Baby Gems Playhouse

Baby Gems Playhouse St. Johns Vicarage, Darnley Road, BIRMINGHAM, B16 8TF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 19/11/2012 13/12/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 3 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 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 A well-established key person system helps children form warm and secure attachments, promoting their well-being and independence. Staff support every child so that no group or individual is disadvantaged. Consequently, children learn to respect and accept each other's differences.  Staff ensure that all child accessible areas, both inside and outside, are safe. This helps to protect children from harm and injury.  Staff make parents feel welcome at all times. Parents and staff exchange highly useful information on a daily basis. This keeps parents well informed of their child's progress and enables them to share ideas for supporting children's learning further.  There are effective systems in place to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the provision to enable the setting to move forward and sustain progress.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Group sizes are sometimes a little too large to ensure all children gain full benefit from the activity.  Staff are not consistently promoting and re-enforcing children's understanding about the importance of hand washing to help them stay healthy.

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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 main playroom and quiet room.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's records, evidence of suitability of practitioners working within the setting and a range of other documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at supporting documents, including the self-evaluation, policies and training information, and also held a meeting with the manager/registered provider from the partnership.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day of the inspection.

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Information about the setting

Baby Gems Playhouse was registered in 2010 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in purpose-built premises in the Ladywood area of Birmingham and is managed by a partnership. The setting serves the local area and surrounding areas and is accessible to all children. It operates from two rooms in St John's Church Centre and occasionally from an area within St John and St Peter's Church. There is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The setting opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am to 9am and 3pm until 6pm each weekday during school term time, and from 8am until 6pm during school holidays. The setting is closed for a week at Christmas and on public holidays. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently six children attending who are within the early years age group.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 10 members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3.

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

 promote effective learning by talking to children about the importance of hand washing to develop their understanding of how to keep themselves healthy

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

 maximise learning opportunities by reviewing the organisation of some activities so that all children have the space and time to contribute.

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who attend

Children are happy, enjoy coming to the out of school group and taking part in the activities available or relaxing after a busy school day. They relate well to their peers and staff, who support and encourage them to develop in confidence. Staff's good skills in identifying next steps in learning ensure that individual interests, capabilities and ages are taken into account in the planning of activities. They have a system set up to maintain children's individual profiles. As a result, children are supported well in making the transition between the different settings they attend. Staff engage with the children, involving them in conversation and promoting their language and communication skills well. Children are, therefore, supported in extending their vocabulary by sharing their thoughts and experiences throughout the session.

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who attend

During group activities, most children show good listening skills and respond enthusiastically while playing 'I spy'. However, due to the size of the group, younger children can at times be lost or overlooked in their contribution to the game. Ample opportunities are provided for all children to write for a purpose, such as learning to recognise and write their own names, and to use their phonic knowledge for linking sounds and letters. They practise their writing skills in a variety of ways, using pencils, crayons, chalks and paintbrushes. Staff organise the environment to enable young children to be active and improve their abilities in coordination, control and movement as they play table top pool or football.

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who attend

All children appear emotionally secure, they enjoy their environment, converse freely with staff and visitors and are confident and content. Older children help and support younger children including them in their play, reading stories and helping them with activities. For example, when playing bingo, older children help younger children to check and mark off their numbers on the card. Staff value the benefits of outdoor play and indoor physical activities and encourage these on a daily basis. Children can choose to be active indoors playing games or outdoors where they enjoy getting dirty playing in the mud. A weekly session with a football coach also adds to children's physical development skills.

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who attend

Staff encourage healthy eating through relevant activities, as well as verbal communication to explain the benefits of nutritious food. Staff create a sociable and relaxed atmosphere at tea time and all children enjoy substantial meals and snacks. Staff create a secure environment where children demonstrate a sense of trust and develop warm relationships with adults and peers. Good organisation of resources promotes inclusion and provides free choice to encourage children's independence in initiating their own play. Celebrating festivals of different religions and cultures all through the year, and a selection of resources depicting positive images of diversity help children to understand and respect the values of others.

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

A well-established key person system ensures consistent care for children, which helps them to feel happy and secure. Younger children play in both small and large groups and enjoy the company of older children, particularly at mealtimes. Children initiate their play and invite peers to join in. The resources and play opportunities provided are appropriate and support children well to boost their confidence and self-esteem. All children play together well and are learning to take turns, negotiate and share. They select and choose activities and enjoy the responsibility of carrying out small tasks, such as tidying up toys. They develop self-care skills, for example, asking for additional helpings at tea time and making healthy choices at snack times. However children are not routinely supported by staff to develop a good understand of the importance of basic personal hygiene, such as washing their hands before they eat their snacks, before a more substantial tea.

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

Staff use consistently applied strategies and provide clear guidance; therefore, children behave well, demonstrating an understanding of the set boundaries and expectations within the setting. They learn to keep themselves safe through practical daily routines and staff guidance. Through walking to and from school they learn about road safety and the possible risks of talking to strangers. Staff encourage them to express their views and make choices. This contributes to the level of their self-esteem and general well-being.

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provision

The management team is motivated to enhance practice through gathering the views of staff, children and parents in order to identify areas for further improvement. Staff receive ongoing support from the manager, who reviews the educational programme. This ensures a broad range of experiences are provided and monitored to help children to make good progress towards the early learning goals. Regular staff appraisals ensure practice is monitored and under-performance is tackled effectively. There is a clear improvement plan which leads to better outcomes for children.

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provision

Policies and procedures are continually reviewed and all of the required documentation is effectively maintained. The safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage are understood by the management team and are well met. Staff have a clear understanding of safeguarding in relation to child protection issues. They receive regular training and are aware of their responsibility to report any concerns. Systematic recruitment and vetting procedures, including a detailed induction of new staff, ensure that children are safe. The security of the premises is given a high priority and is well maintained throughout. To eliminate hazards, a detailed risk assessment and daily safety checks are carried out in all areas.

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provision

The active involvement of parents is encouraged through daily verbal feedback, diaries and the sharing of children's learning journals. Parents' and children's views are sought through discussion and documentation. They speak highly of the service and regard the staff as 'very knowledgeable and informative'. They appreciate how well staff adapt to children's routines and say their children love to come to the group. Staff work in partnership with other professionals involved in promoting specific children's needs, and they communicate effectively with local schools and nurseries to complement children's learning and to ensure progression.

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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 EY411377 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 875456

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 3 - 11 Total number of places 50 Number of children on roll 65 Name of provider The Partnership of Gemma Bamber & Brian Douglas Date of previous inspection 13/12/2010 Telephone number 07949106798

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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.

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Type of provision

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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