Little Acorns Nursery

Inspection of Little Acorns Nursery Skirbeck Road, BOSTON, Lincolnshire PE21 6DA

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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 Good

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The provision is good

Children show positive relationships with staff. For example, children in the baby room snuggle up to staff when unfamiliar people enter the playroom. Pre-school children are supported to learn about their emotions and feelings. For example, staff talk to them about how a monster is feeling in a book. Children are asked to look in mirrors to make happy, confused and sad faces. They talk about their feelings, saying that when they cuddle a soft toy monster, it makes them happy.

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The provision is good

Children who speak English as an additional language are supported well with their communication and language skills. For example, staff use key words in their home language to support their understanding, such as when they start toileting. Pre- school children use pictures to show staff and their peers what they want. This includes showing images of asking for help and to share, wait and stop. This helps them to communicate their thoughts and needs.

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The provision is good

Children are encouraged to share the toys they play with. When they do this, children receive praise from staff, helping to raise their self-esteem. Children in the baby room relish the praise they receive for their achievements. They go to all adults and some of the children to receive a 'high five' and a fist bump from them.

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need to do better?

n The management team observes staff's practice. They give them feedback and help staff to develop their knowledge of how to support children's learning. For example, staff receive in-house training to build on their understanding of the different ways children prefer to learn. This helps them plan an environment to meet children's individual needs. n Parents are asked to sign their children in and out of the nursery. Qualified staff supervise children well when they play indoors and outdoors. This contributes to promoting their safety. Any accidents or injuries children obtain are clearly recorded and shared with parents. n Staff have a good knowledge of their key children's abilities and what they need to learn next and how they intend to help them progress. However, this information is not always shared fully across the staff team. At times, staff do not recognise how best to help some children with their learning. Therefore,

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need to do better?

sometimes children do not make the most progress they are capable of. n Staff support children to be independent. For example, in the baby room, they ask children to get tissues to wipe their noses. In the toddler room, children have the responsibility of cleaning the tables and washing cups and bowls after snack time. Children in the pre-school room serve themselves food at lunchtime. n The management team and staff understand what they want children to learn. Part of the curriculum is to support children's physical skills. For example, in the

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need to do better?

16 September 2024 baby room, staff provide opportunities for children to climb and balance, helping to develop the large muscle in their bodies. However, these experiences are not fully offered to all children throughout the nursery to enable all children to have the same experiences to develop this aspect of their learning. n Additional funding is used effectively to enable children to follow their interests to support their learning. For example, when children show an interest in dolls, staff purchase further dolls and provide opportunities for children to bath them. Children work together with their peers to bath the dolls, helping to develop their social skills and understanding of how to meet their own personal needs. n Staff implement rules and boundaries to help children to understand what is expected of them. These include for children to use their 'walking feet', 'listening ears' and 'magnet eyes'. Children in the toddler room make circles with their

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need to do better?

hands and put them to their eyes to create 'magnet eyes' when they look for toys to put away at tidy-up time. However, some daily routines are not as effective. For example, occasionally during mealtimes, staff do not implement agreed strategies to help engage children in learning. This results in children becoming restless.

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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 strengthen the sharing of information between children's key person and other staff so that children's learning and development is further supported during play n support staff to implement the curriculum for all children to develop the large muscles in their bodies n support staff to implement agreed routines at mealtimes to support all children to remain engaged in learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY543408 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 10362919 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 59 Number of children on roll 59 Name of registered person Head Start Ramsey Nursery Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 01205360556 Date of previous inspection 4 February 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Little Acorns Nursery registered in 2017 and is situated in Boston, Lincolnshire. The nursery employs 13 members of childcare staff. Of whom, one holds an appropriate early years qualification at level 2, nine with level 3 and one with level 6. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am to 6pm. The nursery provides funded care and early education for children aged from nine months upwards.

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Inspection activities

n The manager, the quality assurance manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed how the manager implements the curriculum. n The inspector observed the quality of education during activities, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n Children spoke to the inspector throughout the inspection. n The inspector spoke with staff at appropriate times throughout the inspection. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager. n The inspector held a meeting with the management team. She reviewed relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery. n Parents shared their views on the nursery with the inspector.

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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

16 September 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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