The Little Acorns Day Nursery

Inspection of The Little Acorns Day Nursery 22 School Lane, Coningsby, Lincoln, Lincs LN4 4SJ

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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 an interest in books. Staff read familiar stories to children and ask them to use toys to act out the stories, to support their understanding of what is happening. For instance, children use toy goats and pretend to walk them over a bridge. When the pretend bridge breaks, staff ask children how they can fix it, encouraging them to solve problems. Children make decisions about how they want to follow their interests to draw. Some children clip paper onto a board and stand when they use crayons to make marks on paper. Other children lay on the floor on their tummies to draw. This shows that staff provide children with alternatives that enable them to adapt the way they prefer to learn. Staff ask very young children to use spoons in water to scoop and pour, helping to develop their hand-eye coordination and learn skills to begin to feed themselves.

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The provision is good

Children are supported to take responsibility for caring for the toys and resources. For instance, staff give very young children toys to put away when the routine of the day changes. Older children enthusiastically help staff and work as a team to wash foam off wooden blocks before putting them into a basket.

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need to do better?

n Staff implement a curriculum to help children learn skills for their future. This includes encouraging children to manage their self-care needs. For example, very young children wash their own hands by themselves. Younger and older children select their cutlery and cups prior to sitting down for lunchtime. They pour their own drinks. n The management team asks parents to provide feedback about their experiences in the nursery. Comments received from parents help the management team to identify how to keep parents more effectively informed about their children's learning. For instance, staff use an app to share photos of activities children enjoy. They invite parents to meetings to discuss their children's development. n Staff have rules and boundaries in place that children are aware of, showing that they understand what is expected of them. Children say that they need to use their walking feet indoors and to respect the toys. Staff praise children for their

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need to do better?

achievements, such as giving older children a 'high five' when they recognise the correct day of the week. Younger children receive praise from staff for sharing toys. This helps to raise children's confidence and self-esteem. n Overall, staff support children well when they play alongside them. However, sometimes, staff do not fully adapt their teaching to meet the learning needs of the younger children. For example, when all children sit together for lunch, staff help older children to learn the benefits that eating pasta has on their bodies. However, staff do not adapt their interactions to engage younger children in

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need to do better?

10 April 2025 learning during this time. n Staff support children's communication and language skills well. They sing songs with younger children and help them to identify and name different features on their faces, supporting their early speaking skills. Staff ask older children questions to encourage their thinking skills. n When children move rooms in the nursery, staff manage this effectively to support children's emotional well-being. For example, children go for visits to the next room. All children eat together and get to know other children and staff in the next room. n Children show that they understand the routines during the day. They sit together to eagerly take part in group times that staff plan for them. However, during some of these times, such as large-group times for children over the age of two-years-old, staff do not encourage the younger children in the group to focus and engage in the learning offered. This results in children losing interest

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need to do better?

and disrupting their peers. n Staff help children to be curious learners. For instance, in the garden, when children play with water, staff ask them to find objects that will sink or float. Children make predictions about what will happen when they add objects to the water. When lids from containers float, children say to staff, 'It's magic.'

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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 adapt their teaching more effectively to meet the learning needs of younger children n help staff to develop large-group times to encourage the younger children in the group to focus and engage.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY488820 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 10392319 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 118 Number of children on roll 50

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Name of registered person

Coningsby Community Hub Community Interest Company

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reference number

Telephone number 01526344118 Date of previous inspection 15 August 2019

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Information about this early years setting

The Little Acorns Day Nursery registered in 2015 and is situated in Coningsby, Lincolnshire. The nursery employs seven members of childcare staff. Of whom, one holds an appropriate early years qualification at level 2, three with level 3 and the manager with level 6. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 5.30pm. The nursery provides funded early education for children aged from nine months upwards.

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Inspection activities

n The manager, the provider and the inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed how staff implement 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

10 April 2025 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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