Felsted Little Acorns

Felsted Little Acorns
Unique reference number (URN): 404877
Address: Felsted Primary School, Braintree Road, Felsted, DUNMOW, Essex, CM6 3EB
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 01/09/2001
Registers: EYR
Registered person: Felsted Little Acorns Committee
Inspection report: 24 March 2026
Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Safeguarding standards met
The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for
governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open
culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively
identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.
How we evaluate safeguarding
When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:
Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding.
Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all
legal requirements are met.

Expected standard
Achievement Expected standard
Children feel secure and develop a positive attitude to learning and to try new things.
Children's personal, social and emotional development and communication and language
skills are developing well, including children with special educational needs and/or
disabilities (SEND) or those learning English as an additional language. Children self-select
activities of their choice and access resources to help them initiate their own play. For
example, children show sustained concentration and fascination as they engage in sensory,
creative play. They ask lots of questions as they mix a variety of resources. They use
vocabulary to describe what they feel, such as 'crunchy' and 'squishy' as they mix lentils and
pasta in dough.
All children, regardless of their starting points and including children with SEND or barriers
to learning, make progress in their development. Strategies and early interventions are in
place to support all children. However, minor weaknesses in the consistency of teaching and
routines impact on children's overall achievement.
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Leaders and staff provide a positive environment that fully supports children's personal,
social and emotional development. Leaders have high expectations, and these are
reinforced throughout the day. Children's behaviour is exemplary. Staff model expected
behaviour well. They are calm, nurturing and attentive, and children form trusting bonds with
them. The use of books and teachable moments help children understand feelings and
emotions and the impact that some behaviour has on their friends. Children show kindness
to one another and have the language to express how they feel. They confidently speak
about their feelings, and staff respect and validate their emotions, for example when they
become a little frustrated when the routine of snack means they must stop their play.
Children are supported to negotiate between themselves, for example when sharing
resources. They work collaboratively and with sustained concentration and perseverance as
they make large construction models. Leaders and staff place a focus on promoting positive
behaviours and attitudes through well-established routines. They actively encourage good
attendance, which ensures children's welfare and helps children to build secure
relationships and fully participate.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Leaders and staff promote children's welfare and wellbeing effectively through nurturing and
responsive care and established routines. An effective key-person system is in place, and all
staff speak knowledgeably of all children attending. They tailor care practices to meet
children's individual and emerging needs. Children feel safe, secure and thrive in the homely
setting.

Children have formed close and trusting bonds with staff. They confidently seek reassurance
and cuddles when needed and then return happily to play. This provides emotional security.
Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as
an additional language benefit from tailored emotional and communication support, such as
visual prompts and the use of signing, which helps them feel secure and fully included. Staff
support children to recognise, express and manage their emotions. As a result, children
develop empathy and a secure sense of emotional wellbeing.
Children are very aware of their own personal safety and the safety of others. For example,
they alert staff when their friends spill water. They help mop up and place a caution sign
over the spill. They explain the floor is slippery and may cause an accident. Children relish
their time outdoors in the fresh air. They have opportunities to develop their physical skills.
They negotiate space well when using wheeled vehicles, ensuring they do not bump into
one another. Children enjoy a range of healthy snacks provided and learn the importance of
a healthy lifestyle through planned activities. The routine of snack interrupts children's play,
and this means some children are reluctant to leave what they are doing. Children do not
consistently have opportunities to strengthen skills needed to be independent learners, as
these are not promoted during this time.
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Staff provide children with a broad curriculum that covers all areas of learning within an
inclusive, fun environment. The curriculum design includes children's interests, builds on
what they already know and can do and introduces new learning through planned topics.
Staff complete initial assessments, complete ongoing observations and have meaningful
discussions with parents regarding their child's progress. This means they identify children's
next stage in learning effectively and adapt activities accordingly to ensure that children with
special educational needs and/or disabilities can fully participate.
Leaders and staff encourage children to be confident communicators and support
communication and language well. Staff model a wide vocabulary to children through
meaningful engagement and conversations. Children confidently speak at group time as
they share and recall what they have learned during the morning and what activities they
have enjoyed. Children listen intently and respectfully as they wait their turn. Staff generally
support children's mathematical knowledge through activities, such as counting or looking at
shapes and numbers. Children independently decide to use a dice when using construction.
They use the corresponding colour on the dice to match the bricks they use. While staff use
some positional language in context, for example talking about finding resources 'under' the
table, this is not yet consistently embedded during interactions. Therefore, opportunities for
children to understand mathematical concepts are not yet fully supported.
Staff prioritise children's physical and personal and emotional development. Children happily
engage in imaginary play, and role play is very popular. Children are creative in the props
they use to improvise and support their play. Children explain they are collecting rubbish
ready for the 'bin men' to collect. Leaders are committed and spend time to ensure children
are settled, and staff understand the importance of children feeling safe and happy for them
to learn effectively.

Inclusion Expected standard
Leaders have created an inclusive culture where children's unique needs are swiftly
identified and thoughtfully supported. They monitor children's progress closely and review
support regularly to ensure it remains effective. Leaders work collaboratively with families to
shape children's experiences and ensure early interventions and outcomes are positive.
This collaborative approach strengthens the quality of provision for all children, including
those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those children known or
previously known to social care. Regular, meaningful communication with families helps
leaders and staff to understand each child's experience and ensure that important
information is shared.
Leaders are aware of the importance of additional funding, such as early years pupil
premium, being used in a purposeful and targeted way to enable disadvantaged children to
access enrichment, improve their communication and build confidence. Staff work closely
and sensitively with families and any external professionals to ensure that consistent
support is in place. Parents speak highly and with gratitude about the way staff support their
children and the whole family. They comment on how their children have flourished and
made continued progress since attending the setting.
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders are passionate and dedicated to providing children with the best possible start.
They have a clear and ambitious vision for what they want children to learn. They equip staff
to deliver this through regular team meetings, some training opportunities and purposeful
supervision sessions. The manager has worked hard to make significant changes since the
last inspection, engaging in support from the local authority effectively. This has had a
positive impact and has greatly improved children's learning and achievement.
Leaders have a culture of evaluation, and they are realistic when reflecting on practice and
are aware of areas that require continued development. There has been a positive focus on
building a solid team. Leaders value staff welfare and wellbeing, and staff speak highly of
the manager and with enthusiasm of their role and feel supported. Staff access training that
enhances their knowledge and skills. Continuing to develop staff's understanding in how to
consistently promote opportunities for children to learn mathematical concepts would help
improve children's mathematical development. Regular staff meetings and daily professional
discussions help staff reflect on children's progress and plan next steps for learning.
Leaders work effectively with external professionals to meet the needs of children with
special educational needs and/or disabilities. They carefully observe children and ensure
that accurate assessments inform children's next steps in learning effectively. Inclusive
practice is a strength. Leaders understand the importance of smooth transitions to support
children moving on to school.

What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children arrive happy and full of enthusiasm to start their day. They are warmly welcomed
by happy and attentive staff. Children leave their parents with ease and confidently settle
and engage in stimulating activities. The setting is fully inclusive, and the provision of well-
designed areas, such as a cosy, comfortable reading area, creates a homely feel. Children
learn in a very calm, positive and respectful atmosphere. Children make consistent progress
and achieve well from their starting points. The curriculum is varied and ambitious, and the
importance of attendance for learning and children's wellbeing is fully understood. Leaders
understand time constraints for some families and offer support and have a flexible
approach for attending. This ensures children's regular participation and welfare.
Familiar routines in place help children settle. Children are aware of the high expectations
and routines. For example, they know when the bell rings to stop and listen. Children
confidently explain to visitors to the nursery they have more time to play before they have to
tidy away. This provides reassurance and contributes to the very good behaviour. Staff offer
praise and recognition for children's efforts, which reinforces children's self-esteem and
confidence.
Children have formed positive relationships with their key person. Children make friendships
with others attending. They play cooperatively and offer each other support. For example,
children spend time and take turns as they build tall towers, offering one another
encouragement to start again. Staff promote children's communication and language skills
and constantly build on what children already know in a clear and sequenced way. Systems
are now in place to monitor progress effectively. Children with special educational needs
and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning thrive at this setting. Leaders
promptly identify and address any gaps in children's development.
Next steps
Leaders should support staff to consistently encourage children to attempt tasks
themselves to enable them to become increasingly independent.
Leaders should improve the organisation of routines to ensure that they do not interrupt
play and impact on children's learning.
Leaders should source professional development opportunities to enhance knowledge
and skills of how to support children's mathematical learning even more effectively.

Inspector:
Lynn Hartigan
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): 404877
Address:
Felsted Primary School, Braintree Road
Felsted
DUNMOW
Essex
CM6 3EB
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 01/09/2001
Registered person: Felsted Little Acorns Committee
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:45 - 15:15
Local authority: Essex
Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 24 March 2026
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, parents and the special educational needs
coordinator during the inspection.
We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the
quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The
registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for
children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
3 to 4
Total number of places
30
Our grades explained
Exceptional
Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.
Strong standard
The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of
them.
Expected standard
The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are
following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional
standards expected of them.
Needs attention
The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary
improvements.
Urgent improvement
The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of
education and/or care.
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspects
services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects
and regulates services that care for children and young people.
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