Acorns Nursery School Ltd, 2-4 Park St

Inspection of Acorns Nursery School Ltd, 2-4 Park St 2-4 Park Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire GL7 2BN

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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 Not applicable

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The provision is good

Children excitedly come into the nursery, where staff greet them warmly. They are happy, well cared for and have good relationships with staff. If needed, children feel confident in going to their key person for reassurance. Children's views are highly valued and staff provide them with opportunities to make decisions. They are encouraged to choose which toys they would like out for the day and where they would like to play, either indoors or outdoors. Children listen well as they share their views with each other. They learn new skills through carefully thought- out activities. For example, staff model how to use scissors correctly. Younger children beam when they successfully cut the play dough using the plastic scissors. Older children develop early mathematical skills as they learn about capacity while filling and emptying tubes in the discovery tray. Younger children learn to put their own shoes on as they play in the 'shoe shop', supporting their independence skills

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The provision is good

The manager is aware of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's personal, social and emotional development. She quickly puts strategies in place to support children with this. For example, she encourages children to take part in small-group activities to develop their emotional and social skills. Staff have high expectations of what children can achieve. This includes children who receive additional funding, those who speak English as an additional language and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The curriculum is broad and balanced and builds on their skills and experiences. This means children learn useful skills in preparation for school.

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need to do better?

n Partnerships with parents are good and well established. Staff work closely with parents to get to know their children and to share information about their children's day at nursery. Parents say that they are happy with the care that their children receive and how they are well informed about their children's learning. n Staff successfully support and develop children's physical skills and emotional well-being. Children regularly take part in mindfulness activities and play outdoors. For example, children learn to be active and engage in physical play as they run, jump, climb in the playground, chase bubbles and dance to music. n The leadership team has a clear vision for the future of the nursery. Staff comment that leaders are available to offer well-being assistance as needed. Leaders have a clear vision for the intention they want the children to learn in each room. However, staff performance management is not sharply focused on

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need to do better?

developing some inconsistencies in staff practice to raise the quality of the overall provision further.

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need to do better?

31 March 2022 n Children are happy, build meaningful friendships and enjoy each other's company. They enjoy playing games with each other and show enjoyment as they play. Children display good levels of confidence. n Staff provide children with healthy and nutritional snacks and meals that promote their good health. They support children in developing their self-help skills, such as at mealtimes. For instance, staff encourage younger children to use their cutlery. Staff encourage older children to self-serve their lunches and help prepare their snacks. Children learn about the importance of good personal hygiene skills. They wash their hands before coming in from the outside area and before eating snacks. n Many high-quality interactions take place between staff and children. Children are excited to tell staff about what they have found out and what they are learning. Generally, staff ask thoughtful questions to extend their learning.

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need to do better?

However, some staff do not always ask questions which encourage speech or give children enough time to respond to questions. This means children do not always have time to develop their communication and thinking skills as well as they could. n The manager shows her commitment to professional development, providing staff with opportunities to build on their current teaching skills through training. For example, staff have recently attended 'communication' training and are looking at ways to improve their own teaching practice.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager ensures that staff understand that child protection and promoting children's welfare is everyone's responsibility. All staff complete safeguarding training, including the 'Prevent' duty, which is regularly updated. They recognise the signs and symptoms of when a child may be at risk of harm and are very aware of the correct procedure for reporting and referring concerns. Recruitment procedures are robust. The nursery building is safe and secure, enabling children to explore the indoor and outdoor spaces confidently and safely. Staff supervise children effectively and keep a close check on their well-being. Staff focus on children's safety consistently well. They carry out effective risk assessments to keep children safe. In addition, staff carry out regular 'head counts' when children play outdoors to ensure their welfare.

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should:

n strengthen the support given to staff to ensure that they all offer children the same high-quality interactions to support their learning further n enable children more time to consider their responses to questions and help

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should:

31 March 2022 them to develop their thinking skills and express their own ideas more effectively.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2518644 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 10194575 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

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inspection

Total number of places 54 Number of children on roll 90 Name of registered person Acorns Nursery School Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01285 655505 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Acorns Nursery School Ltd, 2-4 Park St registered in 2019 and is situated in the centre of Cirencester, Gloucestershire. The nursery opens on Monday to Friday, from 8am to 5.45pm, all year round. The nursery employs 22 members of staff. Of these, 13 hold relevant early years qualifications from level 3 to level 5. The owner has a teaching qualification and early years professional status. The nursery receives funding for children aged two, three and four years old.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The inspector observed the staff's interactions with the children indoors and outdoors to assess the impact this has on children's learning. n The inspector held discussions with the manager, staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection. n The inspector looked at a sample of the nursery documents. This included evidence of staff suitability and training. n The inspector took account of the views of parents through feedback forms available on the day. n The inspector and the manager completed a learning walk across all areas of the nursery to understand how the early years provision and the curriculum is organised. n The inspector carried out two joint observations with the manager and the

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Inspection activities

impact this has on the children's development.

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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

31 March 2022 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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