Magic Moments at Barnt Green

Magic Moments Children's Day Nursery 23 Hewell Road, Barnt Green, Birmingham, West Midlands, B45 8NG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 20/03/2013 12/10/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: 1 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 The staff provide a fair range of activities that promote children's learning, and good quality resources support children's play and exploratory skills.  Children form strong relationships due to the supportive key person arrangements. As a result, they are happy and generally well behaved.  Regular performance management helps staff to identify where they need support, for example, to attend training, resulting in opportunities to enhance existing skills to support children's care and learning more effectively.

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It is not yet good because

 Some staff do not use sufficient open-ended questions to promote children's critical thinking and they do not always allow enough time for children to complete tasks, for example, to develop their creativity.  The organisation of the dinner time routine compromises children's safety and well- being.  The monitoring of activities and staff practice does not provide sufficient clarification on where improvements can be made to support children more effectively, and some parents do not receive consistent information about their 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

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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 conducted a tour of the premises during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's records, other documentation and examples of newsletters and self-evaluation information.  The inspector spoke with the provider, manager, staff and children.  The inspector spoke with parents on the day.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a joint observation of a teaching and learning activity with the deputy manager.

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Information about the setting

Magic Moments Children's Day Nursery was registered in 2007 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in premises converted from a telephone exchange, in the Barnt Green area of Worcestershire, and is privately owned. The nursery serves the local and surrounding areas and is accessible to all children. The nursery operates from four rooms and there are two fully enclosed areas available for outside play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery employs 22 members of child care staff. Of these, 18 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and above, including two with Early Years Professional Status. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am to 6pm and children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 89 children on roll who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three-and four-year-olds. The group also offers before and after school provision. Sessions are from 7.30am to 8.45am and from 3.15pm to 6pm. A holiday play scheme also operates from the premises.

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must:

 ensure the use of indoor space is managed effectively at all times, including mealtimes, to keep children safe, and carry out a risk assessment to identify hazards and to minimise risks to children

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must:

 develop partnerships with parents by encouraging them to share information about their children's learning at home, and keep all parents consistently informed about their child's achievement and progress.

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

 improve the methods for reviewing and monitoring practice so that weaknesses are quickly identified, action is taken to address these and any required training sought.

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

 develop the use of open-ended questioning to support children's thinking skills and organise activities to allow children sufficient time to develop their creativity by exploring and experimenting with materials

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who attend

The staff have a sound understanding of promoting children's development and they plan a broad variety of activities to support their learning. Staff regularly provide story time for children and this promotes their language skills purposefully. For example, in the baby room, staff sit for very short periods and encourage children to look at pictures while the story is read quietly. For pre-school children, rhyming activities are included and, as a result, both age groups are supported to develop listening skills that are appropriate for their stage of development. Staff working with other children read with clear-cut expression and ask many open-ended questions. Therefore, the critical thinking of children aged two years is reasonably promoted as they respond correctly and demonstrate a clear understanding by predicting what might happen next. However, this method is not consistently used as the delivery of some planned activities for children in the pre-school

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who attend

room does not always follow this pattern. Consequently, children in pre-school do not benefit from consistent opportunities to develop their critical or open-ended thinking. The promotion of interest is maintained as children focus on making bugs of their choice, for example, beetles or ladybirds. As staff asks questions, children describe bugs by naming the colours correctly and they identify the number of legs on each type of insect. Teaching by the staff generally encourages children to engage in activities but does not always allow sufficient time for them to think through a task and to express their imaginative skills, for example, by creating bugs according to their own designs.

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who attend

Information is obtained from parents when children start in the nursery, and this contributes to an initial assessment of their developmental stage. Staff carry out regular observations to note what children know and can do, and they use the information gained from these observations to plan appropriately for further learning. The assessment of children's development is accurate and includes where children are not yet at the level expected for their age. For instance, staff have completed the progress check at age two years and identify where children's speech and language skills need additional support. They follow the guidance of external agencies to deliver activities with specific targets to assist children's progress. As a result, planning includes activities to meet children's individual needs. Information about children's progress is shared at twice yearly parents' evening, but some parents do not receive consistent information about their children's

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who attend

learning and they are not routinely encouraged to continue with activities at home. Consequently, a shared perception of children's needs is not always used to promote their learning. Reception teachers from the neighbouring school attend to read stories during the term before children leave for school. This means that children begin to develop relationships with the school before they leave the provision, and this prepares them appropriately for the next stage in their learning.

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who attend

A wide selection of good quality resources are available indoors and outside to support children's play experiences. For instance, babies access stimulating toys that promote their sensory development and toddlers are developing their skills in solving problems as they keep trying to fit cars into garages. Planned activities include daily outdoor play that helps children to develop their large muscle skills. For instance, toddlers ride around in bubble cars, resulting in their growing spatial awareness as they avoid others, and they learn about textures through sand play with the support of staff. The staff provide a welcoming environment in which several displays of children's work are highlighted. These clearly reflect children's creativity and their skills in gluing, sticking and glitter work. The wide range of resources and the variety of play experiences provide a stimulating environment in which children make steady progress towards the early learning goals.

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

A gradual settling-in period allows children to feel at ease in the nursery, and this supports them in forming strong relationships with key persons. Staff cuddle babies and children if they are unsettled, providing a sense of comfort that contributes positively to their happiness. Staff regularly praise children for achievement, such as completing tasks, and they give clear guidance during activities and routines. Owing to the competent use of age-appropriate methods of managing behaviour, children are well behaved as they learn what is acceptable. The high ratio of adults to children allows staff to work with children in small groups. Children learn to take risks under supervision, for example, babies climb low steps on to the climbing frame and come down the slide with minimal assistance. Children in pre-school demonstrate clear understanding of safety issues by explaining that running is not allowed indoors because 'you might hurt yourself' and they take responsibility for

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

aspects of self-care, such as putting on wellington boots and coats with little or no assistance before going outside for play. Regular physical activities, such as walks to the local shops, help children to develop an understanding of the effects of exercise on their bodies. Children confidently interact with staff and their peers, demonstrating their sense of security in the nursery.

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

The nursery provides balanced, freshly cooked meals daily, resulting in children's awareness of healthy choices as they eat fresh fruit and access drinks. Staff provide place mats on which children's photographs and names are shown, and this results in a sense of belonging as children recognise images of themselves. Their independence is suitably promoted as all children, except babies, are provided with child-size cutlery and learn to use knives to cut their food, including fruit at snack time. Babies and toddlers sleep according to their established pattern and as agreed with parents, and this supports their individual needs generally well. The nursery is maintained in a clean condition throughout and the practice of cleaning cots twice weekly ensures children are appropriately protected against infection.

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

There is rigorous security due to the controlled access to the premises and care rooms, for example, keypads on two doors ensure that visitors and parents only enter the rooms when access is granted. However, the arrangements for managing meal times pose a potential hazard to children's safety. In particular, tables are placed close together and this does not allow sufficient space for staff to move around freely. The practice of passing containers of hot food over children's heads compromises their well-being. Before children move into new rooms, parents are informed and have opportunities to meet their children's key person, and a settling-in period makes the transition within the nursery a smooth experience for children.

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provision

The manager has a clear understanding of the learning and development requirements and monitors the planning and assessment regularly to ensure children's needs are competently met. Most staff have a good enough understanding of the prime areas of learning to support children's development. However, less-experienced staff are not as confident about the importance of these areas to help children develop a strong foundation for future learning. On the whole, staff evaluate activities fairly well to identify where changes can be made to improve the learning experiences for all children. However, at times, there is more focus on the enjoyment and less on how activities support children's progress. This means that sometimes the evaluation of the educational programmes is not sufficiently precise to support children's learning.

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provision

Staff understand the safeguarding policies and are clear about the procedures to be followed if they have concerns about children in their care. Policies are updated annually and shared with parents, who are informed about the responsibility of the nursery to protect children at all times. The manager understands the safeguarding and welfare requirements and the need to monitor that these are being met, for example, space and ratios. Risk assessments are carried out but do not cover the arrangements at mealtimes and how furniture is laid out; consequently, children's safety is not effectively managed. This also applies to the requirements of the Childcare Register. An established programme of professional development is maintained through regular supervision and appraisals. At these meetings the management team identify jointly with the staff where they need support to enhance their knowledge and skills to work more effectively with children. Staff

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provision

are encouraged to take responsibility for some aspects of the provision in the nursery. For example, the deputy manager leads on arrangements to ensure children who need additional support in their speech and language skills get the help they need. Recruitment is a rigorous procedure and induction of new staff is flexible and lasts for a reasonable time according to their performance, to ensure they can effectively meet the needs of individual and groups of children.

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provision

The ongoing self-evaluation of the nursery is achieved through a variety of contributions. Parents complete annual questionnaires and they have opportunities to make suggestions for improvement. Children's views are obtained, for example, about the meals, and the management team use this information to make changes in the menus to support children's preferences. Staff regularly discuss the provision in the nursery and they work with external agencies to review the environment, for instance, to ensure children have free access to resources. The management team have plans to continue to use the 'environment rating scale' to maintain continuous improvement in the nursery.

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provision

There is a positive partnership with parents, who receive a prospectus of the nursery before children start. Parents receive regular newsletters that inform them about events and changes in the nursery, and a communication book is filled in daily for babies and toddlers. All parents comment positively on the welcoming environment where children enjoy attending. Staff discuss and share information relating to care routines generally well, but some parents do not receive consistent information about children's learning. The partnership with external professionals contributes positively to children's needs, for example, speech and language therapists provide guidance which staff follow to promote children's development. The nursery shares consistently shares information with other early years providers and this supports continuity in children's care and learning.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

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actions)

The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are

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To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

 ensure all necessary measures are taken to minimise any identified risks (Suitability and safety of premises and equipment) (compulsory part of the Childcare Register).  ensure all necessary measures are taken to minimise any identified risks (Suitability and safety of premises and equipment) (voluntary part of the Childcare Register).

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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 EY340758 Local authority Worcestershire Inspection number 906969

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 89 Name of provider Magic Moments Childcare Ltd Date of previous inspection 12/10/2011 Telephone number 0121 445 6708

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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

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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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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