Little Angels Day Nursery

Little Angels Day Nursery 264 Washwood Heath Road, BIRMINGHAM, B8 2XS

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 20/11/2013 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

 All staff have a thorough and detailed knowledge of the needs of young children. They plan exciting activities that build on the children's interests and enthusiasms and help them to make excellent progress.  Staff expectations are high. Very imaginative approaches inspire children and extend their experiences of the world around them.  The learning environment is exceptionally well resourced. This encourages children to develop independence, creativity and critical thinking skills.  Staff make excellent use of the premises, inside and out, to provide children with a wealth of exciting play activities that spark their curiosity and encourage explorative play. Children progress quickly in gaining valuable skills and attitudes for their future lives. Their behaviour is exemplary.  The monitoring of the educational programme is of an exceptionally high quality. This ensures that children make excellent progress in the nursery.

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This provision is outstanding

 Staff demonstrate consistently exceptional interaction with children. They question children skilfully to provoke thinking and drive learning. Adult-led activities are carefully planned and implemented to a high standard, so children learn to concentrate and listen, while enjoying their experiences.  Well-focused and highly effective partnerships with parents provides excellent opportunities to further continue children's learning and development.

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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 compulsory part 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 the indoor and outdoor spaces.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the nursery owners, the manager and staff 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 children and parents through discussion and from written questionnaires sent out by the nursery.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documentation, evidence of practitioners' suitability, and a range of policies and record keeping procedures.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager of a science activity.

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Information about the setting

Little Angels Day Nursery originally opened in 2000 and was re-opened in 2013 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. The nursery is privately owned and operates from several rooms within St. Marks Church, Washwood Heath, Birmingham. The nursery is currently located on the first floor of the building and accessed via stairs or a stair lift. There is also a ground floor pre-school room, training room and large hall used as a gym. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The nursery serves the local community and surrounding areas. The nursery employs 10 members of childcare staff. Of these, seven hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and above, one member of staff is working towards a level 3 and two are working towards level 2. The nursery is open Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 8am until 6pm. There are currently 38 children on roll, all of whom are within the early years age group. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language. 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:

 provide an even broader range of text in a wide range of languages, so that children who speak English as an additional language can use and view their first language to even greater extent.

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who attend

All children flourish in the highly stimulating learning environments created by staff who are passionate about providing children with the best start in life. Staff provide a wealth of activities using innovative ways that allow children to help themselves and be independent in their play. The outdoor area is very interesting. The available space is packed with inviting play spaces, exploratory areas and living things, all of which promote the seven areas of learning and help children learn about their world, in particular. Children are curious and inquisitive. Outdoors they use magnifying glasses and binoculars to search for insects, while indoors the investigation table offers a wide range of natural and man-made objects to explore. Areas are created for children to make marks; using large protractors children draw shapes on the paving with large chunky chalks. Children consistently demonstrate the characteristics of effective learners as they play, explore and ask

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who attend

questions to check their understanding. Children are inspired as they find out about the properties of liquids and solids. Using test tubes and spatulas they explore what happens when oil, paint, sand and water is mixed together. They meticulously measure the mixtures and are fascinated by the results of their experiments. They talk about the sand separating and settling at the bottom, because it is heavy and the water and oil floating on the top. Play and learning is seamless as staff are highly skilled at weaving adult-led teaching into children's self-chosen play resulting in deep learning for children. Babies and younger children squeal with delight as they shine torches in the dark to reflect different colours of light on the walls. They relish in exploring the jelly and water play, as they wash the dolls. Children use a wide range of ICT equipment, including interactive white boards, computers, cameras and printers with great confidence and skill. They take their own

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who attend

photographs of things that interest them, signing for the camera and recording what the photographs relate to. Staff use their strong teaching ability to challenge children's learning to the highest level.

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who attend

Children enjoy learning and staff create an environment that promotes communication and language very well. Staff ask open-ended questions and children enjoy listening to stories and using dual language books. Staff use successful teaching strategies to support children learning English as an additional language. All staff are bilingual, so when children speak a language they are not familiar with, they ask parents for key words and phrases in children's first language. In addition, they use actions and pictures to support their communication with children. As a result, children make rapid progress in speaking English. However, there is scope to further celebrate the home languages of children by supporting them to use and view an even greater range of words in their first language in the nursery. In relation to the English language, there are rich opportunities for children to learn to recognise words. This is achieved through the use of clear labelling and

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who attend

photographs throughout the nursery and staff teach children the sounds that letters make which helps them develop skills for learning to read. This helps children prepare for their next steps into school. Most of the pre-school children can write their names and recognise the names of their friends. They show a real love of books and staff sit with them to read favourite stories, for example, about a mother bear who 'just wants five minutes peace'. Staff use a range of rich and imaginative resources to animate children's learning. They introduce a range of animal hand puppets for children to use during story and singing sessions and children take on the role of monkeys, lions and elephants to bring the stories alive.

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who attend

An exceptionally well resourced creative art room inspires children's thinking and ideas. For example, children use a range of creative material, such as, papier-mch to represent features of their model as they design vibrant masks. Great enjoyment is had as they mix corn flour with paint to create a dinosaur swamp, adding stones and twigs collected from the garden. Staff actively join in children's play and great excitement is had as the children use a range of junk materials to stick on a member of staff as they create a walking, talking, living robot. They use a variety of tapes and string to secure the objects on the robot. A child even comments that she is adding a 'pink ribbon to make her pretty,' as she ties the ribbon around the robot's neck. A recent focus at the nursery has been the initiatives to raise the profile of physical development of all children in the newly fitted large gym. Some successful innovations include dance sessions enjoyed by the older

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who attend

children, which is an interactive movement session with drums. Children enthusiastically follow staff and stretch and move their bodies in interesting ways, wiggling and waving their arms. Children flourish in this dynamic nursery because staff recognise the uniqueness of each child and support their learning and development extremely well in relation to their starting points. They complete regular observations of the children in their play and identify their next steps accurately. They use these observations and assessments to provide innovative and challenging opportunities for children to learn and develop. Excellent teaching techniques help children to be active learners and all children are highly motivated and fully engage in the balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities, which ensures they are the primary instigators of their own learning. As a result, they make excellent progress towards the early learning goals. Staff have an excellent

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who attend

understanding of and have developed a targeted plan to complete the two year progress check for all relevant children. They start by liaising with parents to ensure that they are fully involved in the process. This helps to keep them informed about their child's progress and development from the outset. Staff warmly welcome parents and carers into the setting and partnerships are very strong. They are invited to contribute to staff's understanding of how their child is progressing; they do this by commenting in children's learning records and daily diaries. Close links are formed with other professionals to ensure early identification of any child with special educational needs and/or disabilities. In addition, relationships with the local schools are well established to help children have a smooth transition.

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

The welcoming and stimulating nursery, along with staffs' expertise and enthusiasm, ensures children are making exceptional progress and are happy and keen to learn. The resources and experiences offered to children are of an outstanding quality and provide for all children's interests and learning needs. The key person system is highly effective in supporting children's personal, social and emotional needs. The staff fully embed the key person system throughout the nursery to enable excellent relationships to be established with children and parents from very early on. Staff use the information they receive from parents extremely well, in order to meet children's specific needs and details of these are displayed for all staff, including the nursery cook to see. From the beginning the relationship between the family and the setting is nurtured, so that children can make meaningful attachments and find the confidence to engage in their surroundings

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

confidently. Before children start, parents are invited to a nursery outing to the seaside. This gives parents a unique opportunity to get to know the staff and meet other parents. This also has a very positive impact on their child's transition into the nursery and as they move into the next room. Babies and younger toddlers have a detailed daily diary, to which staff record their daily activities and routines. Parents contribute details of what goes on at home, providing a two-way flow of information to ensure continuity of care. As children become more able to express themselves verbally, the daily diary is replaced with a daily sheet, completed by the key persons. These give details of routines followed for each child, so parents know what their child has eaten, how much sleep they have had and their general mood.

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

There is a strong emphasis on the importance of healthy eating and lifestyles and staff underpin children's understanding of what it means to be healthy through conversation and planned activities. A healthy and nutritious range of meals and snacks are provided for children that include a good selection of fresh fruit, salads and vegetables. Children are encouraged to be independent from an early age; they serve their own snacks which helps them to develop an understanding of healthy portion sizes. Children have an exceptional understanding about keeping themselves safe through instruction and activities. For example, they know not to run inside and help to tidy up. Staff and children also undertake regular emergency fire evacuation practices. Children know that when they are going outside to play that staff need to take a number of things with them. Children confidently explain that the monitor is taken outdoors so that staff can call the police in an

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

emergency. They know that the mobile phone is used to call the manager, and the asthma bag is for children having breathing problems. They know how staff administer first aid if someone has an accident and if anyone has a bump the ice pack must be kept on for 20 minutes. Children know if they have an accident as a result of being burnt by hot substances that they must run the area under cold water and go to the hospital. In addition, children carry out their own daily risk assessments of their rooms and areas of the nursery. As a result, children develop an outstanding awareness of how to keep safe. When babies and younger children are sleeping they are monitored very closely. Staff check children are breathing, their temperature and finger nails every five to 10 minutes for any sign of health problems and record details on a sleep monitoring chart.

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

Children's behaviour is excellent. They are very kind as they play cooperatively and share their toys and resources. They use their manners well without prompting from staff and staff offer an abundance of meaningful praise; for example, by stating what a child has done well, such as, 'That's great listening,' or 'that's great balancing,' or 'well done for sharing.' This supports children's self-esteem and confidence successfully and they look forward to choosing their own stickers. Children understand how and why they need to wash their hands at appropriate times and wash basins, soap and hand drying is organised to facilitate this and allow children to gain independence. Children learn to sit cooperatively with their friends during circle time, which provides excellent preparation for their moving into full-time school as the next stage in their learning. Children's opinions and responses are all carefully listened to by staff, who use their ideas when planning for

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provision

The provider and managers have an excellent understanding of, and commitment to meet, the safeguarding and welfare and the learning and development requirements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. The educational programme is highly effective as staff monitor planning and children's progress in a meticulous manner. Staff complete the Early Years Foundation Stage progress check at age two using the information they gather from observations and consultation with parents. Children make superb progress because staff have high expectations for them and they strive to provide a consistently high quality nursery. There is a comprehensive system in place to monitor the assessments and evaluate children's learning. The extremely dedicated and enthusiastic staff team are passionate about their work and are led by a strong management team. High quality professional support and supervision is provided by

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provision

management for the staff team. The manager monitors staff performance through regular supervision and appraisals and identifies training and development needs effectively. Staff frequently undertake training to strengthen their already excellent knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They acknowledge the exceptional support they receive for their personal and professional development from the committed owner. They particularly value training and opportunities to study for the next level in their qualifications, as well as, the strong mentoring they receive. This helps to ensure that the nursery has a qualified staff team who are eager to provide superb quality of care and learning for children; and are extremely committed to improving their practice. Peer observations are carried out by the senior staff and information gathered from observations are reviewed at appraisals and supervisions. The newly furnished training room on the ground floor aims to provide staff

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provision

and new trainees with high quality early years training in a setting where they can observe and experience a really, good early years practice.

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provision

All areas of the nursery are safe and child-friendly. Security is strong and all visitors are screened before admittance. Staff explain to visitors the emergency evacuation procedure and highlight the safeguarding and mobile phone policy; requesting mobiles are not used in the building. No child can leave the setting unseen, because close circuit television is fitted in all rooms and entrances, and only senior staff open the main doors. All areas used by children are frequently risk assessed to ensure safety and suitability. Fire alarms are tested weekly and drills are carried out very frequently so children know what to do in the event of an emergency evacuation. The nursery is unquestionably valued by parents. They speak highly of their children's experiences and particularly of the care and concern staff show for the children. One parent reported that 'staff make the children feel loved and special' and 'staff are amazing'. Highly effective partnerships between the staff, parents,

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provision

external agencies and other providers ensure that children's needs are quickly identified and exceptionally well met. Staff go to great lengths to ensure children receive all the support they need to make the best start in their young lives.

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provision

Parents speak positively about the way staff quickly recognise when extra support is needed and the speed at which this is obtained. Parents know their children's key persons very well and state that they treat children 'sensitively'. Parents are enthusiastic about the simple, but useful ideas staff suggest as to how they, as parents, may support children's development at home. The nursery recognises the value of developing strong links with local schools, and so provides extensive support for older children who transfer when they start full-time school. Continuing links with local schools and other early years settings, such as the children's centres, are highly successful. Parents' views and the views of external agencies are eagerly sought by the nursery when planning improvements and further developments, as staff recognise that these are essential as they strive towards excellence in the nursery. There are frequent social opportunities that encourage parents

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provision

to become involved in the running of the nursery and in charity events for the homeless. The vision for success is shared throughout the team. Extremely effective use is made of all feedback received from parents and children who all complete questionnaires; together with the staff team's strong ambition to strive for excellence. The self-evaluation is an honest and realistic document which charts progress and the effects of changes as they are introduced. For example, the introduction of a new computer suite with interactive white boards and other technology equipment.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory 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 Requires improvement The provision is not giving children a good standard of early years education and/or there are minor breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected within twelve months of the date of this inspection. 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

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Grade Judgement Description

the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. 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 EY463614 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 919898 Type of provision Full-time provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 38 Name of provider Sanchia Enterprises Ltd Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 0121 328 5354

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Setting details

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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