Acorn Day Care Limited

Acorn Day Care Limited

Unique reference number (URN): 2721420 Address: 2 Roman Road, Luton, LU3 2QT Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 17/02/2023 Registers: EYR Registered person: Acorn Day Care Limited

p.1

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.

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

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

p.1

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.

p.1

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children behave well, and staff typically use consistent approaches to address any minor incidents or disagreements. By the time children reach the pre-school room, they are able to resolve challenges independently through effective negotiation with others. Staff act as positive role models for the youngest children, supporting them to develop their sharing and turn-taking skills. Staff recognise the benefits of using praise and encouragement to build children's concentration and focus, and this is well received by children. This contributes towards staff and children developing positive relationships. Consequently, children feel happy and settled at the nursery and have positive attitudes towards their learning.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Leaders have developed systems to monitor children's attendance. They hold meaningful discussions with parents about the importance of their children attending nursery, and they work with parents to accommodate changes to hours where possible to improve children's attendance. Routines across the nursery are generally well established and children know what happens next. Staff adapt how they communicate the routine for individual children to support all children to understand, for example by using visual timetables for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. As a result, all children understand the rules in place and follow these well.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have worked hard to prioritise children's welfare and wellbeing. They have been working with other professionals to develop staff knowledge and practice, including attending healthy eating workshops, and are working towards local accreditations. They recognise the importance of children developing healthy lifestyles. On the whole, staff speak to children at mealtimes about the importance of staying hydrated. Hygiene procedures are established and followed well by all staff and children. Staff ensure that children's lunch boxes are balanced and healthy, holding discussions with parents about how they can improve these further. Lunchtimes are social occasions, offering children opportunities to build and strengthen positive relationships with staff and their friends.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

All children appear happy and settled at the nursery. Despite recent staff changes, children generally form meaningful bonds with those who work with them. The youngest children turn to staff for comfort and reassurance when needed. Leaders take an active role in the nursery, and children happily greet them when they enter the rooms. Routines are fully embedded at the nursery, and children know what to expect next. These are tailored to ensure that all children feel included and understand what is happening. This helps everyone to thrive emotionally.

p.2

Achievement Needs attention

Due to the lack of embedded curriculum and fully effective monitoring of progress, not all children are able to build on their learning as rapidly as others. However, children who face barriers to their learning or those with special educational needs and/or disabilities progress well, and on the whole, all children receive effective support.

p.3

Achievement Needs attention

Children develop independence, such as learning how to scrape their own plates after mealtimes. The youngest children receive encouragement to try to put their shoes on for themselves. The oldest children receive visits from staff at the new schools they will move to, and they are well prepared for this transition. All children learn to be effective communicators, with toddlers talking confidently to visiting adults about what they are doing at nursery. They learn new vocabulary through routine times, such as learning about the importance of staying hydrated.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have been working hard to create and embed a purposeful curriculum since the last inspection, but this is still in the early stages of development. The curriculum focuses on activities instead of the knowledge and skills that staff and leaders want children to learn. This does not fully support children to achieve their full potential.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Systems for sharing children's next steps with other staff are in place, but the information is not always accessible or considered when planning learning opportunities. As a result, staff interactions and learning opportunities do not focus sharply on what individual children need to learn next. Additionally, some parents are unsure of what their children are working towards.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Staffing is a challenge and there have been changes to the staff team recently. This has put pressure on the staff team, meaning that deployment is not always fully effective to best support children's learning and development, as staff are sometimes busy completing other tasks.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Overall, staff interactions with children are still too varied. This means that children do not receive consistent experiences across the nursery. Improvements have been made to staff interactions since the last inspection, and some staff have a more secure knowledge of children. Staff have received meaningful and focused training to improve their knowledge and skills and this is beginning to have a positive impact on children. Staff support and prioritise children's language and communication skills effectively.

p.3

Inclusion Needs attention

While leaders have worked hard since the last inspection to improve the provision for all children, staff interactions across the nursery are still varied. This does not provide children with consistently positive interactions at all times. Overall, children are making progress. There has been a real focus on work to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who face barriers to their learning. Staff working with children with SEND have completed relevant training to upskill themselves. This is having a positive impact on children with SEND. Staff hold regular discussions with parents about individual support plans for children who require these, including identifying appropriate targets.

p.3

Inclusion Needs attention

Some of the plans leaders have for using additional funding the nursery receives are in the early stages and do not yet positively benefit children who face barriers to their learning. Leaders recognise the importance of using any additional funding to support individual children. Plans for how they can use this further are carefully considered, such as providing children with home learning packs. Work with other agencies and professionals is effective. Staff have a secure understanding of children's backgrounds and how to support the most vulnerable children attending.

p.4

Leadership and governance Needs attention

While leaders work hard to build professional relationships with parents, some parents are still unsure of who their child's key person is. There have been a number of staff changes recently, and this has contributed to this uncertainty. There has also been a lack of clarity for parents about what their children are working towards, which means that they are unable to fully support their children's learning effectively at home. Leaders intend to implement new systems, such as providing home learning packs, but these have not been introduced yet. Therefore, the impact of these is not yet known.

p.4

Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders have done a great deal of work since the last inspection to bring about improvements and implement positive changes. They are reflective and recognise that they are on a journey to achieving all they have set out to do. Staff training and professional development are not yet fully embedded in staff practice, and further work is needed to bring all staff to a consistently high standard. Leaders work collaboratively with other agencies and professionals, taking on board feedback and implementing training that staff have received. Work with staff at local schools is established and this helps to prepare children for their move to school.

p.4

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

Overall, children benefit from the various improvements and changes that leaders have worked hard to implement since the last inspection. Children's wellbeing is a real priority at the nursery, and attendance is closely monitored. However, there is further work to be done to support all children to achieve their full potential. Children do not yet benefit from a tailored curriculum that supports them to build on their existing learning. Their next steps are not the focus of the curriculum. Some children benefit more than others from staff interactions, as these are still too variable. Children are sometimes unable to make the most of every learning opportunity due to staff being busy completing other tasks. Weaknesses in the key-person system do not fully support children to build on their learning at home, as relationships between parents and key persons not being established effectively in some cases.

p.4

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

There is a real focus on supporting the most vulnerable children who attend the nursery, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Individual support plans for children with SEND help to identify relevant targets to support children to make secure progress. Children benefit from inclusive support to help them understand the routines in place. For instance, visual timetables help children with SEND to anticipate what is happening next. The improvements and staff training to support children with SEND are having a positive impact.

p.5

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

All children develop their communication and language skills. Staff use strategies they have gained during their recent training to support this. Children learn new words relevant to their experiences. For instance, toddlers learn about keeping themselves 'hydrated' in the hot weather as they enjoy talking to the adults and friends at their table at lunch. The oldest children confidently learn to communicate when issues arise and resolve these low-level conflicts independently. Children receive positive role modelling from the staff who work with them. They behave well, form warm and trusting relationships with others and enjoy their time at the nursery.

p.5

Next steps

To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date:

p.5

Action Completion Date

plan and deliver an ambitious and tailored curriculum that focuses on children's individual needs and next steps to enable all children to make the best possible progress 06/11/2026

p.5

Action Completion Date

ensure that children's individual targets and next steps are appropriately identified and communicated to parents so that they can build on children's learning effectively at home 06/11/2026

p.5

Action Completion Date

continue to strengthen staff knowledge and practice to a consistently high level, adapting interactions to respond to children's individual needs and interests 06/11/2026

p.5

Address:

Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises

p.6

Address:

Registered person: Acorn Day Care Limited

p.6

Address:

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

p.6

Action Completion Date

ensure that staff are deployed effectively so that they can provide children with consistently positive interactions and focus on supporting children's learning and development 06/11/2026

p.6

Action Completion Date

ensure that all parents are aware of their child's key person and fully establish a professional relationship between parents and key persons 06/11/2026

p.6

About this inspection

The inspector spoke with leaders, parents, staff and children during the inspection.

p.6

About this inspection

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. Local authority: Luton

p.6

Facts and figures used on inspection

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

p.7

Exceptional

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

p.7

Strong standard

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

p.7

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.

p.7

Needs attention

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

p.7

Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

p.7

Urgent improvement

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.8

Urgent improvement

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.8

Urgent improvement

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

p.8

Urgent improvement

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

p.8