Little Acorns Childcare Ltd

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

p.1

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

p.1

The provision is good

Children are happy and settled at the nursery. Staff know the children well. They provide meaningful learning opportunities that build on children's interests effectively. Staff help children to learn important language, such as to describe their feelings. This helps children to feel safe and secure at the nursery.

p.2

The provision is good

Children demonstrate a positive attitude to their learning. They develop important knowledge about how to make friends because of staff's skilful help. Babies show curiosity and are inquisitive about others. Older children are confident when meeting new people.

p.2

The provision is good

The nursery provides plenty of opportunities for children to develop essential physical skills. For example, staff working with babies provide climbing equipment, such as low-level steps, for babies to explore how they can move their bodies. Staff working with older children provide them with access to large equipment, such as the outdoor slide and wheeled ride-on toys. Children delight in testing out how strong they have become because of the thoughtful help of the nursery.

p.2

need to do better?

n The provider has worked effectively to address recent concerns raised. The provider ensures that known allergies for children are identified, understood and managed well. In addition, all products and resources that may contain allergens, such as nuts, have been removed. It is now a nut-free nursery. Staff have attended relevant training and leaders have strengthened risk assessments. This reduces the risk of harm to children. n The provider ensures that the premises are safe and secure. Since the previous visit, the provider has ensured that additional locks and entrance bells have been added to the nursery's external gate. Staff understand their responsibility to ensure that external doors are locked and that they adhere to the nursery's risk assessments. Leaders ensure that children are adequately supervised. This ensures the safety of children. n Recently, there have been further changes to the management of the nursery.

p.2

need to do better?

These changes have impacted negatively on the morale of staff and parental confidence in the nursery. However, the provider has taken positive steps to resolve these matters and has recently appointed new leaders to ensure the smooth running of the nursery. n Leaders have recently improved their arrangements to support the work of staff. For example, leaders ensure that supervisions for staff are effective and include opportunities to discuss individual staff's training and development needs. Staff receive effective coaching from leaders that improves the quality of education that children receive. Children make good progress in their learning of the

p.2

need to do better?

5 September 2025 nursery's curriculum. n Leaders are ambitious for children's learning and development. They are clear about the knowledge that they want children to learn and why. However, they have not ensured that all staff understand how to teach the leader's intended curriculum. As a result, on occasion, some staff are unclear about how to teach parts of the curriculum. This leads to confusion in teaching and among some children about what they have learned. n Mostly, staff support children's behaviour well. They remind children of the nursery's golden rules of how to behave. Children ably recall that they should have 'listening ears'. However, on occasion, some staff lack confidence about how to support children's behaviour. As a result, sometimes, children become too loud or do not listen well to staff's instructions. Children do not learn well about the impact of their behaviour on others. n Leaders make certain that staff promote children's personal development well.

p.2

need to do better?

Children benefit from the many opportunities that staff provide to help them to become independent. For example, staff know when to step back to allow children to put on their own coats, serve their own lunch and to drink from open cups. Children are confident in their own abilities. n Staff are responsive to children's needs, feelings and moods. Staff make effective use of books, such as 'The Colour Monster', to encourage children to express and say what they feel. Children's well-being is supported effectively. n Staff show much interest and enjoyment about sharing books with the children. They provide a wide range of high-quality fiction and non-fiction books that are easily accessible for children to choose their favourites. Staff read aloud to children with animation and skill. This enthuses children about books and the information that they can gain from reading.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

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

p.3

should:

n support staff to deliver leader's intended curriculum consistently well n improve understanding of how to support children's behaviour so that children understand the impact of their own behaviour on others.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number EY136994 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 10412063 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

p.4

Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Full day care

p.4

inspection

Total number of places 72 Number of children on roll 48 Name of registered person Little Acorns Child Care Limited

p.4

reference number

Telephone number 01772 696288 Date of previous inspection 23 August 2024

p.4

Information about this early years setting

Little Acorns Childcare Ltd registered in 2002. It is located in Clayton-Le-Woods, Chorley. The nursery employs 17 members of childcare staff. Of these, 11 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.

p.4

Inspection activities

n This inspection was carried out as the result of a risk assessment, following information received about the provider. n The inspector viewed the provision and discussed the safety, security and suitability of the premises with the manager and area manager. n The manager, area manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together of all areas of the nursery and discussed the early years curriculum. n The inspector talked with staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation of a group activity. n Parents shared their views of the nursery with the inspector. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working at the nursery.

p.5

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.

p.5

Inspection activities

5 September 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.

p.5

Inspection activities

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.6

Inspection activities

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk

p.6

Inspection activities

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.6

Inspection activities

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.6