Little Acorns Brighton

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Leaders and staff work hard to implement their ethos of supporting children to be caring, curious and confident. Staff place extremely high emphasis on identifying how they meet the needs of children at their current stage of development. This includes staff who care for babies and very young children forging high levels of attachment to build children's confidence to explore calm, stimulating play spaces.

Knowing children very well enables the provider to design precisely a curriculum that focuses on developing the 'whole child'. The provider achieves this through delivering exceptional quality care and highly ambitious... educational programmes, and understanding the importance of finding out about children's cultural heritage and family values. This is to ensure that each and every child has a wonderful opportunity to learn about what makes them unique, and to learn together about one another.

Staff equip children with the knowledge and skills to find out about people and communities, and to celebrate the very essence and fabric of their community. This builds on children's awareness of others and contributes towards their personal and social development. They learn about their place in the wider world and how they can positively contribute.

Leaders and staff embrace the importance of genuinely exposing children to the awe and wonder of the world. For example, children are fascinated by the changes of the seasons they are experiencing. Staff demonstrate dynamic teaching practice to use what is happening around children to help them learn about the natural world.

Staff provide a range of intriguing activities, experiences and discussions with children, including on site, in the garden and during local trips outdoors. This supports children to find out and learn about different aspects of seasonal changes. For example, staff challenge children to work together to problem-solve how to melt ice found in the garden.

Children have outstanding attitudes to learning as they test out different ideas. They show deep engagement as they seek success in all aspects of their play experiences.

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

The passionate, knowledgeable leadership team is highly ambitious for all children who attend, continuously seeking the views of children, parents and other professionals to critique the quality of the provision they provide.

Leaders use this information to accurately self-evaluate and strive to identify how they can do even more, doing so to such an extent that they plan a range of twilight sessions for parents to support learning at home across a variety of topics. This is to ensure that children receive the highest level of quality care and education for a powerful and profound 'best start' in their most formative years. Children make great progress in all aspects of their learning and development.

Leaders have excellent oversight and governance of the provision. They recognise their greatest resource is their staff team and invest highly in their professional development and personal welfare. This in turn galvanises a team that is highly dedicated to the children it cares for.

Leaders and staff alike use their knowledge and expertise as qualified teachers to provide a highly effective curriculum. The provider's well-sequenced curriculum intent and how staff implement what they want children to learn are of the highest standard and well embedded. This empowers children with the knowledge, skills and aptitudes they need for future success.

Leaders and staff understand the importance of exposing children to a vast array of opportunities to hear language used in a variety of contexts. This includes babies snuggling in for story time and being sung to, through to more extensive group time discussions. Staff provide older children with opportunities to learn about new ideas and language linked to this.

For example, children are currently finding out about changes they are noticing in the environment. Staff introduce new words such as 'hibernation'. They explore with children what this means, and link to other ideas and texts they are learning.

This exposes children to new words to build on their growing range of vocabulary and helps them make connections in their learning.Staff are highly skilled at making sure their continuous provision gives children the skills and knowledge they need to use in other contexts. For instance, staff provide opportunities to model with play dough to really build hand dexterity and strength.

This frequent engagement with materials that help children develop and practise fine manipulative skills enables them to master other challenges. These include children being able to pull up zippers on coats to go outside and independently use tools to spread food at snack time. Staff are strategic in ensuring that the learning environment is curated in such a way that children have purposeful invitations to play and learn.

This helps children to build an excellent range of skills and knowledge that enables them to be exceptionally well prepared for their next stages in learning, supported by staff that truly champion their curiosity to learn.Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are extremely well supported by leaders and staff that are highly ambitious for them. There is an exceptionally detailed and focused approach to ensure that the individual needs of children are met robustly and consistently.

The provider uses support from other professionals to ensure that plans identify highly effective strategies to aid children in making the progress they are capable of. This contributes towards helping children receive interventions that will provide a significant positive impact on their future learning.Children behave very well and are sensitively supported by staff that model behavioural expectations.

This is so children understand what is expected from them, as well as ensuring that they understand social cues and how to keep themselves and others safe. Furthermore, leaders and staff have undertaken additional training so they can tailor their approach to each child, ensuring that their emotional well-being is acknowledged and respected. Staff know the children incredibly well and utilise strategies to help children receive the support they need to co-regulate effectively.

They take the time to really listen to children and find out their views and ideas to really help children feel validated.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.