Smarties Nursery

Smarties Nursery 453 Watling Street, Mile Oak, Tamworth, Staffordshire, B78 3ND

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 24 May 2016 25 February 2016

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This inspection: Good 2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

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This provision is good

 Leaders and managers have made immediate and comprehensive improvements to the provision since the last inspection. Significant improvement has been made to the educational programmes, the outdoor learning environment and to the training of staff in safety and education. All children are making good progress in their learning as a result.  Parents have good relationships with staff. They express their ideas easily and freely with key staff about any worries or concerns they may have about their child's development. Children behave well, feel safe and are developing in confidence.  Leaders and managers have developed an accurate evaluation of what more needs to be done to sustain improvement and improve the quality of care and education further, which includes the thoughts of children and parents.  Children are happy and settled in the setting. They attend regularly and have warm and close relationships with staff. Babies are cuddled and soothed by very attentive staff.

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This provision is good

This successfully supports children’s emotional and physical well-being.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Leaders and managers do not always communicate successfully with parents to help them understand how well children are progressing in relation to their age and stage of development and how this can be supported at home.  Staff's organisation of the routines in the nursery sometimes interrupts older children's play when they are actively engaged and interested in what they are doing and learning.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 improve methods used to support parents in guiding children's progress at home by developing communication systems that meet parents needs  ensure children have uninterrupted time to investigate and experience their chosen activity, by reviewing the routine of the day and carefully planning time for the introduction of new activities for children to take part in

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Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed the improvements leaders have made since the last inspection and their plans for future improvement.  The inspector spoke with leaders, staff, parents and children at appropriate times throughout the day.  The inspector looked at a range of relevant documentation, which included a selection of policies and procedures, the suitability and qualifications of staff working with children and evidence of self-evaluation.  The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector viewed children's learning journals and the staff's planning of children's learning and development activities.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Inspector

Esther Gray, Early Years Regulatory Inspector

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Leaders and managers have high expectations of all children. They check and review the quality of provision and children’s progress, and they are beginning to identify where gaps appear to focus their improvement strategies. Managers have a good understanding of the statutory requirements. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. All staff have undertaken training in child protection and managing behaviour. Leaders and managers have developed a supervision programme for all staff. They identify training needs effectively in support of staff professional development. Staff have made improvements to the learning environment, as a result children are enthusiastic and interested to learn and make good progress. Leaders and managers routinely monitor the security and safety of the nursery, ensuring that children are well supervised.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Teaching is good. Well qualified leaders and managers model good practice, from which staff are benefitting. Staff deliver focussed activities which challenge children. They provide well planned imaginative activities to promote children's interests. Children enjoy counting how many more or less cereal circles are placed on dried spaghetti pasta. Staff use what they know about the children to engage them successfully in their learning. They encourage children to recognise numbers and count in rhymes. Children begin to use mathematical language, such as more than and less than, while counting. They learn to take turns and manoeuvre ride-on toys in a large outdoor space and make choices about what they want to do and take part in. They are keen to learn in the stimulating, vibrant learning environment. The environment encourages children to explore and experiment in all aspects of the curriculum, both indoors and outside.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

All children enjoy coming to the nursery and form strong attachments to staff. Young children in the baby room settle quickly. They chuckle happily to musical toys and recognise a familiar adult. Children with emotional insecurities and educational needs are well supported. Staff help families engage with more specialist support, where appropriate. This helps families gain the additional help that they need. They are learning to keep themselves healthy and fit while playing outside. Staff express their clear and direct expectations of the value of treating children with equal concern. This means that all groups of children are benefiting from staff having high expectations for their next steps and achievements.

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Outcomes for children are good

Younger children are developing in confidence. They are learning to listen and are developing language, social, emotional and physical skills in readiness to move on to the next stage of learning. The improvements in teaching means all children are now making at least good progress and some are achieving above the typical expectations for their age. Older children are developing their independence. They serve themselves during snack and meal times and attend to their own care needs with increasing confidence. All children are well-prepared for the next stage in their learning as they move on to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 218466 Local authority Staffordshire Inspection number 1043931 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 25 Name of registered person Sara Dawn McLellan

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 25 February 2016 Telephone number 01827 280696

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reference number

Smarties Nursery, previously known as Oak Tree Day Nursery, was registered in 2001. The nursery operates from converted domestic premises in the Mile Oak area of Tamworth, Staffordshire. The nursery employs 7 members of childcare staff. All hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and above. Four have BA hons degree qualifications in Early Childhood Studies, two have level 3 qualifications. The nursery opens Monday to Friday all-year-round, except for Christmas and bank holidays. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm, with flexibility to attend from 7am until 6.30pm by arrangement. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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reference number

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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reference number

procedures set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. 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, safeguarding and child protection.

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reference number

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reference number

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reference number

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