Smarteenyz Nursery

Smarteenyz Nursery Clopton Road Community Nursery, 121 Clopton Road, BIRMINGHAM, B33 0RJ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 03/06/2014 03/12/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: 4 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 requires improvement

 The wide range of resources adequately supports children's exploratory skills. This helps them to develop the characteristics of effective learning.  Children form strong bonds with key persons and, as a result, they grow in confidence and are well behaved.  Staff are clearly informed about their responsibilities to safeguard children. Therefore, they take appropriate steps to make sure children are adequately protected.  Partnerships with parents and other agencies build positive relationships. Consequently, children receive satisfactory support for their needs.

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It is not yet good because

 The review of risk assessments is not sufficiently rigorous to help staff fully understand and minimise potential hazards when they serve meals.  Some aspects of teaching are not planned for effectively to fully support children's individual learning and the quality of teaching is variable.  Assessments are not always accurate and do not ensure that planning for the next steps in learning is appropriately matched to children's needs.  Self-evaluation is not sufficiently rigorous and does not identify the weaknesses in the monitoring of the planning, assessments and teaching practice to ensure all aspects of children's learning and development are sufficiently good.

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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 checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of staff working with children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out observations in the care rooms and during outside play; the inspector also carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector spoke with the provider, the manager, staff and children.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken with on the day.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at documentation, including learning journals, children's and staff's files, risk assessments, planning and assessment records.

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Information about the setting

Smarteenyz Nursery opened in 2012 and is registered on the Early Years Register and on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It operates from converted premises in the Sheldon area of Birmingham. The nursery serves the immediate locality and also the surrounding areas. It opens five days a week from 8am until 6pm all year round except on bank holidays and one week at Christmas. Children attend for a variety of sessions. Children are cared for in three rooms and have access to an enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 40 children on roll all of whom are in the early years age group. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The nursery supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. There are currently seven staff working directly with the children, all of whom have appropriate early years qualifications. One member of staff has

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Information about the setting

a qualification at level 6 and four at level 3. Two members of staff have qualifications at level 2. The nursery receives support from the local authority.

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must:

 review risk assessments and ensure staff fully understand and follow the procedures when serving meals so that potential hazards are minimised at all times

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must:

 provide further enjoyable learning experiences for children in all areas of learning by enhancing staff's knowledge and understanding of children's individual needs

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must:

 develop further the assessment system and use information from observations to identify more securely the next steps in all children's learning and use this information to plan and provide activities that are closely tailored to children's individual needs.

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

 develop the self-evaluation process to identify and prioritise targets for improvement, including the monitoring of the quality of teaching, planning and assessments to ensure staff practice, planning and assessments are consistently good and children's progress is well promoted across all areas of learning.

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who attend

The quality of teaching across the nursery is variable and this means that children make satisfactory progress in their learning. There is a reasonable balance between adult-led activities and child-led play. Staff know the children well and they provide appropriate resources for play. For example, boys in the toddler room enjoy play with cars but they have not yet shown interest in making marks that lead to the development of their pre- writing skills. To support them in this area of learning staff provide a selection of cars and paint. They competently encourage children to make tracks on paper and to use a variety of colours. However, they do not always allow children to develop their own ideas during these free-play activities. Staff have a clear understanding of the prime areas of learning and they plan activities to build on what children already know. For instance, they competently support pre-school children to recall a story involving cakes, heard previously.

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who attend

As a result, children are eager to make cakes during a follow-up activity. Staff prepare children generally well by talking about healthy foods and why cakes are eaten only for treats. They use mathematical language freely and provide clear guidance that helps children to recognise the number four on the scales. Staff mainly reinforce learning by repeating numbers while they count and measure ingredients. This means that children learn how to use numbers in different contexts. Staff mostly ensure that children take turns at stirring the mixture, thereby appropriately promoting their small muscle skills. Staff suitably encourage children's thinking by asking questions, such as 'what does it feel like?' However, activities are not always appropriately planned to provide a worthwhile experience. For example, more confident children dominate the activity while others are not sufficiently engaged and their voices are not heard. Therefore, the learning needs of

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who attend

these children are not fully met. Staff positively promote babies' development through constant interaction, by talking and by naming animals in pictures. They gently give support and praise children when they press buttons on electronic toys. During these activities, they competently encourage listening skills by raising children's awareness of a variety of sounds. This focused one-to-support builds children's confidence and they settle on the lap of staff while they play contentedly.

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who attend

The rooms are colourful and welcoming with a wide range of resources that enable children to freely change activities according to their interests. This helps children to develop the characteristics of effective learning. Staff obtain information from parents during the initial settling-in phase to clarify what children enjoy doing. For instance, they move from the role-play area to play with train tracks on the floor. In the pre-school room children can choose dressing-up clothes and then move on to rolling play dough or explore the nature corner. The outside play space with large play equipment basically supports the development of children's physical skills. Toddlers are clearly learning to maintain their balance while riding bikes and they repeatedly practise throwing balls. During play activities, staff observe what children do and regularly assess their development. These assessments include the progress check for children between the ages of two and three

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who attend

years. However, assessments are not always accurate and therefore, the next steps in learning are not securely identified. This means that the planning for children's further learning does always include tailored support according to their needs. In spite of that, staff work competently with parents to discuss how they can promote children's development. They focus primarily on children's language skills and encourage reading in the home. Close partnerships with parents generally contribute to the development of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Based on the guidance from other agencies staff and parents use similar strategies to promote continuity in learning. Consequently, these children make steady progress, such as developing acceptable social skills in preparation for school. Toddlers and pre-school children self-register at the start of the day's activities. As a result, they learn to recognise letters of their name and clearly

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who attend

develop appropriate skills for the next stage in their learning. Colourful posters and information about other cultures help children gain an awareness of the wider community in which they live.

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

Children enjoy their time in the nursery where they form strong bonds with key persons. Staff are alert to children's needs. For example, if babies are fractious they respond promptly by cuddling them until they are settled. Therefore, children feel emotionally secure and are comforted. Staff follow through with the routines parents use in the home and this provides continuity for children who settle generally well. Parents receive advanced information when children are due to change base rooms and sufficient time is allowed before the permanent move is made. Key persons spend some time in the new rooms with children while they are settling-in. Consequently, these arrangements contribute to a stress-free experience for all children. Staff encourage parents to provide bags similar to those children use when they start school. This means that children are gaining an understanding of relevant procedures and they look forward to the move to

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

Throughout the nursery children are growing in confidence as they get to know the daily routine. For example, they remind staff about tidy-up time. They are self assured, well behaved and share resources with peers. Children readily communicate with staff and say when they need help, such as using the bathroom. Staff promptly respond to children's requests to provide essential support. Therefore, children have a sense of belonging in the nursery. Toddlers are gaining skills in personal self-care as they learn to wash hands and demonstrate clear understanding of the reasons for doing so. Lunch time is a social occasion when staff sit at tables with the children who enjoy balanced meals. They eat vegetables and try new foods, which they have previously not attempted. Lots of praise and encouragement ensure children eat well and learn about healthy options. Children's self-esteem is raised appropriately as they contribute to the daily chores, such as setting

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

out cutlery at lunchtime. On the whole, staff follow procedures for serving meals rigorously. However, there are occasional lapses because at times, staff pass plated food over children's heads. This means that the potential hazards are not always minimised to promote children's well-being fully. Children demonstrate that they know how to keep themselves and others safe. They independently use the hand rail when mounting the stairs under close supervision and staff are generous in their praise for children's effort in walking sensibly. When children play outside they learn about the importance of keeping healthy and they develop skills in running and climbing on large play equipment. The welcoming environment and the availability of resources contribute positively to children's happiness in the nursery.

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provision

The safeguarding arrangements in the nursery are satisfactory. This inspection found that since the last inspection and a subsequent monitoring visit, improvements have been made. For example, the temperature in the nursery is suitably maintained and the provider is trialling the provision of cooked meals. Appropriate procedures are followed to notify parents of incidents linked to children's health needs and care plans are in place. The management team ensure staff are adequately deployed to supervise children during activities and ratios are maintained as required. Fencing at the front of the premises and boarded-up windows do not now pose a hazard to children. Although the provider has taken appropriate steps to address safety issues when risk assessments are reviewed, some potential hazards are not clearly identified. The management team provide appropriate guidance but there are occasional lapses in the procedure for serving meals.

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provision

This means that staff do not always take the appropriate steps to fully minimise potential hazards to children's well-being. This is a breach of the requirements on the Early Years Register and both parts of the Childcare Register. The designated persons for child protection have received training for their roles and they have a secure understanding of their responsibilities. They ensure staff receive regular training in safeguarding and have a clear understanding of the procedures to be followed if they have concerns about children. Therefore, staff are confident to report concerns, and in turn this means that children are appropriately protected. Safer recruitment procedures and an established induction programme ensure all staff are suitable to work with children.

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provision

The management team have an adequate understanding of the learning and development requirements. Although they regularly review the planning, assessments and staff's practice, the monitoring is not sufficiently robust across the nursery. Therefore, children do not receive sufficiently good support to make progress in their learning and development. Regular supervision sessions provide opportunities for staff to discuss where they need support to improve their skills. The professional development of staff is evolving as they undertake training in several areas. The deputy manager is trained in behaviour management and supports staff competently to manage children's behaviour. Therefore, staff understand how to work with parents to promote children's good behaviour at all times. Team meetings provide opportunities for staff to contribute to the running of the nursery. Some changes have been made since the last inspection. In particular, the

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provision

monitoring visit showed that safety issues were addressed and improvement made in the sharing of information with parents to promote children's learning. However, the self- evaluation does not routinely take account of some areas of identified weaknesses. For instance, the improvements relating to children's learning and development are not sustained.

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provision

The partnerships with parents are positive and daily communication is shared about children's learning and care. The management team encourage parents to take home 'Chatterbags' as a suitable resource to promote children's language skills. They discuss children's reading and obtain monthly interest sheets to share information about the continuation of this activity. The management team encourage parents to contribute to children's learning in the nursery, for example, by leading dancing classes. Regular newsletters include details of events and changes in the nursery. The provider invites parents to comment on the service they receive, and photographs show that parents participate in workshops occasionally. The management team and staff work positively with other agencies and there are plans to develop systems for partnership work with health professionals. Currently children do not attend other settings; the management

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provision

team are aware of the importance of sharing information with other providers to ensure children receive the individual support they need.

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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 children receiving childcare are kept free from harm (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that children receiving childcare are kept safe from harm (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 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 EY445645 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 963486

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 44 Number of children on roll 40 Name of provider United Birmingham Limited Date of previous inspection 03/12/2013 Telephone number 07813964892

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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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