Head Start Day Nursery

Head Start Day Nursery 75 Albert Road, Stechford, Birmingham, B33 8AG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16/04/2013 01/11/2012

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 2 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

 The staff provide a wide range of interesting and challenging experiences that promote children's learning and development effectively. As a result, all children make good progress from their starting points.  Children are happy and secure in the environment, where they form strong attachments with key persons who effectively support their transitions within the nursery. Consequently, they are well behaved and show respect to others.  Children are kept safe because staff have a good understanding of how to protect the children in their care. Staff work very well with parents, external agencies and other early years providers to ensure children receive the support they need.  There is an established programme of professional development which enhances the knowledge and skills of staff to support children's care and learning consistently well.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not routinely help children to learn about the effects of exercise on their bodies during a wide range of physical activities. This means that children's awareness of the benefits of exercise is not consistently raised.  Parents are not routinely asked for suggestions to improve the nursery. As a result, their views for further improvement that benefit children's care and learning are not consistently included to contribute to the improvement plan.

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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

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged 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 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  scheduled 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 throughout the nursery in both indoor and outdoor spaces.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with nursery manager, staff and children at appropriate times throughout the day.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at documentation, including children's records, learning and development information, staff records and a selection of policies and procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took into account the views of parents through discussion and from information provided through documentation.  The inspector conducted a tour of the premises during the inspection.

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Information about the setting

The nursery was registered in 1989 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is one of two settings owned by the provider and is situated on the ground floor of two terraced houses in the Stechford area of Birmingham. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from five rooms and there is a fully enclosed area available for outside play. The nursery employs 15 members of childcare staff, all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and above, including one with Early Years Professional Status.

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Information about the setting

The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round, except for bank holidays. Sessions are from 7.30am to 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 38 children on roll who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds. It supports children who speak English as an additional language and children with special needs and/or disabilities. The nursery also offers before and after school care for children who attend local primary schools. Sessions are from 7.30 to 8.30am and from 3.15 to 6pm. In addition, it runs a holiday play scheme from 7.30am to 6pm during all school holidays.

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

 promote children's understanding of healthy lifestyles further by helping them to maintain interest in their own bodies, through learning about the beneficial effect of exercise and physical activity

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

 build on self-evaluation by extending how the views of parents are incorporated, to further assist in identifying areas for further improvement.

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who attend

The staff have a good understanding of how children learn and they provide interesting activities that support children's development effectively. They competently promote children's listening skills through a wide range of learning experiences. For example, they give clear guidance for children to participate at story time by following instructions when they are asked to do so. Children respond correctly to cues and enjoy shaking and rattling instruments vigorously, demonstrating their understanding of what they are asked to do. Staff skilfully use instruments to help children learn the difference between high and low sounds. This effectively helps children to focus and to increase their listening skills. Staff consistently use open-ended questions to ask children to predict what might happen as they read stories. As a result, children's critical thinking is well promoted. The daily routine allows sufficient time for children to move around as they choose between individual

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who attend

rooms. This means that they have ample opportunities to take control of their play by choosing resources. For instance, they select role play equipment, including cash registers, and use the 'money' available to pay for items in their shopping baskets. Through this type of play, children gain a clear understanding of the world. Staff join in when appropriate, by following children's lead. For instance, they sit with small groups and sing nursery rhymes as children collect a number of dolls and pretend to tuck them in for sleeping. As a result, a good balance of child-led play and adult-led activities is maintained.

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who attend

The staff obtain detailed information from parents about children's development at the start, and this provides a clear overview of what they can do and know. The staff carry out regular observations which are shared with parents, who contribute to the learning journals consistently. Consequently, children's learning is shared and this maintains continuity between the home and the nursery. In turn, this ensures they make consistent progress from their starting points on entry to the nursery. If initial assessments show that children are not at the expected level of development, the special needs coordinator ensures referrals are made at an early stage. As a result, children receive the support they need and have opportunities to make good progress to the extent that additional support is no longer required. Staff who are assigned to provide one-to-one support for children with physical disabilities continue with exercise as advised by external professionals,

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who attend

resulting in children making consistent progress in their physical skills. The staff are keen to promote the speech of children who speak English as an additional language. They obtain a list of words in children's first language and include these in the daily communication to build children's confidence and to promote their ability to speak English. For these children, this lays a strong foundation for their preparation for school. All children have opportunities to meet teachers who visit from local schools to make contact before children leave. This supports children appropriately for transition to school and the next stage in their learning.

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who attend

The staff consistently assess children's development, including the progress check for children aged two to three years. Information from observations and assessments is used competently to plan for further learning. For example, they include clear statements to support children to develop their self-care skills. The staff reflect a high expectation of all children, for instance, by encouraging them to self-register at the start of sessions. Staff skilfully adapt the activity according to children's stage of development. For instance, children aged two years are supported in selecting their name cards to stick these on the white board. Pre-school children receive encouragement to make marks and use one- handed tools, such as chunky markers, with good control to form letters. More able children write recognisable letters of their names and are beginning to write the names of others. Staff consistently provide challenging activities, such as sorting and ordering for

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who attend

children who have well-developed number skills, and children develop good balance as they access climbing equipment during outside play. The celebration of festivals positively raises children's awareness of the differences within the society in which they live. The work of all children is visible in the nursery, which is welcoming due to imaginative displays. These reflect the children's creative skills and their involvement in a wide variety of fun activities. The stimulating environment effectively supports children to make consistently good progress towards the early learning goals.

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

The key person arrangement is highly effective because staff support children in settling quickly when they first start in the nursery. Staff greet children and parents warmly on their arrival for each session, and this helps them to feel valued. Staff comfort children by cuddling, for instance, if they are unsettled, or by talking gently to them. As a result, they feel secure and have a sense of belonging. The staff are good role models who listen attentively to children and, as a result, children mirror this in their interaction with the staff. They play well with peers and they are consistently encouraged to respond politely to requests. Therefore, children learn to treat others with respect. Consistent praise and the use of an established reward chart encourage children to understand the boundaries of behaviour. Accordingly, children are well behaved and comply with rules in the nursery, for example, to take turns at sharing resources. They confidently talk with peers and staff

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

and are self-assured, resulting in their ability to request support from key persons and other staff when they need help.

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

There is a strong emphasis on promoting children's good health due to the introduction of health and well-being initiatives. Children eat balanced meals daily and fresh fruit is available at morning and afternoon snack time. Children are supported effectively to understand the benefit of healthy eating as staff talk about the reasons for eating fruit and vegetables to ensure that they grow strong. Pre-school children learn to take risks under close supervision as they cut their own fruit and vegetables for snack. All children's independence is well promoted as they are encouraged to use child-size cutlery at meal times, and this develops their small muscle skills appropriately. As children engage in daily physical play and brain gym exercises at different times of the day, their large muscle skills are well promoted. However, clear links are not always made with the benefits of physical play to help children understand the effects of exercise on their bodies. Regular

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

visits from external professionals, such as the road safety team, raise children's awareness to keep themselves safe. A gradual settling-in period is agreed with parents when children start in the nursery to ease the transition from home to the new environment. Before children move from one room to another, the key person supports them during an introductory phase when they join in with activities. This makes transition within the nursery a stress-free experience for all children.

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provision

The highly experienced manager supports the staff fully to ensure they have a well- developed understanding of their roles and responsibilities. They consistently evaluate activities and identify how these can be adapted to support children's learning more effectively. Staff who have responsibility for monitoring the planning give clear guidance on how improvements can be made to enhance children's learning experiences. The manager uses the supervision process purposefully to discuss staff's performance and to agree with staff where they need additional support, for example, to access refresher courses. A well-established programme of professional development empowers staff to contribute competently to the running of the nursery. For instance, a member of staff leads on progress checks at age two to ensure these are timely and used consistently to promote children's progress. Behaviour management coordinators support all staff in using

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provision

consistent methods of promoting children's good behaviour. Yearly appraisals with the management team encourage staff to plan for their long-term development, such as undertaking courses at degree level. The combination of all these procedures enhance the skills and knowledge of the staff effectively and, as a result, children's care and learning are supported consistently well.

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provision

There is a reflective approach to practice and the running of the nursery. Staff consistently review what they do and monthly team meetings are held to discuss how the nursery meets the needs of the children and families. The staff frequently ask children to say what they enjoy and use their comments for the planning of activities to make learning interesting. The management team invite parents to comment on the provision through regular consultations. Owing to consistent work with local authority personnel, the manager and staff have devised an improvement plan. For instance, they have included a review of the layout and use of the room for children aged under three years. They envisage that by reorganising the room and by supplementing the resources they will provide a more successful learning experience for all children. However, parents are not routinely included in this aspect of the self-evaluation of the nursery. This means that

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provision

opportunities to make improvements based on parents' perceptions are not yet fully explored for the benefit of children's care and learning.

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provision

Children are competently safeguarded within the nursery. All staff are clearly informed about their responsibility to protect children and they sign forms to say that they have read policies whenever these are updated. Rigorous recruitment procedures and a comprehensive induction programme ensure that staff are suitable to work with children, resulting in their protection. Staff carry out detailed risk assessments of the premises and for outings, and a high ratio of adults to children is maintained at all times to keep children safe. There is a strong partnership with parents, who receive consistent communication about events in the nursery, children's daily experiences and their progress. Parents comment positively on the high levels of support they receive and the progress in their children's behaviour, language and social skills. The manager and staff work equally well with early years providers where children attend other settings. For

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provision

instance, they consistently share information and this supports children's learning and development effectively. The staff work closely with external agencies, such as health professionals, to ensure children receive the support they need. The manager and staff provide a welcoming environment in which children make consistent progress in their care and learning.

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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 action. 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 229214 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 913053

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 38 Number of children on roll 38 Name of provider Head Start Day Nursery Partnership Date of previous inspection 01/11/2012 Telephone number 0121 789 7656

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Type of provision

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: 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, which are usually the childminder’s 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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