Acorn Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents

This provision is outstanding Highly effective teaching by a very well-qualified team of dedicated staff ensures that all children make outstanding progress in their learning and development.

Staff plan challenging activities that engage children's interests and motivate them to learn. Staff establish warm, strong attachments with the children. They are friendly, welcoming and excellent role models.

This helps children to feel safe and secure. Assessment of children's learning is highly effective. Staff very quickly identify any additional support needed by individual children, and encourage parents to work with them, and others, to support their children.

As a ...result, children who start at the pre-school with skills that are below those typical for their age make rapid progress and catch up very quickly. Children behave extremely well. Staff provide clear explanations that help children to understand their high expectations of behaviour.

Children are involved in creating rules for the pre-school and understand why these are necessary. The manager promotes a very positive culture of reflective practice and is committed to making ongoing improvements to the pre-school to benefit the children. She successfully identifies areas of practice that could be developed even further and ensures the staff keep up to date with new initiatives to drive continual improvement.

Management and staff use robust systems to manage risks and help children to develop an excellent awareness of the importance of safe behaviour. Parents speak very highly of the pre-school. They are well-informed of their children's progress and are encouraged to share information about their children's achievements.