Acorns Nursery School

Inspection of Acorns Nursery School The Saplings, 2 The Square, Martlesham Heath, Ipswich IP5 3SL

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Inadequate Behaviour and attitudes Inadequate Personal development Inadequate Leadership and management Inadequate Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not applicable

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The provision is inadequate

The provider has failed to implement their safeguarding policy and procedures effectively. Where concerns are raised about children's welfare, they do not always act on them appropriately or swiftly. At times, staff are slow to identify potential risks to children. This compromises children's safety and welfare.

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The provision is inadequate

At times, teaching is not good enough. Although staff interact pleasantly with children, some children miss out on learning opportunities to build on what they already know. For example, during an activity to support children's understanding of emotions, staff focus most of their attention on supporting one child's learning. Consequently, some children do not make consistently good progress in their learning. Some children lose interest quickly and leave the activity unfulfilled and deflated.

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The provision is inadequate

Children enter confidently and are greeted warmly by staff. They initiate hugs with staff, showing they feel comfortable and build strong and trusting attachments to them. Staff embed some areas of the curriculum well such as helping children understand the world they live in. Staff take young children on outings to the local shop where they benefit from looking at and buying fruit and vegetables for snack. This promotes children's early healthy eating habits, alongside providing a foundation for children's future learning on sustainability and fostering respect for the planet.

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need to do better?

n The provider does not ensure that staff implement their safeguarding policy effectively. This means concerns about children's welfare are not reported swiftly to the appropriate agencies. Some staff do not receive robust training and support to help them understand their roles and responsibilities, including those relating to safeguarding and child protection. This compromises children's safety and welfare. n Stringent procedures in place ensure children's allergies and dietary needs are supported. Staff keep children safe in the sun. They ensure children wear hats and have sun cream applied regularly. However, the provider fails to embed adequate monitoring systems and ensure staff are consistently fulfilling their responsibilities and removing all potential risks posed to children. As a result, children's safety and welfare is not always maintained. n Children demonstrate a fondness for books and reading. They develop their

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need to do better?

imaginations and communication skills when excitedly inventing stories with their peers. Staff sing rhymes and repeat single words to young children, who keenly make sounds and begin to copy the words they hear. n The provider does not sufficiently identify weaknesses in staff's teaching and

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need to do better?

27 August 2025 provide specific training to strengthen and improve their practice. Therefore, there are inconsistencies in the quality of teaching and learning experiences that children receive. n Overall, children are happy and inquisitive learners that mostly play cooperatively with their peers. However, the provider does not ensure that all staff understand how to manage and support children's behaviour in acceptable ways. Consequently, children receive mixed messages from staff regarding behaviours expected of them. This leads to children becoming confused about how to behave and reduces their ability to regulate their own behaviours and emotions. n There are significant weaknesses in the continuity of care and education provided to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The provider and staff are not proactive in liaising with parents and other external agencies working with children. The lack of collaborative working

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need to do better?

considerably hinders children's learning and ability to achieve their best possible outcomes and does not prepare them well enough for the next steps in their education, including school. n Overall, mealtimes are sociable events. Children have some opportunities to practise key skills to develop their independence, such as learning to drink from open cups. However, pre-school children begin to get frustrated and despondent when staff ask them several times to eat properly, but they are not given the correct pieces of cutlery to practise this. n Parents appreciate daily communication from staff about their children's day. However, the provider has not implemented effective strategies to support staff to discuss children's learning and progress with parents in greater depth to help them to extend their children's further learning at home. n There have been notable challenges in recent times, including changes to the

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need to do better?

management and staff team. Despite this, staff express their well-being is considered and they feel valued in their role.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

There is not an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

p.3

Due date

27 August 2025 implement effective safeguarding policies and procedures to ensure that the appropriate agencies are notified of any concerns about a child without delay 10/09/2025

p.3

Due date

improve daily risk assessments to ensure children are not exposed to risks and demonstrate how these risks will be managed 10/09/2025

p.4

Due date

improve the effectiveness of staff supervision to ensure they have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities and receive training, support and coaching to improve their personal effectiveness 01/10/2025

p.4

Due date

improve arrangements for supporting children with SEND to ensure they receive appropriate support that helps them to make continuously good progress 08/10/2025

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Due date

ensure that staff manage children's behaviour consistently 08/10/2025

p.4

Due date

support staff to undertake appropriate training and professional development opportunities to continually improve their skills and knowledge of how to provide good quality teaching and learning experiences for all children. 22/10/2025

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2740339 Local authority Suffolk Inspection number 10408103 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 38 Number of children on roll 78 Name of registered person Acorns 4 Kids Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01473928798 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Acorns Nursery School registered in 2023. It is situated in Martlesham Heath area of Ipswich, Suffolk. The nursery school operates for 51 weeks of the year, from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except for bank holidays. The nursery school employs 15 members of childcare staff, 12 hold relevant qualifications at level 3 and above. The provider also holds qualified teacher status. The nursery provides government-funded early years education for all eligible children.

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Inspection activities

n The managers and the inspector completed a learning walk together to discuss the provider's intention for children's learning. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors and assessed the impact that this had on children's learning. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager and also discussed their self-evaluation. n Staff and the special educational needs coordinator spoke to the inspector about how they support children with SEND. n Children spoke with the inspector during the inspection. n Parents and carers shared their views of the nursery with the inspector. n The inspector held a meeting with the managers and provider and discussed self-evaluation. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation, such as evidence of the suitability of the staff working in the nursery and key records.

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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

27 August 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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