Little Acorns Childcare Ltd

Inspection of Little Acorns Childcare Ltd 34 Sheep Hill Lane, Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley, Lancashire PR6 7JH

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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 Outstanding

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The provision is good

Children are welcomed warmly by the friendly staff. They arrive happily and are excited to spend time with staff and their peers. Staff form close bonds with children. Their nurturing interactions help children settle quickly into nursery routines. Children are confident, and those who need reassurance receive it in abundance from staff. This helps to enhance children's self- esteem. Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure. All children, including those with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make good progress from their starting points.

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The provision is good

Overall, children behave well. Staff are positive role models. They help children learn how to share the toys and resources. Staff support children's emotional development well. Pre-school children look in mirrors and try to make faces to represent the emotions happy, sad and confused. They take turns to discuss what makes them feel happy and why. Children understand about different feelings and they are learning how to regulate their own emotions.

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The provision is good

Staff create an ambitious curriculum for all children. They provide plenty of opportunities for children to engage in messy play. For example, babies splash in the raspberry filled water tray and explore the lemon and flowers inside. Pre-school children dip their fingers in paint and create their own colour monster. These opportunities help to develop children's hand muscles in readiness for early writing.

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need to do better?

n There have been several recent changes in management. Despite this, staff ensure the smooth running of the setting. Staff are knowledgeable about the individual needs of all children attending the nursery, including those with SEND. They ensure that, if needed, children are referred to other professionals in a timely manner. Staff work collaboratively with a range of outside agencies. This helps to ensure that the curriculum meets children's individual needs. n Overall, children behave well, they understand some rules such as having kind hands. The manager is establishing new rules throughout the nursery. However, these are in their infancy and are not implemented consistently by staff. Furthermore, when children display unwanted behaviour, staff do always explain why this is this is not acceptable. Consequently, children do not always build upon their current understanding of good behaviour. n Staff promote children's independence well. Toddlers try to put their own

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need to do better?

superhero costumes and masks on as they dress up. Pre-school children serve their own food at mealtimes. Children are learning how to manage their own personal hygiene. These opportunities help children to feel proud of the tasks they can complete by themselves.

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need to do better?

23 August 2024 n Children's communication and language skills are promoted well. Staff repeat words slowly to babies as they play together in the sand tray. They teach children the names of fruit and vegetables as they play in the role play kitchen. However, not all staff have a thorough understanding of the key vocabulary they want children to acquire. Additionally, new vocabulary is not always modelled effectively by staff to support children's language development. This sometimes prevents children from extending their vocabulary further. n Staff implement the curriculum for physical development well. Babies have plenty of space to crawl and to learn to walk. They beam with joy as they climb up the steps before coming down the indoor slide. Toddlers use spades to scoop up sand and fill their buckets. Pre-school children practise their hand eye coordination as they throw balls through hoops with staff outdoors. This helps to

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need to do better?

develop children's larger muscle movements. n Staff notice and minimise risks to children's health and safety in the nursery. They complete effective risk assessment and take swift action when they identify hazards. Staff show a good understanding of children's dietary requirements and allergies. Each mealtime, staff check that children only receive food appropriate for their dietary needs. This helps to ensure children's dietary needs are met. n Overall, partnerships with parents are good. Staff work closely with parents to share updates on their child's development using the parent app. Parents discuss the positive relationships staff have built with children. However, staff do not always support parents to understand how they can further extend their child's learning at home.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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should:

n support staff to embed strategies for managing children's behaviour and help children to learn why some behaviours are not acceptable n enhance professional development opportunities for all staff to further support children's communication and language development n develop partnerships with parents further and support them to contribute their children's learning and development at home.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY136994 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 10360548 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 73 Number of children on roll 106 Name of registered person Little Acorns Child Care Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01772 696288 Date of previous inspection 19 February 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Little Acorns Childcare Ltd registered in 2002. The nursery employs 19 members of childcare staff. Of these, 10 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and above. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday all year round. 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 The inspector discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the manager and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk of the setting. They discussed the provider's intentions for the curriculum. n The inspector conducted a joint observation of practice alongside the manager. n The inspector held meetings with the manager. She observed activities and spoke with staff and children during the inspection. n The inspector spoke with parents and took account of their views. n Examples of relevant documents were sampled and reviewed by the inspector. She checked evidence of the suitability of staff working in the setting.

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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

23 August 2024 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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