Acorn Day Nursery Shenley

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents

This provision is good • Children form positive attachments to their key person and other staff.

They enjoy warm, affectionate relationships with staff and their smiley faces show that they feel safe, secure and happy at the nursery. • Older children develop a strong sense of democracy and enjoy taking part in the 'Children's Forum'. They are keen to attend meetings with the manager to express their views and to talk about what they like and dislike in the nursery.

One child said, 'This is a really lovely nursery'. Another child said, 'I like playing the bear game'. • The parent volunteer programme encourages parents to share their skills and expertise with children to b...roaden their outlook.

For example, children learn about the human body from a qualified doctor and make finger puppets to accompany actions to a popular song. • Children make good progress in their learning. Staff effectively promote children's learning through play.

Children become independent, highly motivated learners. The high levels of individual attention help to develop children's personal, social, communication and language skills very well. • The staff have high expectations for children's behaviour.

They manage behaviour effectively to help children develop an understanding of what is expected from them. Children are kind to their friends and are learning to take turns. • Staff establish extremely positive relationships with parents and other settings that children attend.

They exchange information daily, working effectively with them to support individual children's care, medical and learning needs. • The manager wants all staff to teach to the same high level as her senior staff. Action to tackle some differences in the quality of staff practice is ongoing, meaning that some children have a more variable quality of learning experience.