Wenhaston Acorns Pre-School

Inspection of Wenhaston Acorns Pre- School Wenhaston Primary School, Hall Road, WENHASTON, Halesworth, Suffolk IP19 9EP

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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 Good

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The provision requires improvement

Children do not have a consistently good learning experience. Staff generally engage with children as they play. However, children are often not encouraged to practise and learn new skills in communication and language. Despite the weaknesses in the quality of education, children enjoy their time at the pre-school. Children's behaviour is positive, and they show concern for each other when minor accidents occur. With support, older children take turns with popular games and equipment. For example, they remind each other about the rules when playing a game of dominoes.

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The provision requires improvement

Younger children are keen to attend and form close bonds with their key person. This helps them to feel secure and settled. Children understand the importance of routines that help to keep them healthy. These include washing their hands before eating and putting their hands over their mouths when coughing. They manage these tasks with increasing independence. Children are resilient and keen to solve problems for themselves. They show patience when testing out the different ways to pull dough through the narrow opening of a bottle. On occasion, children do not show a good awareness of their own safety, particularly when climbing on equipment and moving around the pre-school garden.

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need to do better?

n Through accurate observation and assessment, staff recognise that some children have fallen behind in their communication and language development. Despite this, staff do not focus their interactions with children to support them to develop their speaking skills. For example, they do not make use of opportunities, such as mealtimes, to encourage children to practise new vocabulary or respond to questions. n The manager is committed to her role. She considers the well-being of staff and promotes this well. However, leaders and managers do not give enough attention to monitoring and improving staff's knowledge and skills. This means that weaknesses in practice are not identified and addressed to ensure children receive consistently good-quality interactions from staff. n Following a recent incident, the manager ensures that all staff understand their role in protecting information about children. The procedures for sharing

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need to do better?

information with parents and other professionals have been reviewed. Staff are now mindful to ensure they handle information in a sensitive and confidential manner. This ensures children's safety. n Staff ensure that children have regular opportunities to be active and enhance their physical development. For example, children learn to balance and build strength while practising yoga in the larger green space nearby. Children recognise that exercise makes them 'feel warm and healthy'.

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need to do better?

13 May 2022 n Activities are planned well to support children's creativity. Children enjoy looking at real bluebells and using dough to represent their own models of the flowers. They explore simple mathematical concepts as they think about the length of the stems and count the number of flower heads they have modelled. n Since the COVID-19 pandemic, parents do not enter the pre-school. Staff meet parents at the gate and pass on information about their children's experiences. However, leaders and the manager have not considered other ways to share wider information with parents and help them to be more involved in supporting their children's learning. n Staff help children to work together to play cooperative games. The manager encourages children to complete activities fully and develop their concentration. For example, she prompts children to keep trying as they have a go at picking up the gel beads using tongs.

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need to do better?

n Children listen to instructions well and the premises are kept safe and secure. There are times when staff are slow to remind children how to use equipment safely, such as encouraging them to think about the risks when they climb on the playhouse. n Staff provide appropriate continuity of care for children. This is particularly successful when younger children are feeling unwell or have specific dietary requirements. Staff agree a joint approach with parents and review this regularly to take account of changes in children's specific needs.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff complete appropriate checks to confirm their ongoing suitability to be in contact with children. The manager ensures all staff understand the policies and procedures to help guide their practice. Staff demonstrate a secure understanding of how to identify and report concerns about children's welfare. They complete relevant training and discuss safeguarding scenarios at supervision meetings. For example, the manager checks that they know how to report any concerns about the conduct of a colleague. This helps to protect children from harm.

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Due date

13 May 2022 implement a curriculum which focuses on individual children's learning needs, specifically in their communication and language development, to help all children make consistently good progress 22/07/2022

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Due date

create opportunities for leaders and managers to monitor the performance of staff and offer coaching and development to help raise the overall quality of education to a consistently good level. 22/07/2022

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should:

n share more detailed information about children's progress with parents and create opportunities for them to be involved in their children's learning n strengthen the arrangements to support children to learn how to use tools and equipment safely.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY346837 Local authority Suffolk Inspection number 10233093 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 Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 16 Name of registered person Wenhaston Acorns Pre-School Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 07825002641 Date of previous inspection 15 May 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Wenhaston Acorns Pre-School registered in 2007. The pre-school employs four members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday during term time. Sessions are from 9am until 3pm on Monday, Tuesday and Friday and from 9am until midday on Wednesday and Thursday. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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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 manager and the inspector completed a tour of the pre-school and discussed how the early years provision and curriculum are organised. n The inspector observed the quality of interactions during activities indoors and outdoors and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager. n The staff and children spoke to the inspector at appropriate times throughout the inspection. n Parents shared their views with the inspector in discussions and the inspector took these into account. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of all persons working at the pre-school.

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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

13 May 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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