduce money and real food items. Children take pleasure in talking about their own experiences, which helps them develop their understanding of the world.

p.3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children behave well. Older children are learning how to manage their own conflicts with support from practitioners. Younger children are nurtured and supported to understand their emotions through validation and visual prompts. This has a positive impact on young children's understanding as they recognise the emotions of others and offer soft comforters if needed. The secure relationships that children have with their key persons help them develop their confidence. Younger children explore the environment and happily build towers with blocks. Older children successfully take care of their personal hygiene needs. They develop good physical development when playing on climbing equipment. They happily play together and use their imaginations when whizzing down the slide into 'lava'.

p.3

Outcomes for children are good

Children are motivated to learn. They thrive in the well-planned environment that helps them develop and consolidate skills ready for the next stage of their learning. Babies begin to express themselves through exploring paint. They develop their physical skills as they grasp tools and squeeze paint between their fingers. Older children develop their literacy skills as they retell their favourite storybooks. Children develop good coordination and balance as they successfully walk along beams in the garden. They show delight as they achieve what they had set out to do.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number 509573 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 10108519 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

p.4

Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Full day care Age range of children 0 - 4 Total number of places 125 Number of children on roll 125 Name of registered person Little Acorns Day Nursery Partnership

p.4

reference number

Date of previous inspection 27 October 2014 Telephone number 01489 795860

p.4

reference number

Little Acorns Day Nursery (Hampshire) registered in 1997 and is one of two privately owned settings. The nursery operates from a converted parish hall in the Hedge End area of Southampton. The nursery is open each weekday from 7.30am to 6pm for 51 weeks of the year. The provider receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are 22 staff employed to work with children, 20 of whom hold a relevant qualification, including the manager who holds a level 6 qualification.

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.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.

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 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.5

reference number

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 monthly newsletter for more information and updates: www.ofsted.gov.uk/user .

p.5

reference number

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

p.5