Acorns Day Nursery

Inspection of Acorns Day Nursery Westfield Lane, Mansfield, Notts NG19 6NH

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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 enjoy their time in the nursery. They show that they are confident, happy, and feel valued. Staff treat all children as individuals and ensure that they all have access to the same play opportunities. Babies thrive on staff's celebrations of what they can achieve. They thoroughly enjoy singing sessions and join in with songs. Babies and staff give a hearty clap at the end of the songs to praise their achievements.

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The provision is good

Children have access to a range of interesting resources and activities, which staff plan based on their individual needs and interests. Babies and toddlers demonstrate a strong exploratory impulse as they engage in sensory play. Babies use their hands to explore cereal and blue foam as they look for different animals. Toddlers immerse themselves in discovering pretend sea animals in coloured rice and wet sand. Pre-school children concentrate as they use their fine motor skills with rollers and pretend fossils to manipulate and make prints in dough. Children behave well and form good friendships with each other. They seek each others out to play and share experiences with. For example, two children pretend to be a hairdresser and client in the role-play area. Toddlers respond well to staff's positive reinforcement of expectations, such as 'kind hands please'.

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need to do better?

n The manager is reflective of staff practice. She observes staff as they teach and interact with the children. One-to-one meetings help staff to reflect on what they do well and what they could improve on. Staff attend training to help support children's learning. For example, some staff have attended sign language training. This is used alongside spoken words to promote children's understanding of words. n Additional funding is used in a variety of thoughtful ways. Each week, pre-school children have a physical exercise session with an external football coach. Some children receive finding for a hot lunch, this contributes to children having a healthy relationship with food. The nursery uses funding to pay for a taxi for children to attend sessions. This supports all children to have opportunities to develop and make good progress over time. n Staff provide children with a range of books to look at to promote their early

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need to do better?

reading skills. Babies sit alongside staff, turn the pages of a book and lift flaps on the pages to see what is underneath. Toddlers listen to a popular story read by staff. Pre-school children relax after lunch and look at books independently. n Overall, staff prepare children well for school and their future learning. For instance, children show good listening and attention skills and follow requests and routines. They instantly help to tidy up when asked. However, there are times when staff do not fully consider how to extend children's independence.

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need to do better?

21 November 2022 They routinely complete some simple tasks that are within children's capabilities, for example, at lunchtime. n There is a clear curriculum with speech and language having been identified as a focus. Overall, staff provide opportunities to help promote children's communication and language skills. For example, songs and rhymes form a strong part of children's day. However, sometimes, staff do not make the most of opportunities to promote children's early communication and language skills even further. For instance, there are occasions when staff ask questions in quick succession and do not always allow children the time to think and formulate a response. n Staff meet with parents and children before their start date. This provides the opportunity for staff to gather information about children's development to find out what children can and cannot do, their interests, and individual care needs.

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need to do better?

This helps staff to make sure that there are activities to interest children from day one. As a result, children are quick to settle and enjoy learning as they play. n Parents are very positive about the care and education that their children receive. Some of the children have followed their older siblings into the nursery. Parents say that their children's social skills have improved. They are proud that their young children can count to 20. Parents appreciate the online system for sharing information. This shows a united approach between home and nursery.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager and staff team have a strong understanding of how to keep children safe from harm. They understand the signs and risk factors of abuse and know how to report their concerns. Staff know the procedure to follow if they have concerns about another adult in the setting. The provider follows safer recruitment procedures to make sure that staff are suitable to work with children. The premises are safe and secure. Staff supervise children well and have a clear understanding of how to support their individual dietary needs, such as allergies. Daily checks of the environment are completed to ensure children's safety.

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should:

n support staff to make better use of opportunities that arise to promote children's independence n develop staff's understanding of how to consistently support children's early communication and language skills.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2576531 Local authority Nottinghamshire County Council Inspection number 10250913 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 55 Number of children on roll 173 Name of registered person Saucedo, Roxanne

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reference number

Telephone number 07830 085929 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Acorns Day Nursery in Mansfield registered in 2020. The nursery employs 21 members of childcare staff. Of these, one holds qualified teacher status, 13 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and three hold an appropriate early years qualification at level 2. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round, except for one week during the Christmas period and all bank holidays. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. The nursery 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 nursery received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the manager and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the nursery. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n Staff and children spoke to the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided indoors and outdoors and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation together. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery. n The inspector spoke to parents and took account of written feedback from parents.

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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 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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