Acorns Preschool Roughton

Inspection of Acorns Preschool Roughton St. Marys Primary School, Chapel Road, Roughton, NORWICH NR11 8AF

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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

Staff provide a safe and secure environment for children. Leaders have carefully considered the layout of the room. For example, they have created a cosy reading 'nook' to support children's literacy skills by engaging in purposeful one-to-one reading time with an adult. However, children do not make the best possible progress in their learning and development because the quality of teaching at the nursery is not yet consistently good. While staff are caring, they lack the knowledge and skills to deliver a well-sequenced and ambitious curriculum that meets children's individual needs.

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The provision requires improvement

Staff know the children well. They understand what children like to do and readily find their favourite resources to help them settle in. For instance, they set up play dinosaur trays, water play with guttering, and a farmyard. Children are soon engaged in play and show that they enjoy the company of the staff. Staff join in role-play games and children giggle with joy as they role play in Santa's grotto. Although staff focus on providing activities that children enjoy, such as small-world play, they miss opportunities for deeper, more purposeful learning that is aligned with children's developmental stages.

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The provision requires improvement

Children's behaviour is generally good. However, staff are inconsistent in how they manage behaviour. Some staff show a good understanding by getting down to the children's level, offering choices and redirecting play. Other staff members repeatedly ask children to stop certain behaviours without giving them alternatives or checking that children understand what is being asked of them.

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need to do better?

n Leaders have not yet embedded a well-thought-out curriculum for children. Although staff plan activities for children that are enjoyable, they are not finely tuned to support or build on what children already know and can do. Much of the children's learning is incidental. For example, leaders aim for children to develop their independence but do not ensure that staff embed this. Staff complete tasks for children rather than encouraging them to try themselves. The effectiveness of the curriculum is not consistently good. n Management has put in place strategies to support children's communication and language skills, such as visual cards, vocabulary flowers and a sign of the week. However, these are not being used consistently by staff. This means that this aspect of children's learning is not extended effectively. n The staff wants the best for children. They know children well and identify where their gaps in learning are. Management has implemented an effective planning

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need to do better?

system that highlights children's specific needs. However, there are variations in the effectiveness of staff practice in helping children to close any gaps in their

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need to do better?

2 December 2024 learning. This has an impact on the children's ability to progress. n Leaders have worked hard to make improvements. They model effective teaching and provide support with behaviour management in their daily interactions with children. However, they have not yet been fully successful in ensuring staff provide a consistent approach that supports all children's learning effectively. Moreover, they have not provided the focused support and training some staff need to deliver consistently strong teaching. n Leaders have a clear oversight of the day-to-day running of the pre-school and put support in place for management and staff. However, they do not have a clear knowledge of their full roles and responsibilities. For instance, they have failed to notify Ofsted about changes to trustees. To date, however, this has had no impact on children and this information has now been provided. n Staff provide ample opportunities for children to access and exercise in the large

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need to do better?

garden. Children develop strength and coordination in their bodies as they ride on balance and pedalled bikes. n Children have plenty of opportunities for physical development. For example, children practise using their fine motor skills by carefully using teaspoons to scoop oats and broken wheat biscuits into round tubes. They practise their early mark-making skills on mark-making tablets and use their coordination skills when pouring water down tubes in the garden. n Staff successfully develop warm, professional and effective partnerships with parents. Children are assigned a key person when they first begin to attend. These key persons develop secure relationships with children and their families from the outset. They share information with parents about children's time at the pre-school, such as through daily discussions and online learning records. Parents report that they are happy with the pre-school and feel well informed

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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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Due date

devise and implement an effective curriculum that is ambitious for all children 28/02/2025

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Due date

2 December 2024 provide staff with effective support and training to understand the curriculum intent and how this needs to be delivered in practice, including through skilful interactions with children 28/02/2025

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Due date

ensure an effective approach to managing children's behaviour in a consistently supportive and appropriate way. 28/02/2025

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should:

n enhance staff's understanding and practice to help children to develop their independence and self-help skills.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 254250 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 10367481 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 10 Name of registered person Acorns Preschool Roughton Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 01263 761801 Date of previous inspection 11 February 2019

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Information about this early years setting

Acorns Preschool Roughton registered in 1994. The pre-school employs four members of childcare staff. All staff hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or above. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday during term time only. Sessions are from 9am until 3pm. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector and the manager completed a learning walk together and discussed the early years curriculum. n The manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation. n The inspector held meetings with leaders to find out about the leadership and management of the setting. n Parents shared their views, and the inspector took these into account. n The inspector looked at a sample of key documentation.

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Inspection activities

2 December 2024 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

2 December 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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