Little Acorns Playgroup

Inspection of Little Acorns Playgroup Higher Penponds, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 0QN

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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The provision is good

The leadership team reflects well on the provision, adapting it to help children develop their skills. Staff have created a more spacious role-play area and a creative 'beauty salon', responding to children's interests and supporting their imagination successfully.

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The provision is good

Children have good opportunities to explore the outdoors. They attend forest- school activities where they enjoy looking for natural materials, such as pine cones during a scavenger hunt. Children relish using leaves, twigs, mud and water to make 'magic potions' to support their imaginative skills. They then relax with a hot chocolate and recap on the activities they have enjoyed at the end of the session, developing their social and language skills effectively.

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The provision is good

The introduction of a new healthy eating programme helps teach children about nutritious foods. Children grow vegetables, such as mange tout and potatoes, and use these to create 'healthy chips'. They enjoy mackerel pate, blackberries and scrambled eggs for their snack, encouraging children to try a good range of different flavours and textures.

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The provision is good

Children behave well. They are caring and considerate to others and are happy in their environment. Staff encourage children to share and take turns. Children have a positive attitude to learning and are curious to investigate and explore the activities available.

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need to do better?

n Staff help children to develop good communication skills. For instance, children use a variety of methods to say 'hello', such as waving, 'high-fives' and talking. This encourages children to develop their confidence and communicate in a way that makes them feel comfortable. Staff also use 'choice cards' to enable younger children to understand and make their own decisions independently. Older children use sign language to make their meaning clear to younger ones. n Children engage in a variety of activities led by adults, such as mathematical and literacy programmes. Although children enjoy these, staff do not consistently tailor them to meet children's individual needs and abilities. Some activities lack challenge whereas others are too difficult for them. Staff teaching does not always enable children to build on their capabilities, such as extending their understanding of measurements and number recognition to help them make

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need to do better?

even more progress in their development. n Partnerships with parents is effective. Staff ensure they are actively involved in their children's learning and are encouraged to utilise their strengths with the provision. Opportunities to find out about different occupations, such as the fire

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need to do better?

3 October 2019 and police service, help to successfully teach children about the world around them. n Staff develop children's self-esteem well. Children have opportunities to look after 'Fairy Sarah' and 'Rescue Bear' at home and record their adventures in a diary. Children enjoy taking responsibility for the toys and talk about their experiences. They receive 'star of the week' certificates to celebrate their accomplishments and develop good resilience. For instance, children persevere when building a tower of bricks. They demonstrate pride in their achievements, such as when making an obstacle course made from cubes and autumn biscuits. n Staff support children in managing their emotions effectively. They have attended training to develop strategies in helping children to understand and express their feelings constructively. Children use pebbles with facial expressions and rapidly make marks on paper, helping to them to recognise different moods

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need to do better?

and relieve their frustrations positively. n The leadership team carries out frequent staff supervision and supports their well-being and training needs effectively. It has formed strong relationships with other professionals to help children make good progress in their development. n Staff and children have formed close attachments. Children enjoy snuggling up on the sofa with staff, listening to a story. Staff meet their care needs thoroughly, supporting children's personal development and independence. n Children have strong opportunities to be active and engage in physical exercise. They attend sport sessions, fitness dance classes, and interactive music-and- movement sessions.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Recruitment procedures are robust. The leadership team ensures staff have the essential skills and knowledge to care for children. Appropriate checks are in place to ensure new staff are, and remain, suitable to work with children. A detailed induction process ensures staff understand their roles and responsibilities. The leadership team and staff have a good awareness of child protection procedures and know who to contact should a child be at risk. They all attend safeguarding training regularly and know to access relevant numbers to report a concern.

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should:

n tailor activities led by adults more precisely to meet the individual needs of all children, to ensure they make the progress of which they are capable n extend mathematical opportunities even more, particularly for the most able children to further their understanding of measurements and number recognition more successfully.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 102824 Local authority Cornwall Inspection number 10070144 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 Full day care Age range of children 2 to 4 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 26 Name of registered person Little Acorns Playgroup Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01209 718 990 Date of previous inspection 11 February 2015

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Information about this early years setting

Little Acorns Playgroup registered in 1993 and is located in Camborne, Cornwall. It operates on Monday to Friday from 8.45am to 3.30pm, during term time only. The playgroup receives free early years education funding for two-, three- and four- year-old children. There are nine staff members employed to work with the children. The manager is a qualified teacher, one member of staff holds a qualification at level 5 and five staff have early years qualifications at level 3.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector observed the interactions between staff and children, and looked at a range of activities children were engaged in. n The leadership team and the inspector held a meeting to discuss matters, such as the self-evaluation process and how the playgroup safeguards children. n The inspector held two joint observations with the leadership team. n The inspector sought parents' views on the provision. n The inspector looked at a range of documentation, including staff qualifications, relevant policies and information from other early years professionals.

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Inspection activities

3 October 2019 We carried out this inspection 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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Inspection activities

3 October 2019 regulates and inspects to 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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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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