Tiny Acorns Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Since the last inspection,p the nursery has grown. Managers have worked tirelessly to recruit and support their expanding team and securely embed their outstanding practice across all rooms in the nursery.

Children benefit from a highly effective key-person system. They develop strong attachments with their key person, which helps them to feel safe and secure. For example, babies begin to explore their new environment with the reassurance of familiar staff.

They look around them and point at items of interest. They pick up wooden spoons and delight in the noises that they make as they tap them on plastic pots.Ch...ildren benefit from consistently high expectations and high-quality interactions.

Staff know the children exceptionally well. They continually reflect and adapt their teaching superbly to challenge children to achieve the next steps in their learning. For instance, children persevere and develop their aim as they throw balls through hoops.

Staff use this opportunity impressively to develop children's mathematical vocabulary and physical skills. They challenge children to throw their ball through hoops that are positioned 'higher' and 'lower'.Children are very well behaved and eager to learn.

They often become absorbed in their activities. Children excitedly play with cars. They learn how to cut sellotape to make tubes for them to travel down.

They extend their own learning, placing tubes in different directions and using non-standard measure to see how far their cars will travel.

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

The provider has created a highly impressive working environment for their team. Staff deployment is outstanding.

For instance, managers make bold leadership decisions and strategically place staff in team combinations to utilise their skills to full effect. Managers ensure that staff have the time and support to improve their professional practice to the highest level. For example, staff complete training and development activities within the nursery day.

They complete individual training programmes and also observe their colleagues. Staff are motivated to work towards targets which enable them to be part of the 'Acorns Academy' and develop their leadership and management skills. This has a superb impact on staff motivation and, in turn, the excellent quality of education they provide.

Staff share the highest ambitions for all of the children in their care. Leaders, such as the special educational needs coordinator, take exceptionally prompt and effective action to support children with additional needs. This is demonstrated when they use their own wealth of knowledge, and that of the staff team, to support children with highly successful early interventions.

The special educational needs coordinator establishes outstanding partnerships with outside professionals who offer additional guidance and support.Staff establish superb partnerships with parents, who are overwhelmingly positive about the care that their children receive. Staff involve parents in their children's education from their first contact with the nursery.

They gather information about what children know and can do, and use this to help tailor learning to children's individual needs from the outset. Staff provide guidance to help parents to support their children at home, for example in the monthly newsletter. The nursery 'Acorn Bear' visits families with his potty at times of toilet training.

This helps parents to promote new self-care routines at home.Staff develop excellent opportunities for children to talk about their feelings and emotions. This is demonstrated in the pre-school room where children identify their mood and place their names on the feelings chart to communicate how they feel each day.

Children know how to help themselves if they are feeling sad or worried. For example, they refer to emotions cards in the feelings box and they learn ways to deal with their feelings, such as 'shaking them off' or 'squeezing them away' using a ball.Staff share and communicate consistently high expectations for children's behaviour.

They use the character 'Bob' and refer to his 'kind hands' and 'walking feet' to help children learn to make the right behaviour choices. Children show high levels of respect for others. Their behaviour is exceptional.

The entire staff team shares a consistently strong understanding of how to deliver the vision for curriculum. Staff plan precisely to meet the unique next steps in children's development. Children enjoy a wealth of highly stimulating activities linking to their own needs.

For example, the high proportion of boys attending the nursery enjoy the exceptional range of opportunities to be active outdoors. Young children's eyes light up as they eagerly watch staff rubbing shredded paper between their fingers like snow. They lurch forward to feel the texture of the paper in their hands.

Children relish opportunities to learn how to look after babies after the arrival of their younger siblings.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Leaders ensure that the staff complete regular safeguarding training.

This helps them to keep their knowledge up to date. For example, staff have an exceptional understanding of signs and symptoms of abuse. Staff have a secure knowledge of local multi-agency reporting arrangements and they know how to respond to concerns about staff practice.

Staff help children to learn how to manage their own safety superbly. For instance, children learn the benefits of applying sunscreen. They also begin to practise telling staff about their dietary needs in preparation for their move to school.

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