Saplings Day Nursery

Saplings Day Nursery 56 Holyhead Road, Birmingham, West Midlands, B21 0LH

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 11/03/2014 24/06/2013

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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

 Children are consistently challenged to reach the next stage in their development as staff are knowledgeable and skilled. As a result, children are enthusiastic and happy and enjoy the good range of activities on offer.  Children's independence is well-promoted and they are forming friendships with other children and enjoy taking responsibility in the nursery. This means they are well- prepared for their transfer into full-time school.  Children are happy, motivated and eager to learn. They feel safe and secure as there are warm and caring relationships in place with staff. Children are safeguarded by staff, who have a secure knowledge of how to protect children, which is underpinned with clear policies and procedures.  Parents are actively included in the care and learning of their child. All discussions with parents are purposeful and have a positive effect on the learning opportunities provided

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is further scope for children to use mathematical language to describe position and where there are more or fewer objects.  There are further opportunities during mealtimes for children to talk about why we need to eat a variety of food, to increase their understanding of healthy eating and how this affects their well-being.

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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 joint observation of children's activities and interaction between staff and children with the manager of the nursery.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took into account the views of parents through discussion and from written questionnaires sent out by the nursery.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to the provider manager, deputy and other staff throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the toddler room and pre-school room, the baby room, the outside learning environment and children having their lunchtime meal.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's development folders, children's and staff files and a selection of policies and daily records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children, the providers self-evaluation and improvement plan.

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Information about the setting

Saplings Day Nursery was registered in 2002 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in converted premises in Handsworth, Birmingham and is privately managed. The nursery serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play. The nursery employs 19 members of childcare staff. Of these, two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 6, one member of staff is qualified at level 2 and 14 staff have a qualification at level 3. The manager has Early Years Teaching Status. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all year round, from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 67 children on roll, who are within the early years age range. 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

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Information about the setting

additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

 extend opportunities for children to use mathematical language to describe position and where there are more or fewer objects

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

 extend conversations with children during mealtimes so children develop an understanding of why we need to eat a variety of food.

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who attend

Staff plan lively, stimulating and varied activities that children enjoy. Staff have a good understanding of how to promote children's learning and effectively track their progress, so that any gaps in children's learning are identified. The planning of activities ensures that children's needs are well supported through good teaching and learning experiences that they enjoy. As a result, children make good progress in all areas of their development. Creative activities promote children's communication skills very well. Staff ensure that children have a range of different materials they can investigate. They make marks in shaving foam, mould sand and dribble corn flour and water through their fingers. Throughout these activities staff model language, introduce new vocabulary and actively encourage children to discuss and describe what they are doing. This helps children discover the properties of malleable materials and become adventurous and confident.

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who attend

Children communicate effectively and freely discuss and describe what they are doing. Dressing-up clothes are readily available for children to extend their imaginative ideas further. Children enjoy choosing what to put on and staff are readily available to help them. They skilfully use opportunities to extend children's imaginative ideas by asking questions, which encourages children to think critically. Children develop great independence as they participate in routines. Toddlers find the correct basket for their shoes just before they have their sleep and older children serve each other food at lunch and snack time. Children describe what they enjoy devising their own imaginary scenarios as they play creatively. Staff learn key words to support children who speak English as an additional language, so that they can further support them as they learn English. Structured adult-led activities sustain children's interest, for example, as they learn initial

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who attend

letter sounds alongside singing and movement activities.

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who attend

Staff focus strongly on children's needs, which encourages children to listen attentively. This enables children's individual play preferences to be explored as they play, which ensures their enjoyment. Staff ensure that activities link clearly to children's interests and are skilled at building on what children already know during their individual support of children's activities. Children use number regularly in their activities to count and they are recognising numerals. However, there is further scope to extend opportunities to include mathematical language to describe position and where there are more or fewer objects. Children develop good physical skills as they use the stairs to access the outdoor play area. Here they enjoy a combination of team games and independent play. They notice that their heart rate is increasing as they exert more energy and enjoy the challenge of pulling themselves up on the climbing frame and crawling through small spaces. Younger

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who attend

children enjoy accessing the outdoors where they enjoy the fresh air and enjoy additional physical challenges. Indoors, younger children enjoy exploring their spacious environment. They take turns when using a small slide and actively participate in small groups. Staff support their emerging language skills ensuring they remain on the floor with them at all times modelling language and being attentive to their preferred ways of learning. Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities have very good care as staff support them individually and closely follow any advice provided by specialist agencies. Parents are encouraged to continue with their child's learning when they return home as staff discuss current topics and give parents suggestions of how they can extend their child's learning through discussions and activities. Newsletters and parents workshops where staff keep parents updated about teaching and learning in nursery further inform

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who attend

parents and provide them with useful information regarding their child's progress.

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

Children settle smoothly into the nursery as they are well supported by warm and caring staff. Parents are encouraged to stay with their child during the initial visits, which gradually increase so children become confident in their new environment. Staff are very attentive to children's individual routines and take care in duplicating the routines and environments that the child has at home. Children's sleep routines are carefully managed so that they are relaxed and settled and closely follow their parents' wishes. Staff remain with children at all times in the same room as children sleep, ensuring their safety. Younger children confidently approach staff for a cuddle and reassurance, which ensures they feel safe and secure in nursery. Older children enjoy the same sense of security with staff as they confidently discuss with them what they would like to do, which ensures they feel valued. Children develop firm and trusting bonds with staff that care for them and

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

enjoy their involvement in their activities. Children transfer smoothly from room to room in the nursery as they become older and their needs change. This ensures that they are continually challenged as the activities are well suited to their age and stages of development. Staff work closely with parents and staff stay with the child in their new room, enabling them to stay for increasing periods of time before the transfer is complete. The play environment is well-resourced and effective risk assessments ensure the play environment is safe and stimulating. Regular evacuation of the premises encourages children to be aware of how to keep themselves safe if there is an emergency. Children descend the stairs safely holding onto low-level banisters accompanied by staff, who ensure their safety. Children's awareness of how to keep themselves safe is promoted through discussions and encouragement from staff to play safely and with care. Staff

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

encourage children to understand how to keep themselves safe as they play, through explanations. Effective risk assessments that are regularly updated ensure the play environment is safe and stimulating.

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

Children develop a good understanding about the needs of others. They learn how to share and include other children in their play and older children have developed friendships and strong bonds with other children. This is good preparation for the next stage in their learning and as they move onto school. They develop good physical skills as they use wheeled toys and manage a more challenging environment outdoors, encouraging younger children to be confident as they move around. Younger children who are developing their walking skills are well supported by a range of walking height equipment in the baby room that enables them to pull themselves up to a standing position. Children enjoy nutritious meals that are prepared in nursery. They eat in small groups enjoying a positive social experience. They carefully carry plates of food to their table and learn how to say please and thank you at appropriate times. Staff sometimes eat

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

with children and supervise the activity effectively. However, there is further opportunity for conversations at mealtimes to be extended so children develop an understanding of why we need to eat a variety of food. Children learn how to be independent as they readily tidy up after activities and learn how to keep the play areas organised. They access the toilet areas available in each room and wash their hands independently and reach for their own paper towels. Nappy changing routines are very effective. There are designated nappy changing times when children have their nappies changed and staff regularly check children throughout the day to ensure they are dry and comfortable. Staff encourage children to keep themselves safe as they explore and discover new experiences. The nursery supports children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities very well. Key persons work very closely with the local authority special educational needs

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

coordinator to ensure they are providing optimum support for all children who have an identified need. This enables well-planned activities that provide very good support for the child's development.

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provision

Staff are fully aware of what would alert them regarding a child's care if they have concerns, which means that children are well safeguarded. All staff have safeguarding awareness included in their induction and managers have completed designated safeguarding person training. Safeguarding issues are regularly discussed during team meetings and room meetings so that staff are fully aware of their responsibilities. Children make good progress in their learning and development as the quality of teaching and learning is carefully managed and monitored by managers. This ensures that the educational programmes are varied and stimulating so that children learn from a wide range of experiences. This careful monitoring and tracking of children's progress helps close any gaps in children's learning. Nursery staff are very skilled at working with a range of external agencies and has commenced sharing practice and skills with local settings and

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provision

schools. The nursery accesses additional support from external agencies and as a result, staff are skilled in working alongside other professionals and include them in plans for the child's learning. There are clear plans in place that drive forward further developments and improvements in nursery. Parents, children and external agencies are all consulted so that a broader range of views are considered and informs any decisions made. There are regular staff meetings and room meetings providing opportunities for staff to discuss the needs of children that attend. This enables any changes to the nursery to accurately meet children's individual needs. The nursery works closely with the local authority special educational needs coordinator where it is identified that children need additional support. This enables assessments and observations of children to be precise and define what support is needed for any child with an identified need.

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provision

Staff recruitment is effective and all staff are vetted. Staff's continuing suitability for their role is maintained through a range of training opportunities. There is well-targeted support from nursery managers if staff wish to develop their professional qualifications. The professional supervision and observations of staff interaction with children further supports staff in their role. This information is used to advise managers of strengths and weaknesses in staff performance, which informs staff appraisals and their performance management. There is a comprehensive complaints procedure in place that parents are aware of. The effective deployment of staff ensures children are safely supervised at all times and ensures that there is a generous ratio of staff to children. A strong partnership with parents enable staff and parents to work closely together and support each other in the care and development of their child. Parent workshops and coffee mornings have

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provision

commenced that enable parents to be better informed about the activities their child enjoys. Key persons are always available to discuss children's progress with their parents as they collect their child. There are strong links in place with local schools where children will eventually transfer. Schools are contacted by staff, who invite teachers to visit the nursery and meet up their children who will eventually move to their school. Staff ensure that they liaise effectively with schools when children transfer enabling teachers to have valuable information regarding the development needs of the child.

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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 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 EY307246 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 953697

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 51 Number of children on roll 67 Name of provider Veron L'Ghoul Date of previous inspection 24/06/2013 Telephone number 0121 250 0233

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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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