Little Acers Preschool at Lea and

Garsdon

Unique reference number (URN): 2733253 Address: Little Acers Preschool, Lea and Garsdon, Lea and Garsdon CE Primary School, The Street, Lea, Wiltshire, SN16 9PG Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 01/08/2023 Registers: EYR Registered person: Little Acers Limited

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children make secure progress through the curriculum, particularly in communication and language. Children grow in confidence, use an increasing range of vocabulary and engage well in conversations, stories and shared learning.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make steady progress because their needs are identified early and they are given appropriate support to help them succeed. Staff use targeted approaches, including the BLAST programme, to support children's communication and language development. This contributes to children's confidence, engagement and progress, particularly for children with SEND. Children benefit from calm and well-organised spaces that help them focus and practise what they are learning, enabling them to achieve across different areas of the curriculum.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children are typically well prepared for their next stage of learning because transition arrangements with the primary school are secure.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders have established a positive and nurturing environment. They have clear and consistent expectations for children's behaviour, which all children understand. Staff model these expectations confidently. For example, they use familiar phrases, such as 'good listening', 'good sitting' and 'good looking', which children respond to with focus and cooperation. Warm and trusting relationships are evident across the setting. Children seek reassurance from staff who know them well and respond sensitively to their individual needs. This supports children to feel secure, manage their emotions and engage calmly in daily routines.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children show kindness towards one another. They collaborate in play and demonstrate growing confidence in shared activities. Well-embedded routines help children to transition smoothly between parts of the day and participate purposefully in their learning. Staff adapt expectations appropriately to children's age, stage of development and personal circumstances. This ensures that all children can meet the setting's routines successfully. Leaders also maintain strong communication with families, helping them to understand the importance of consistency, punctuality and regular attendance.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders acknowledge the need to increase opportunities to strengthen children's readiness for the next stage of learning. For example, children do not have consistent opportunities to develop their independence within daily routines, such as toileting, dressing and handwashing.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children are cared for in a safe, welcoming and nurturing environment. Staff respond sensitively to their individual emotional and physical needs. The secure and trusting relationships between key staff and children help them to feel settled, confident and ready to explore. Staff show an awareness of children who may require additional reassurance. They adapt their interactions to support children to recognise and express their emotions calmly.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Care practices are generally effective and reflect leaders' focus on children's health, safety and wellbeing. However, occasionally, some staff do not always promote children's independence effectively with regard to their self-care, such as toileting. Staff promote children's understanding of healthy choices during mealtimes. They model positive social behaviour, good manners and calm routines. Staff have thoughtfully developed the outdoor provision to provide rich opportunities for children's physical development, exploration and sustained engagement in learning. Safe-sleep routines are well embedded, including regular checks and maintaining hygienic practices.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders work closely with families to ensure that individual needs are understood, including for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those who may face additional barriers to wellbeing. They maintain consistent communication with parents, which supports a shared understanding of children's needs and promotes continuity between home and the setting.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have a clear understanding of their curriculum and how it supports children's learning and development. They use baseline assessments and guidance effectively to identify what children know and can do, which helps them to tailor teaching to children's different starting points. The curriculum is designed around themes that run through the environment and daily activities. This gives children purposeful opportunities to develop language, communication and early mathematical ideas, such as counting and using number words during play and routines.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff generally use interactions well to build children's vocabulary. In adult-led sessions, they model language clearly, use simple routines and give explanations that help children to stay engaged and understand what is expected. However, this quality of interaction is not consistent during children's free play. As a result, during these times, staff do not always extend children's learning effectively. Staff use outdoor learning effectively to reinforce children's understanding and promote their personal, social and emotional development. Staff adapt teaching appropriately so that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities can access the curriculum meaningfully. They use children's interests to reduce barriers and increase their engagement. Leaders review children's progress through discussions, observations and partnership with external professionals. They recognise that increasing the frequency of purposeful interactions and rotating access to different activities

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

will further strengthen the breadth and balance of children's curriculum experience.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have created an inclusive culture where, in the main, staff promptly and accurately identify children's individual needs. Staff use early observations and assessments effectively to pinpoint emerging gaps in children's learning, including in communication, emotional development and speech and language. Leaders respond promptly by implementing the graduated approach, working closely with key staff to build clear profiles of children's strengths and needs. On occasion, staff do not consistently support children to develop their independence around their self-care and hygiene practices or interact with children to the usual high standard during their free-play.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff reduce children's barriers to learning through thoughtful adaptations. They use children's interests to encourage their engagement, particularly for those who may find certain areas challenging. Leaders have planned how early years pupil premium funding will be used. They ensure that it targets support and demonstrates a measurable impact on children's progress. Leaders monitor children's learning through ongoing observations, discussion with key persons and strong partnership with external professionals, including inclusion support services and speech and language specialists. As a result, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive support, which helps them to make clear progress from their starting points in development.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders prioritise staff's development, with team members proactively seeking additional training to strengthen their knowledge of supporting children with SEND. This contributes to consistent and sensitive practice that supports children's wellbeing. Relationships with families are positive and proactive, with concerns addressed early and support plans shaped collaboratively. Leaders also monitor children previously known to social care, ensuring that their needs remain a priority and that appropriate support continues over time.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders typically have an accurate and reflective understanding of the setting's strengths and priorities. They use this knowledge well to drive improvement. This is demonstrated through professional discussions and the actions already taken to enhance key areas, such as the outdoor environment and the use of technology. However, occasionally, there are inconsistencies in the quality of teaching and implementation of the curriculum, such as during children's free play and during routines.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders consider staff's workload and wellbeing carefully. They ensure that routines are manageable, maintain open communication and provide regular opportunities for staff to discuss any pressures and seek advice. Access to relevant training further supports staff's confidence and professional growth. Parents and carers speak highly of leaders' communication. They feel well informed and able to raise concerns. This reflects a strong and positive culture of partnership. Parents and carers describe their children's communication and language as being one of the most noticeable areas that they progress in in their learning and development. Positive relationships between staff and families support a shared understanding of children's progress.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children arrive happy and settled. They are welcomed by familiar staff, who know them well and respond sensitively to their needs. This helps children to form secure relationships and develop a strong sense of belonging. When children feel unsure, staff provide calm and timely reassurance. This helps children to settle at their own pace, feel safe and engage confidently. There are clear and consistent routines. These help children to understand what is expected and show kindness towards one another.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Parents and carers describe strong communication and trust in the staff team. They note visible progress in their children's confidence and language. Parents value the wide range of learning opportunities available for their children. Children achieve because they access a thoughtfully planned curriculum that provides purposeful and engaging learning experiences. Interactions between staff and children support the development of early communication, confidence and key skills. Adult-led learning helps children to focus and follow routines, while outdoor experiences, including forest school, encourage exploration and problem-solving through familiar stories.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make progress. They benefit from targeted approaches and staff's partnerships with external professionals. These help children to gain the knowledge and skills they need to be ready for school. They are beginning to build independence. Children thrive because the environment is thoughtfully organised and provides rich opportunities to explore, investigate and build confidence across the day.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Indoor and outdoor spaces offer varied and meaningful experiences that nurture children's curiosity, resilience and enjoyment in learning. However, staff do not consistently strengthen the balance between adult-led and child-initiated learning to further enhance children's access to the full curriculum and support their engagement in areas they find less familiar. Children continue to benefit from a warm, inclusive and nurturing setting where they can grow, flourish and enjoy learning.

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Next steps

Leaders should enhance the organisation of the daily provision and implementation of the curriculum to provide children with consistent and purposeful support, so all children access and benefit from the full breadth of the curriculum. Staff should strengthen children's independence, with particular regard for hygiene and self-care routines, such as toileting and handwashing across the day.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke to leaders and staff during the inspection.

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About this inspection

We carried out this inspection under the sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of the 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 foundation stage.

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About this inspection

A quality assurance visit by an additional inspector was carried out at this inspection.

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Address:

Little Acers Preschool, Lea and Garsdon Lea and Garsdon CE Primary School The Street, Lea Wiltshire SN16 9PG

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Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 16:00

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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

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