Solihull Day Care

Day Care at Saint Martin's St. Martins School, Malvern Hall, Brueton Avenue, SOLIHULL, West Midlands, B91 3EN

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 23/10/2012 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 Previous inspection: Not Applicable How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 Children are very happy and settled in the calm, caring atmosphere of the nursery. Staff know the children exceptionally well and provide continuity in their routines, which makes them feel secure.  There is an extremely strong partnership with parents and carers, and they are fully involved in their children's learning through working on activities with them at home and contributing to their progress records.  Children are exceptionally well safeguarded in the nursery as management ensure that all staff effectively implement the setting's comprehensive policies and procedures.  All staff are highly motivated and provide high quality learning experiences for children as a result of the innovative leadership in the nursery. The extremely effective evaluation and monitoring system means that this is a constantly improving setting.  Children are given a wealth of exciting experiences in the setting's extensive outdoor

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This provision is outstanding

area and this encourages them to explore, and find out about nature and the world around them. Visitors to the nursery and many exciting outings further enhance children's learning.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are scheduled:  at least once in every inspection cycle. The current cycle ends on 31 July 2016  more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged as inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage; or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised for inspection where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the playroom and the outside learning environment.  The inspector held meetings with the proprietor and the manager of the provision.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documentation, evidence of suitability of practitioners working within the setting, the provider's self- evaluation form and a range of other documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day and of information included in the self-evaluation form.

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Information about the setting

Day Care at Saint Martin's was registered in 2006 and re-registered in 2012. The provision operates from premises within the site of Saint Martin's School, Solihull. Children play in one large room. The Fun Fest play scheme has access to other areas on the school site and is separate from the nursery provision. Children also have access to an outdoor play area. Operational times are 8am to 6pm on Monday to Friday for 51 weeks of the year.

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Information about the setting

The provision is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 25 children on roll between the ages of nine months and two years. There are six members of staff, one of whom has achieved Early Years Professional Status. All other staff hold a level 3 childcare qualification. The setting receives support from the local authority.

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 consolidate and develop further staff's ongoing training and professional development in order to maintain high quality practice and ensure that children continue to receive innovative learning experiences.

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who attend

Children are making excellent progress in all areas of learning as they are provided with enabling environments in which they experiment, explore and learn through their play. Nursery staff have a thorough knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage and how children learn. This allows them to develop learning activities that are stimulating and challenging and which encourage children to develop and learn at their own pace. Each child has a key person who knows them extremely well. They carry out detailed observations on children during their play, in order to find out what they know and can do, then plan activities which build on this and extend children's skills and knowledge. This ensures children continually make progress. The large room is very well organised and resourced so that children use each area to enhance different aspects of their learning. For example, they use their imaginations extremely well during imaginary play in the

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who attend

home corner, sharing the toys and assigning each other roles. Staff then build on this to develop children's language and vocabulary effectively in the context of their play.

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who attend

Parents contribute to their child's 'learning journeys' through comments and photographs of their achievements and interests at home. The information in these records is linked to each child's stage of development and shows their progress over time. These records are used very effectively to plan an individual focus for each child's activities, so that they build on their learning and skills. Staff are continually striving to communicate more effectively with children so that they challenge their thinking even further. Parents are fully involved in their children's learning as they practise skills with them at home and continue with the activities started in the nursery. Information is shared daily between staff and parents so that they are well informed of their child's progress and routines.

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who attend

Children take part in an exciting range of activities in which they learn about nature and the world around them. They collect natural objects, such as leaves, conkers and fir cones, from the extensive school grounds. They develop their language very well by describing these, saying they, 'feel soft' and 'smell nice.' These comments are then displayed so that children can reflect on their learning and parents may see what children have achieved. Babies have a colourful and comfortable enclosed area where they explore a wealth of exciting toys and experiences that help them to make sense of the world. They experiment with push-button toys and shake percussion instruments, enjoying the music they produce. Their key person encourages them to communicate at their own level and to repeat sounds and actions so that young children learn to develop speech effectively.

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who attend

Children learn to use mathematical language and concepts in their play. For example, during an activity with clay, children were asked to make a circle or a 'long, wiggly worm shape.' They find out about capacity while playing in sand and water and create patterns during sorting and matching games. Children learn early reading and writing skills very well through a wide range of opportunities to make marks and through looking at books with staff or on their own. They show a clear understanding of the story line, and point to the pictures and talk about what is happening. All activities are made fun for children and they enjoy a rich and varied range of learning experiences. This gives them an excellent foundation in all areas of learning.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children are happy, calm and settled at the nursery. They know their key person well, and the strong links between home and nursery make them feel very secure. For example, children's home routines are followed as closely as possible to ensure consistency, and comfort items are kept close by and used to reassure children if they become upset. Caring staff offer lots of cuddles, sitting children on their laps and distracting them with favourite toys so that they soon settle. Children sleep easily after lunch, soothed by staff who stroke them as they drift off. Babies sleep when they need to, and they are checked every ten minutes to ensure they are safe and sound. Children are encouraged to be independent wherever possible. Babies learn to manage their own bottles and plastic cups, and older children choose from the wide range of easily accessible toys and resources. Babies learn to stand and walk as their key person provides objects for them to

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

hold on to for support or walkers to push. They are clapped and encouraged when they do well. All children are given praise and encouragement, which motivates them to try things for themselves, such as using their cutlery correctly. Children's understanding of how to keep themselves safe is enhanced by recent visits to the fire station and a talk from a police officer.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children develop their physical skills exceptionally well. There is soft play equipment to enjoy indoors and a wide range of climbing and balancing equipment outdoors. Children can move freely from inside to outside as part of their play, and regular walks around the grounds enable all children to extend their learning and to have lots of fresh air and exercise. Special yoga sessions further encourage children to be healthy as they learn simple routines that help them to relax, move and stretch. A wide range of nutritious meals are provided for lunch and tea, and children learn to make healthy food choices as they decide which fruits they want at snack time. Children develop an awareness of themselves when they sing action songs and point to their eyes, nose or toes. Babies enjoy playing peep-po with themselves as they look in the floor level mirrors in their area. Children's behaviour is very good and there are happy relationships between all children

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

and staff. For example, some children run to hug staff as they arrive, and children play together harmoniously.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

The nursery works exceptionally well with parents so that all children are able to settle well when they first start at the nursery. Parents share detailed information on their child's routines, likes and dislikes so that staff may use this information to interest or distract a child if they are upset. As a result, children thrive and are very happy, because they are extremely well cared for.

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provision

The leadership and management in the nursery is highly innovative and all staff are very well motivated in their drive for continuous improvement. An excellent system of monitoring and appraisals is fully documented and effective in ensuring there is a high quality of teaching and evaluation throughout the setting. Staff training and professional development is ongoing, and management and practitioners identify areas for improvement and plan staff training accordingly. This good work needs to continue to ensure that children consistently receive high quality learning experiences in the future. Excellent teamwork means that provision is continually improving and staff use their self- evaluation document to continually focus on areas for improvement. Support from the local early years team is effective in assisting the process of monitoring and improving provision.

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provision

Children's safety is given a very high priority in the nursery. Meticulous policies and procedures in relation to safeguarding and child protection are implemented very effectively by all staff. They are fully trained and regularly tested on these. Daily risk assessments ensure that children are safe while on the premises and also on outings. Robust recruitment procedures ensure that all staff are suitable to work with young children.

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provision

There is a strong partnership with parents and carers. They receive detailed information on their child's progress and the purpose of their activities through parents' evenings, quarterly progress reports, which are e-mailed to them, diaries and daily discussion. Parents are involved in nursery events, such as a Mothers' Day assembly, and their feedback on provision is welcomed.

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provision

The nursery has excellent links with the school in whose grounds they are set, as well as with other local early years providers. Progress records are passed on when children move on to school or other settings, and this ensures there is a shared understanding about children that aids their learning and provides a smooth transition at times of change. The nursery also has effective links with other professionals, and this makes sure that children can obtain any additional support they may need.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are Met

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Satisfactory Satisfactory provision is performing less well than expectations in one or more of the key areas. It requires improvement in order to be good. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be inspected again within 12 months of the date of this inspection.

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Grade Judgement Description

Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted 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.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY446801 Local authority Solihull Inspection number 795755

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 18 Number of children on roll 25 Name of provider Day Care at Saint Martin's Ltd Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01217112557

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Type of provision

set out in the guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration. Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises that are usually their own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children,

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Type of provision

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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