Little Acorns Childcare

Inspection of Little Acorns Childcare Christian Resource Centre, Pentecostal Church, Oakes Road, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk IP32 6PX

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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The provision requires improvement

The provider has not ensured that all necessary information about those who make up the governing body has been provided to Ofsted. This means that checks have not been completed to confirm their suitability. Children enjoy their time in the setting and show that they feel safe and secure. They have good relationships with staff and readily seek them out to share their play experiences. However, staff do not demonstrate that they know the children well enough to accurately plan for their continued progress. Children choose what they want to do and staff are actively engaged in their play. However, staff do not ensure that the programme for learning and development is matched to children's individual learning needs. This means that children are not always sufficiently challenged and often their interest in activities is not sustained well enough.

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The provision requires improvement

Overall, children behave well. When they present unwanted behaviour, staff encourage them to think of a better way to manage conflict and share resources. As a result, children are beginning to consider the impact of their actions on others. Children are given notice of when activities need to change. This gives them the opportunity to complete activities that they are already carrying out to their satisfaction, promoting their self-esteem and sense of achievement.

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need to do better?

n The provider has not ensured that suitability checks for committee members are complete. However, this does not have a negative impact on children as these committee members do not have unsupervised access to children. In addition, they do not have sole responsibility for making decisions that affect children's well-being. n Although staff talk confidently about what children like to do, they do not demonstrate that they know the children well enough to be sure about where they are in their learning. This means that staff are not certain about what they need to do next to support children's continued progress. Nevertheless, staff do identify children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They put suitable procedures in place to manage their needs. n Staff are not always confident about what they want children to learn from activities that they lead. As a result, they do not always challenge children's

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need to do better?

learning well enough or fully capture their attention to support them in active learning. Despite this, children have free access to the toys and resources. They confidently choose what they want to do, enhancing their ability to lead their own play. n Children remember and talk about their own experiences. For example, when playing with water and flour, they make links to baking cakes at home. Staff chat with children and encourage them to talk about their home lives and

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need to do better?

21 November 2019 experiences. This supports children's sense of their own immediate family. n Staff talk to children and support their developing speech and language skills. They introduce new vocabulary and repeat words back so that children hear them pronounced correctly. n Children develop a good sense of belonging and enjoy the responsibility of carrying out small tasks. For example, they enjoy when it is their turn to help a member of staff to prepare snack for their friends. Children are helped to learn to play safely, such as using safety goggles when using the woodworking tools. n Overall, children are helped to be independent and are prepared for the next stage in their learning, such as starting school. They are active and develop their physical skills in the garden. Staff help children learn about the importance of healthy eating. They provide a varied range of fruit, milk and water at snack

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need to do better?

time. Children readily help themselves to what they want to eat. n The provider is aware of the strengths of the setting and supports staff in their role. There is an effective programme of supervision to manage underperformance and promote a culture of support. Staff maintain mandatory training, such as paediatric first aid. n The provider and staff build strong partnerships with parents. They keep parents fully informed about their children's day and learning. Parents appreciate the good levels of communication.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Although some checks for committee members are outstanding, the provider has ensured that they have all completed a Disclosure and Barring Service check as part of her own suitability checks. There are robust recruitment and selection procedures in place to ensure that those working directly with children are suitable to do so. Staff maintain training in child protection to ensure that they are aware of the signs and symptoms of abuse and how to report concerns. Children are supervised at all times when using parts of the building away from the main classrooms, such as the bathrooms.

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Due date

provide Ofsted with necessary information so that suitability checks can be completed for all those who make up the governing body 31/12/2019

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Due date

21 November 2019 improve staff's knowledge of where children are in their learning to enable them to consider the individual needs and stage of development of each child when planning for their continued progress 31/12/2019

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Due date

improve the quality of teaching to ensure that staff provide children with sufficient challenge and build on what they already know. 31/12/2019

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY294901 Local authority Suffolk Inspection number 10112925 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care Age range of children 2 to 4 Total number of places 28 Number of children on roll 45

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Name of registered person

The Christian Resource Centre Pentecostal Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01284 756 588 Date of previous inspection 4 March 2015

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Information about this early years setting

Little Acorns Childcare registered in 2005. The setting employs 11 members of childcare staff. Of these, all hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and above. The setting opens from Monday to Friday during school term time. Sessions are from 9am to 3pm. The setting receives funding to provide free early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector and the provider completed a tour of the setting to understand how the early years provision and the curriculum are organised. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors and assessed the impact this had on children's learning. n The inspector spoke with staff at appropriate times throughout the inspection and completed a joint observation with the provider. n The inspector held a meeting with the provider and also discussed self- evaluation. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation, such as evidence of the suitability of those who make up the governing body and staff working in the setting. The inspector also looked at a selection of policies and other records. n The inspector spoke to a small number of parents during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

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

21 November 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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