Little Acorns of Rushbury

Inspection of Little Acorns of Rushbury Rushbury Primary School, Rushbury, Church Stretton, Shropshire SY6 7EB

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

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

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The provision is outstanding

Children have excellent attitudes to learning and make outstanding progress. They develop detailed knowledge and superb skills across the seven areas of learning, which prepares them exceptionally well for the next stage of their education and school. They are inquisitive and highly motivated to explore and learn. Their learning remains of a high quality during their own initiated play with and without an adult. For example, children have clear plans as they use construction equipment to build three-dimensional objects, such as a fishing net and an umbrella. The carefully designed learning environments, indoors and outdoors, inspire children's natural curiosity. Children confidently explore and investigate. They develop excellent critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. They display high levels of awareness of others, empathy and have exemplary social skills. Children offer to help their friends carry a heavy box and explain how this is 'good

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The provision is outstanding

teamwork'. They give their friends and staff encouragement and compliments, check to see if a friend is okay and play together harmoniously. Children learn to regulate their behaviour and successfully manage conflict. They develop excellent levels of independence. They learn about keeping themselves and others safe, and about looking after the environment. For example, they pick up rubbish without being prompted. Children talk about being safe around fire during their role play with friends, after they build a campfire and pretend to cook on it.

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need to do better?

n The manager uses her extensive early years knowledge and skills to evaluate the provision and deliver the best possible outcomes for all children. She provides the committed and highly skilled staff team with precise guidance and coaching, to ensure that high standards of care and education are maintained throughout. Recent training has focused on extending the excellent range of strategies staff use to help children to become confident communicators. This includes exploring storytelling techniques and developing specifically targeted interventions, to help children to swiftly catch up in their language development. Children enjoy opportunities to create their own imaginative stories and tell these to their families and staff. n The partnerships with parents and other settings are excellent. Staff and parents share information regularly. Staff have a comprehensive knowledge about each child's care needs and about what they know and can do. Parents value the

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need to do better?

exciting resource packs that staff provide to help to support children's continued learning at home. n The manager and staff use their expert knowledge of how young children learn, to observe and assess children's achievements. They involve children in their own assessment to help them to reflect on their own learning and ensure that they consistently provide highly challenging activities for all children. Staff

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need to do better?

5 February 2020 question skilfully and make excellent use of spontaneous learning opportunities to extend children's thinking and speaking skills. For example, children explain how they need '50,000 litres of petrol' because they are driving to Africa and then to Antarctica. They consider how their bike and trailer have jackknifed, and work out how to resolve this. n The manager and the provider have made innovative adaptations to ensure that younger children and those with mobility difficulties can access all areas of the nursery safely and independently. For example, children who find it difficult to descend a set up steps have the option to use a well-positioned slide. n Children benefit from excellent opportunities to meet other children and members of the local community. Staff provide children with exciting opportunities that enrich their life experiences. Children plan activities they can take when they visit elderly residents of the community. They enjoy ordering

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need to do better?

their food and exploring new tastes when they visit a Chinese restaurant. n Staff provide children with high levels of mathematical challenge. Children pretend to buy their fruit at snack time, explore fractions, simple calculations, use number lines to work out the next number in a sequence and learn how time is communicated. Staff provide children with a wide range of activities to support their small-muscle skills in preparation for writing. Children enjoy using exciting writing tools to practise their mark making, such as painting and writing with feathers and quills.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The provider has an exceptionally high regard for children's safety and welfare. She ensures that the manager and staff keep their knowledge of safeguarding matters and reporting procedures up to date. They know the signs of abuse and neglect, and the referral procedures to follow if they have a concern. This includes reporting concerns about staff conduct. Staff are aware of their responsibilities to prevent children from being drawn into situations that may put them at risk. Procedures for recruitment and selection are extremely robust in ensuring the suitability of staff. The manager and staff complete rigorous risk assessment to minimise and eliminate risks to children at the setting and on outings.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 224129 Local authority Shropshire Inspection number 10115826 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 10 Number of children on roll 8 Name of registered person Little Acorns of Rushbury Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01694771677 Date of previous inspection 7 March 2016

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Information about this early years setting

Little Acorns of Rushbury registered in 1999 and is based on the site of Rushbury C of E Primary School. The nursery employs three members of childcare staff. Of these, two hold early years qualifications at level 6, and one holds an early years qualification at level 3. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday during term time only. Sessions are from 9am until 3pm. The nursery provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector and the manager completed a learning walk across all areas of the setting to understand how the early years provision and the curriculum are organised. n The inspector carried out joint observations with the manager. n The inspector held discussions with staff and parents, and interacted with children at appropriate times during the inspection. n The inspector looked at a sample of documents, including evidence of staff's suitability and training. n A meeting was held between the inspector, the provider and the manager.

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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

5 February 2020 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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