St Pauls Nursery, Malvern Street

St Pauls Nursery St. Pauls Nursery, 10 Malvern Street, BALSALL HEATH, Birmingham, West Midlands, B12 8NN

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 22/05/2014 09/10/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 3 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 effectively safeguarded. This because the nursery environment is safe and secure and staff fully understand their roles and responsibilities in relation to child protection.  Key persons build strong and supportive relationships with children and maintain regular and effective communication with everyone involved in their care and education. Consequently, children are happy, self-assured and enjoy coming to the nursery.  Children make good progress. This is because staff skilfully plan and provide a wide variety of stimulating and interesting activities that inspire children's enthusiasm for learning.  The professional development of staff is actively encouraged and effectively supported by management. Consequently, staff knowledge, skills and practice are constantly improving and children's experiences and progress are enhanced.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Opportunities to strengthen children's language, literacy and mathematical skills are not always maximised during imaginative play.  There is scope to devise even better ways of encouraging children to express and contribute their thoughts and opinions to help evaluate the quality of the nursery and raise standards even further.

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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 had a tour of the premises.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the nominated person, management and staff at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector interacted with children throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities throughout the nursery, both indoors and outdoors.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector and deputy jointly observed a member of staff read a story to, and sing songs with, a small group of the older children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a selection of 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 checked evidence of the suitability of all adults working on the premises.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector asked the nominated person about self-evaluation methods and viewed the nursery training records.

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Inspection activities

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

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Information about the setting

St Paul's Nursery was registered in 2002 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. It is one of five early years settings run by St Paul's Community Development Trust. The nursery operates from several rooms on the ground floor of the premises in the Balsall Heath area of Birmingham. It is open each week day, from 8am to 6pm, for 50 weeks of the year. Children have access to enclosed outdoor play areas. There are currently 72 children on roll who are in the early years age group. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-olds. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and children who speak English as an additional language. There are 19 members of staff who work directly with the children and all hold appropriate early years qualifications. The manager has a foundation degree in early years and one member of staff holds an early years degree.

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Information about the setting

The nursery receives support from the local authority and a teacher based at the Balsall Heath Children's Centre Hub.

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

 enhance further children's language, literacy and mathematical skills, by creating even more opportunities for them to see and use words and numbers as they engage in imaginative play

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

 devise even better ways to encourage children to express and contribute their thoughts and opinions to raise the quality of the provision even higher.

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who attend

Children make good progress and develop many of the skills they will need in preparation for school and future life. This is because staff know them well and ensure that experiences accurately reflect their needs and interests. The planning of activities is very much led by the children and this means they are stimulated and engaged. For example, staff describe how children really enjoy looking at books; so they arrange regular library visits and make sure a good selection of books is readily available. While reading and telling stories staff use gestures and expression in their voices. Also, they invite children to look at the pictures in books and encourage them to recall familiar stories and describe the characters. Consequently, children are interested, engaged and develop good listening skills. Staff provide a wealth of creative experiences for children and this means they learn to express their emotions and use their imagination. Children have easy access to paint,

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who attend

sand and collage materials and enjoy recreating familiar experiences as they engage in imaginary play. For example, a group of three-year-old children play in the home corner and pretend to cook meals and answer the telephone. However, some opportunities for them to see and use words and numbers during their imaginary play are not fully exploited. This is because resources, such as magazines, a clock or a calendar, are not always readily available to support their learning in role-play areas.

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who attend

Children of all ages are active learners; they show curiosity, make choices and look for solutions to problems. For example, babies touch, shake, stack and manipulate a selection of everyday objects and materials placed within their easy reach. They are excited by the noises, both purposely and accidentally produced by their actions and this encourages them to investigate further. A group of older children explore and experiment as they play with coloured rice placed in several containers. They carefully use different sized spoons to move the rice from one container to another and while doing so, develop hand-to-eye coordination and an awareness of colour and quantity. Staff guide children's learning by asking questions that make them reflect on their experiences, for example, 'how did you manage to do that?'. As a result, children persist at activities, express their thoughts and show good levels of self-esteem. Children are physically active and demonstrate good

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who attend

physical skills. Babies and young children have plenty of space to move and this contributes greatly to their physical development, comfort and freedom of movement. The nursery places a strong emphasis on outdoor learning, which children relish. Nursery outdoor spaces are used on a daily basis by all children and provide them with an array of opportunities to climb, run, hop, skip and jump. In addition, children visit local parks where there are larger spaces and a wider range of equipment for them to expend energy and develop their physical skills and confidence.

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who attend

Equality of opportunity is successfully fostered. Staff work hard to ensure everyone feels valued, included and welcome. Children learn about similarities and differences in people in ways they can easily understand and relate to. For example, they learn about customs and festivals through discussion and creative experiences. Furthermore, books and displays contain plenty of images that reflect the wider community and help children develop a positive self-image and awareness of others. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language are supported well. Staff work alongside parents and other professionals to effectively assess and develop children's skills. Parents of children who speak English as an additional language provide key words in their children's home languages and staff use these to aid communication. In addition, staff use gestures, picture cards, body language and facial

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who attend

expression to enhance communication with all children. Staff observe all children on a regular basis and maintain regular communication with their parents and any other people involved in their care and education. Consequently, information about children's progress and needs is regularly shared and children receive consistency of care. Staff really value the important role that parents play in their child's learning and regularly invite them to workshops at the nursery. These workshops provide opportunities for staff to model teaching, share ideas and develop good relationships with children and their families. Furthermore, a website, regular newsletters and attractive displays around the nursery provide parents with additional information about the range of experiences their children participate in. Staff inform parents of past and future nursery events and suggest some activities that parents can do with their children at home. As a result, a joint approach to

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who attend

supporting children's learning is successfully fostered between home and the nursery.

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

There is a very relaxed and happy atmosphere within the nursery. This is because staff are warm and friendly and a well-established key-person system successfully supports children's welfare and emotional security. Children show by their words and actions that they are confident and at ease in their surroundings. They know where many resources are stored and readily make some independent choices about their play and learning. For example, pre-school children take pencils and paper from low-level drawers so they can create pictures and practise their handwriting. Children demonstrate good personal care skills in relation to their age and stage of development. Older children know why and when they need to wash their hands and access sinks independently. Staff remind younger children of the need for good hygiene, provide any necessary support and model effective hygiene practice. Children's good health and safety is promoted to a high

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

standard. All children access the nursery outdoor play areas on a daily basis, experience fresh air and receive plenty of opportunities to expend energy. The nursery is clean and maintained well, and children are provided with a wide range of nutritious meals and snacks. Parents and carers are invited to come into the nursery to try the food and see how meal times are managed. Also, some simple recipes are shared with parents and cookery displays have been introduced as part of termly 'Inspire' workshops. Consequently, healthy eating messages are consistently shared between the nursery, children and their families.

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

Children settle quickly into the nursery and are happy and content. Babies babble happily as they play and the sounds of children having fun echo throughout the nursery. Staff successfully reassure very young babies by holding them close and talking to them in a calm and soothing manner. Older children have forged good relationships with staff and chat happily about things that interest them; they enjoy sharing news about their families and their experiences at nursery and home. Developing friendships are evident between some of the pre-school children, and staff foster these by planning experiences that require children to cooperate and mix with others. For example, children play board games and these teach them to listen to others, share and take turns. Outings are a regular occurrence and not only broaden children's social skills, but also enhance their range of experiences and encourage safe practices. For example, walks to the local park teach

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

children about the need to cross the road safely and sensibly. Furthermore, they learn about nature and to treat animals with care and respect as they visit the nearby Balsall Heath City Farm. Children show good manners and this is promoted by staff who provide them with positive role models to follow. Staff use positive techniques to manage children's behaviour and work with parents to develop a suitable and consistent approach. They remind children to be kind and considerate towards others, and praise their good behaviour and achievements. Older children are taught to handle minor disputes independently and they develop negotiation skills and an understanding of the needs and viewpoints of others.

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

Staff effectively support children as they join the nursery and move onto other early years provisions or school; they make these positive experiences for all concerned, full of excitement and anticipation rather than uncertainty and anxiety. Each child, as they start at the nursery, is assigned a key person. This member of staff builds a relationship with them and their parents, and promotes communication and consistency of care. They arrange settling-in sessions and encourage parents to share a wealth of important and useful information about their children. This information is then recorded by the key person and used effectively to support children's well-being and progress. Children due to move on to school receive plenty of emotional support. Staff talk to them about what to expect and use story books and role play to encourage them to share any concerns. Furthermore, the nursery staff invite the school staff to visit the nursery and meet the

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

children in a familiar environment. These strategies reassure children and provide them with opportunities to meet school staff prior to the move and to ask questions. Also, partnership working between the nursery and local schools is strengthened.

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provision

Children at this provision are effectively protected. Security at the nursery is excellent and visitors are closely supervised. Staff afford a high priority to children's safety and risks are effectively assessed and suitably managed. As a result, children are free to choose activities, test their skills and make new discoveries within safe boundaries. The nursery safeguarding policy contains all required information and safeguarding is placed high on the agenda at all staff meetings. All staff have received safeguarding training and management regularly assess their understanding of procedures through asking relevant questions. As a result, safeguarding arrangements are very good and all staff fully understand their roles and responsibilities with regard to child protection. Rigorous recruitment and vetting procedures are followed by management and these ensure that all adults working on the premises are suitable to do so. In addition, nursery policies and

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provision

procedures are effectively implemented, available to parents and support the safe and efficient management of the nursery.

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provision

The provider and staff team have a secure knowledge and understanding of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Staff meetings and in-house training sessions are frequent and robust systems are in place for staff supervision and appraisal. New staff members receive a thorough induction and the management team routinely observe and review the practice of all staff. Minimum qualification requirements are exceeded and the knowledge, experience and expertise within the staff team is used well to enhance performance and make improvements. For instance, staff describe how recent training highlighted the importance of the first thousand days of a child's life. Also, it made them more aware of the need to provide quality support for children's language development. Subsequently, an even greater emphasis was placed on exposing all children to lots of language and positive interaction. Reflective practice is ongoing at all levels;

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provision

staff, children, parents and other professionals are all actively involved in the process. Staff watch children to gauge their reactions to experiences and talk to them about what they have enjoyed and would like to do next. However, staff identify that not all children can, or choose to express their thoughts verbally. They are looking for alternative ways of gathering children's views to raise standards even higher. Nonetheless, current practice is good and the nursery fully meets the needs of all children that attend. Management are constantly reviewing the environment and the experiences planned and provided for children. Children's progress is formally assessed on a termly basis and management use the findings to identify any areas where children may need additional support or extension. In addition, quality improvement tools, such as the Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scales (ECERS) and support visits from children's centre teachers

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provision

are successfully used to identify strengths and areas for improvement. Since the nursery's last inspection there have been many improvements. For example, staff noticed that some of the new children found sleep time difficult and expressed a desire for some sleep baskets. Several of these baskets were purchased and staff relay how these have greatly improved the well-being and comfort of those children who use them. This example illustrates how the views of staff are used to improve practice and the provider's strong desire and capacity for continuous improvement.

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provision

Close, reciprocal relationships with parents, rooted in genuine trust and respect, successfully support children's welfare, learning and development. Children receive consistency of care because staff work in close partnership with their parents and any others involved in their care and education. Robust documentation and information sharing with parents ensures all agreements and required information are obtained for every child. Parents rate the nursery highly; they particularly value the friendly and approachable nature of the staff team and the effective way that they help their children settle and learn. The nursery has forged effective links with other agencies, professionals and the local community. The nursery shares its premises with Balsall Heath Children's Centre and the nursery staff and parents benefit greatly from easy access to the wide variety of support services and activities available through the centre.

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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 EY216824 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 971973

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 58 Number of children on roll 72 Name of provider St Pauls Community Development Trust Date of previous inspection 09/10/2009 Telephone number 0121 464 1886

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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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