Little Acorns Day Nursery Ltd

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Staff provide children with a welcoming and nurturing environment.

Children arrive happy and swiftly say goodbye to their parents or carers to excitedly join their friends. Children are settled and display a strong sense of belonging. They are motivated to learn.

Children confidently initiate their own play and make independent choices about what toys to play with. Babies develop their curiosity as they explore large shiny pebbles. They receive lots of cuddles as they sit on the laps of staff to look at photographs of special people in their family books.

Young children think and predict as they build small to...wers. They talk to staff and giggle when the tower falls down. Staff sit alongside children offering encouragement and support.

This supports children's growing confidence and self-esteem. Young children extend their own learning and add cars and trucks to their play. Pre-school children are focused as they make coloured dough.

They concentrate and follow instructions on recipe cards. Children competently use jugs and cups to measure flour and oil. They share their ideas and think about adding more or less ingredients to make the dough the right texture.

Pre-school children develop good listening skills. They are beginning to recognise the rhythm and sounds in their name and clap to each syllable. Children count how many claps their names have and proudly tell their friends.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

The knowledgeable manager and staff team are dedicated to their roles. They work very well together to provide high-quality, inclusive care and education for all. The manager meets regularly with staff to monitor their practice, identify training needs and discuss any workload pressures they may have.

Staff morale is high. They feel very well supported in their professional development and enjoy attending training to enhance their already good skills and knowledge.Staff have a secure knowledge of the curriculum.

They make regular assessments of what children know and can do. Staff use this information to plan a wide range of interesting and challenging experiences to move children forward in their learning. Children make good progress and develop the key skills that they need to be ready for the next stage of their learning and the move to school.

Young children are focused and display high levels of concentration as they build ramps for their cars with small pieces of tube and guttering. They develop their own ideas and choose to paint the blackboard with water, ensuring it is all covered. However, on occasions, staff interrupt children's flow of play to offer their ideas and suggestions.

As a result, children lose focus and disengage from their play.Children behave well. Staff are positive role models.

They have high expectations for children in their care. Children are developing a good understanding of their emotions and learn to take turns and share.Partnerships with parents, other providers and professionals are strong.

Staff share information with them in a variety of ways. For example, parents access online learning records and assessments are shared with other settings children attend. The manager meets regularly with other professionals, such as occupational therapists, to ensure children's individual needs are met.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are very well supported. Children's care and learning is consistent and well complemented.Parents are very happy with the care and education their children receive.

They comment on the 'kind and caring staff' and the 'approachable and friendly manager'. Parents state their children are 'well cared for and safe'.Staff support children's personal care well.

They teach children the importance of good handwashing and remind them to wash the germs from their hands. The nursery has an on-site cook. Although children are provided with nutritious home-cooked meals and snacks, staff sometimes miss opportunities to discuss the importance of eating a healthy diet to support a healthy lifestyle.

Children have lots of opportunities to be physically active and play outside in the fresh air. They excitedly climb on apparatus, run, jump and use ride-on toys. Children work together to build with small crates.

They express their creativity as they make marks with paint. Babies hold tightly onto a staff member's hand as they practise walking around the outdoor area.Staff support children's early literacy skills.

Children practise writing and learn the sounds that letters represent. Children develop early mathematics skills as staff provide them with lots of opportunities to count, sort and match.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The nursery has a comprehensive range of policies to underpin their good practice.The staff are proactive in protecting children from harm. They complete daily safety checks to ensure that children play in a safe environment.

Staff have a good understanding of child protection. They keep their safeguarding training up to date. Staff know the signs that indicate a child may be at risk of abuse or neglect and the procedures to follow if they have a concern about a child's well-being.

They have a sound understanding of wider safeguarding issues, such as protecting children from exploitation or extreme views. Staff know how to report such concerns and have procedures in place to do so.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nenhance opportunities for children to learn about healthy eating, to develop their knowledge about healthy lifestyles monitor children's engagement in their chosen play and know when it is appropriate to offer ideas and suggestions without interrupting their focus.