Acorns In Harrogate

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and settled at the nursery. Staff recognise the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on children's development. They have sensibly prioritised children's personal, social and emotional development. The success of this is evident throughout the setting. Children are relaxed, confident and very well behaved. Toddlers are learning to be kind and they enjoy singing a 'please and thank you' song.

Children's confidence levels show that they feel safe. Younger children doze contentedly on their key-person's lap and readily approach them for comfort. They confidently explore their environment. They have great fun developing their skills as they scoop the edible sand or stack the shapes. Older children are confident and keen to speak to the inspector and tell them about their nursery. They say that they like their nursery because the staff are nice.

Children's behaviour is further supported through well-rehearsed routines that also support their learning. For example, toddlers are settled as they get ready for lunch because they know what is going to happen next. Older children find their named place at the lunch table. They talk about the letters in their name as they patiently wait their turn to line up with their tray and collect their cutlery.

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

• Staff undertake accurate assessments of children's learning. They delight in children's progress and developing personalities. Children make good progress. Staff work closely with other agencies. This helps children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to receive the extra support they need. They quickly begin to catch up with their peers.
• Children become confident communicators because they know that staff will listen to them. Staff are attentive to children's spoken and non-verbal communication. Older children are mostly confident to speak in front of a large group. However, at times, planned next steps for children's language development are not as focused as they could be. For example, it is not always shared which new sound, word or song, children need to learn and practise. This means that some staff, and sometimes parents, are not able to maximise children's learning.
• Managers lead a stable staff team. On the whole, leaders have a good oversight of the quality of provision. They recognise when aspects of the provision require further development. They strive to put plans in place to improve matters. Both the baby room and toddler room are particularly well supported. However, monitoring is not as robust as it could be. There are minor inconsistencies in how well the curriculum is delivered, both indoors and outdoors.
• Children enjoy the healthy, home-cooked meals, which include vegetables, each day. Staff remind them to drink their water to keep their brains and bodies hydrated. Older children enjoy being active outdoors in the fresh air, whatever the weather. They learn to put their own coats and boots on ready to go outside. Staff encourage toddlers to listen to the sound of the rain on the roof of the shelter. Children experiment by pouring the water down the guttering. They persevere for some time to ride the balance bicycle. Older children say they like climbing and balancing outdoors. This approach promotes children's health and their physical development.
• Staff introduce mathematical concepts and number at every opportunity. Younger children learn to match the shapes and colours on the jigsaws. Older children are invited to vote for their favourite story book by putting their counter into a bowl next to their chosen book. Staff skilfully invite them to predict which bowl holds the most counters. They go on to count them to check if their predictions are correct. Children count very well.
• Children develop an interest in books and stories. For example, babies spontaneously crawl to reach their favourite book. They spend considerable time mimicking the faces they see. They smile and pout at the pictures of the babies. The most able children can recount parts of the story they have just heard and talk about the characters in the book.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• further improve children's vocabulary and pronunciation by making sure that all staff and parents know what children need to learn and practise
• continue to develop systems for monitoring the quality of provision so that the intended curriculum is implemented more consistently across all areas of the provision.