Little Acorns Day Nursery and Montessori School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff demonstrate a genuine warmth and sense of caring towards each child. They know children exceptionally well and use their expert knowledge to provide a welcoming, homely environment, where children play and learn happily. Children especially love exploring in the garden, where they show how well they have learned to collaborate and negotiate with one another. Staff know just when to join children in their games and show high-quality teaching as they playfully extend and enhance children's activities. This helps children to remain deeply focused and thoroughly absorbed in their chosen activities for a considerable time.

Staff implement a rich curriculum that embraces children's interests and builds on their abilities over time. They plan targeted activities to stimulate children's senses and develop the fundamental skills they need to make progress and learn. Children thoroughly enjoy undertaking these focused, yet playful tasks, in a calm and quiet area of the nursery. For example, children learn to carefully fill containers and use squeezy bottles to squirt water. This helps to develop children's muscles and refine their abilities to manipulate objects. Children flourish at the nursery and when the time comes, they have the skills and attributes they need for school.

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

• Leaders and managers have high expectations. They readily work alongside staff, which gives them an excellent overview of the daily achievements and challenges. This results in a shared determination by the whole team to do their best for each child attending. Staff thoroughly enjoy their work and are well supported to continually enhance their professional skills. Leaders and managers recognise and truly value each individual staff's contribution to the team. They know how, together, they can make a difference for the families in their community.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive excellent support in their early years. Staff are highly skilled at using additional funding to implement tailored plans to make sure children can develop and feel emotionally secure in their surroundings. Partnerships with parents and other professionals are embedded in practice. Staff ensure everything is in place to support children's transitions to school, when the time comes.
• Staff plan and implement exciting group activities that capture children's attention effectively. Teaching is exceptional at these times. Children know what is expected of them and sit happily absorbed in what is happening. Children remember what they have learned before as they anticipate 'What's in the box?' or become very excited as staff demonstrate simple experiments. Staff recognise how, for some children, this is a great achievement as they are developing an ability to work alongside others.
• Staff demonstrate a consistently high level of teaching as they play with the children. They introduce new words into their interactions and give children the time they need to respond. Children who speak English as an additional language are supported very well and quickly copy what they have heard. For example, children point to the content of their toy trucks and say 'sand' for the first time.
• Staff understand the importance of children gaining independence and, from the start, teach children to do things for themselves. Younger children confidently feed themselves and are mastering the use of cutlery. Older children are accomplished and happily serve themselves and their friends with their chosen foods. Staff are excellent role models, resulting in children swiftly learning good manners and respect for one another. Children are confident and happy at nursery. They have firm attachments to their key person, and this gives them reassurance when they feel tired or simply need a cuddle.
• Parents are valued partners at the nursery. They share the highest of praise about the staff team and how they go 'above and beyond' of what is expected of them. Parents say they have regular feedback about their children's experiences and how approachable and caring the staff team are. Parents make reference to feeling 'like we joined a family', when their children first start attending.