Inspection Number: 1151121
| Name of setting: | Little Acorns Day Nursery |
| Setting number: | 516847 |
| Address: | 10 Thornhill Road |
| Kingsway | |
| Derby | |
| Postcode: | DE22 3LX |
| Person responsible for the day-to-day management of the setting: | Ms Sandra Shephard |
| Position: | Proprietor |
| Name of RgNI: | Mrs Shirley Cornes |
| RgNI's Registration number: | 24372 |
| Date(s) of inspection: | 30 May 2000 |
| Inspection number: | 1151121 |
The inspection took place as part of a national programme of inspection of the educational provision for three and/or four year olds. It was commissioned by the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED), a department of central government.
Information about the setting
Little Acorns Day Nursery first opened in 1990 and passed into its present management in 1998. It serves the local urban community of mixed social and economic backgrounds. The day nursery is situated in a large Victorian House in a suburb of Derby and has access to both paved and grassed outdoor play areas. It caters for children aged from birth to five years and there are currently fifty-six on roll. Of these two are four-year-olds and both of them are funded. There are no funded children who do not have English as their first language and none with identified special educational needs. There are seven members of staff who teach the funded children and five have a relevant early years qualification. The owner is a qualified teacher who works with the children each day. The day nursery operates from 8.00am to 6.00pm on Mondays to Fridays for fifty-one weeks per year.The strengths and weaknesses of the educational provision provided
The day nursery is situated in a converted semi-detached house which has a large garden comprising both hard and grass surface play areas. It provides good and secure accommodation where children engage in a variety of first-hand play experiences, as well as more focused learning activities. The programmes for all six areas of learning are good and promote the desirable learning outcomes. Most children are likely to achieve appropriately by the time they are five years old.There are no significant weaknesses to report, but the following points for development should be considered in the action plan:
Extend the library area and ensure that the books are displayed more invitingly to encourage children to browse or use one for reference.The provider must draw up an action plan within 40 working days of receipt of this report showing how the key issues or points for development detailed above will be addressed. The action plan must be made available to all parents, and to the Local Education Authority if required. An evaluation of the action taken will form part of the next inspection.
| Personal and social development | Promotes the desirable outcomes |
| Language and literacy | Promotes the desirable outcomes |
| Mathematics | Promotes the desirable outcomes |
| Knowledge and understanding of the world | Promotes the desirable outcomes |
| Physical development | Promotes the desirable outcomes |
| Creative development | Promotes the desirable outcomes |
Taken overall, the quality and standards of the educational provision are acceptable in promoting the desirable outcomes for children's learning. The action plan should show how the provider will address the key issues or points for development within 12 months of the inspection.
It is recommended that the next inspection occurs within two to four years.
The strengths and weaknesses of personal and social development
The programme for personal and social development is a strong feature of the day nursery. Staff encourage the children to be confident, happy and relaxed, and they offer many positive comments to enhance self-esteem. The children are very well behaved. They are learning the difference between right and wrong and are encouraged to say, "Sorry", "Please" and "Thank you". They have learned the simple rules of working happily with others and there is no evidence of major conflict or unwillingness to share, co-operate and take turns. Children are also encouraged to show sensitivity towards people of other cultures and beliefs, and this is enhanced effectively as they celebrate a variety of festivals such as Christmas, Chinese New Year, St. Patrick's Day or Diwali. Children have good independence skills. They serve their own drinks at snack time and put on their own aprons and coats when required. They also learn to take responsibility for their environment by packing away the toys and equipment and caring for plants and seeds. Children work well independently and concentrate on one activity for significant periods of time. Staff interact appropriately and encourage them to see an activity through to completion. There are good opportunities for children to select their own activity during the sessions of free play, and they often show initiative in the use of equipment. For example, by using the end of a skipping rope as a telephone in order to give instructions to the captain of a ship. However, there are limited opportunities for the four-year-old children to select their own resources, particularly during creative activities. Children enjoy coming to the day nursery and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered appropriately.The strengths and weaknesses of language and literacy
The programme for language and literacy is very good. There are many opportunities for children to improve their speaking and listening skills and for them to become aware of the written word, as well as to develop the necessary control of their fingers and hands for writing. Staff make good use of opportunities to interact positively and encourage children to talk about both their present play and their past experiences. Children listen attentively to stories which are used wisely by staff to explain unfamiliar words and introduce new vocabulary. Although the books are not very well set out, the children enjoy them and know how they work. They readily use them to tell stories to their friends. Children also respond to rhymes and poems. They make up their own and some children are already reading a series of simple rhyming words. All children learn to recognise and write their own names and, by the time they are five years old most can use appropriate upper and lower-case letters. The older ones also copy captions for displays. There are plenty of opportunities for children to engage in role-play and they act out their own imaginative play scenarios in the pretend flower shop, or with small world equipment or during outdoor play. These activities are also used to advantage to promote pretend writing, such as 'squiggles', pictures and odd letters. Children are introduced to letters of the alphabet by shape and sound and are encouraged to underpin this understanding through card matching games and other activities.The strengths and weaknesses of mathematics
There is a strong programme for mathematics. Children's mathematical development occurs within a wide range of contexts, some of which are specifically planned and some incidental. For example, children's use of relevant mathematical language is underpinned through activities such as sand, water, use of construction equipment and stories. Children decide how much more sand is required to fill a bucket, how many carriages will fit onto a train or the best place to put a toy rabbit's cushion so that he could sleep without being disturbed. Play activities are also used effectively for children to solve simple practical problems. Children learn mathematical ideas about shape, size and position by completing jigsaw puzzles and by using appropriate mathematical equipment. They also learn to match, sort, compare, order and sequence a variety of objects in a variety of ways. Children are familiar with a range of counting games and number rhymes, and staff use these wisely for children to work out and see what happens when one is added or taken away from their fingers. Daily routines are also used to advantage for children to count and work out how many children are absent or how many more plates are set out than the number required. Children have good opportunities to recognise and recreate mathematical patterns. For example, they copy a set pattern of bricks on a card and make up their own sequence of coloured teddy bears for a friend to copy. Children learn to recognise and use numbers to ten through playing games and using appropriate equipment. They also learn to record numbers as they participate in a variety of well-planned, focused learning activities.The strengths and weaknesses of knowledge and understanding of the world
There is a very good programme to develop children's knowledge and understanding of the world. Topics to broaden their horizons and underpin learning are well chosen and well planned using relevant resources and activities. For example, they learn about spring and new life and have experience of planting seeds and seeing what is needed to enable them to flourish. Children are also introduced to aspects of their environment. They visit a nearby supermarket to purchase ingredients and learn about handling money, and also visit the residents of the old people's home next door. Visitors such as a dentist are invited into the day nursery to talk to the children about what they do and to show some of the equipment associated with their work. Children are encouraged to recall past events and to talk about both their families and their personal history. Cooking activities are programmed regularly and provide good opportunities for children to look closely at the different ingredients and observe the changes which occur when they are mixed together or cooked. The recording of observations and experiences is achieved in a good variety of ways. Children do this through play, during discussion, by compiling simple graphs, updating the calendar and dictating captions for displays. They often question why things happen and how things work. For example, during an activity requiring them to look closely at a selection of both made and natural objects, they asked what made them different. Activities which require children to explore materials and use a variety of skills to make something are planned regularly, and children enjoy using their initiative in the construction process. A computer is available all the time and children are skilled in its use, thus supporting their learning, particularly in language and literacy and mathematics.The strengths and weaknesses of physical development
The programme for physical development is good. A variety of activities is provided daily and children are learning to handle a range of tools, equipment and malleable and other materials safely and with increasing skill. Tools and equipment are used with appropriate adult support and guidance matched to individual abilities. A range of construction equipment is set out in rotation, and children enjoy fixing, joining and making models using their imagination. There are plenty of opportunities for children to benefit from having fresh air and exercise daily, and they run about and move confidently and imaginatively with increasing skill, control and co-ordination in a large and stimulating playground. There, children also learn to manoeuvre tricycles and ride-on cars, and to throw, catch, hit and kick balls. A climbing frame is available in the outdoor area and this enables children to practise, refine and gain confidence in their climbing and balancing skills. A good programme of music and movement and simple drama sessions is planned, and children are encouraged to use their bodies in an imaginative way.The strengths and weaknesses of creative development
There is a good programme for creative development. One of the classrooms is used as a craft room where children explore colour, texture, shape and form through the use of a range of materials such as sand, water, dough, clay, paint and collage. Children's own ideas and representations are valued and displayed to advantage in the day nursery. There are good opportunities for children to respond in a variety of ways to different stimuli, for example, when smelling seeds and feeling the texture of wet cotton wool. Children also listen to music and stories and respond, using their imagination. For example, they act out the story of a growing seed and move to ballet music. There are regular opportunities for children to use musical instruments to explore sound and discover how different sounds are made. The children are imaginative and readily dress up and act out their own imaginative play scenarios.The strengths and weaknesses of the overall planning of the educational programme
The planning of the educational programme is excellent and provides a firm foundation for the work undertaken in the day nursery. This in turn leads to the children making good progress towards attaining the desirable outcomes of all six areas of learning. Staff prepare long-term plans which identify a main theme or topic as a focus for a month, medium-term plans showing a list of stimulating activities which are slotted into a weekly schedule, and short-term plans which identify what activities will be set out each day.The strengths and weaknesses of teaching and assessment
The teaching and assessment of the educational programme is of a high quality and sometimes is excellent. This contributes to the children's good progress, particularly in language and literacy and mathematics. There is strong leadership by both the owner and the nursery manager who monitor the work of the day nursery by being involved on a daily basis. Appropriate and sensitive teaching skills are displayed by the staff who work well together, ensuring that there is a smooth running daily programme. The daily routine provides a good balance between the play activities initiated by the children and the more focused learning activities directed by the staff. Members of staff are deployed effectively and children benefit significantly from individual teaching and support. Staff have secure knowledge and understanding of the desirable outcomes for all six areas of learning, and put this to good effect in their teaching.The strengths and weaknesses of equality of access and opportunity
All children have access to all of the activities and girls and boys are expected to participate in all the experiences offered. Staff interact appropriately and ensure that children take turns and share favourite toys and equipment. It is evident in their practice that staff know the children well. All children are helped to work at their own level and activities meet the needs of those who learn at different rates or who need particular support. A Special Educational Needs Policy is in operation and complies with the DfEE's 1994 Code of Practice in identifying any child with early signs of special educational need. Children's attainments are monitored regularly and they are making good progress in all six areas of learning, particularly language and literacy and mathematics. There are currently no funded children attending whose first language is not English, and none with identified special educational needs.The strengths and weaknesses of the learning resources and accommodation
The day nursery is situated in a Victorian semi-detached house and provides good and secure accommodation. There is also access to a large garden with both grass and hard surface areas. Staff make good use of this and provide regular opportunities for children to gain fresh air and exercise. The activities are prepared in three small rooms which are set out effectively to promote children's learning in all six areas. There is a good range of resources for most areas of learning and staff generally use them well. However, books are not easily accessible and are not displayed invitingly to encourage children to use them regularly. Although children may choose their activity or ask for particular boxes of equipment to be available, resources for some activities are often set out by staff and are not readily available for children to select their own. There are currently no children attending the day nursery whose first language is not English, and none with identified special educational needs. However, the resources available are suitable or could be adapted to meet their needs.The strengths and weaknesses of the partnership with parents and carers
The partnership between staff and parents and carers is good. They work well together to support the children's progress and development in all six areas of learning, and each values the contribution of the other. A small brochure and details on the noticeboard give good information about the educational programme, as well as about the current topic and associated daily activities. Parents and carers are warmly welcomed into the day nursery when they deliver and collect their children, when appropriate exchanges of information take place. More formal sharing occurs during open evenings and at the end of a child's time at the day nursery when parents take home their child's completed developmental records. Most parents work and lead busy lives. They value the 'open door' policy of the day nursery and the opportunities to stay and join in with activities when they are able. Parents value the work of the day nursery and feel that their children are making good progress.Implementation of action plan
Staff have worked hard and made good progress in implementing the action plan devised in response to the four key issues identified as a result of the previous inspection.