Lawnswood Childcare - Castle Bromwich Nursery

Inspection of Lawnswood Childcare - Castle Bromwich Nursery Castle Bromwich Nursery Bosworth Wood Campus, Auckland Drive, BIRMINGHAM B36 0DD

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

p.1

The provision requires improvement

Teaching is variable. The performance management arrangements do not focus as sharply as possible on building staff confidence and extending their skills in this area. That said, staff are welcoming and friendly. They get to know children and their families well from the outset. Staff adhere to children's individual routine needs. Children's care needs are well met. They are settled and happy, and feel safe and secure attending the nursery. However, staff do not have the highest expectations of children's learning. Due to weaknesses in teaching, assessment and planning, children do not yet benefit from the most appropriate challenges in their learning to help them achieve at the highest level. Nevertheless, children readily play and explore. They also demonstrate some willingness to learn. The curriculum is generally broad. Babies like exploring sensory objects that they can combine to make sounds and messy materials, such as cornflour mixed with water. Toddlers

p.2

The provision requires improvement

enjoy small-world play with trains and role-play games with baby dolls. Pre-school children like playing games, going on bug hunts in the garden and exploring the natural world. Children are polite, follow directions when given and generally behave well. However, the daily routine and transitions between activities are not always clearly explained. Occasionally, children are left unsure about what is happening. The manager's overview of the quality of the provision, including teaching, planning and children's progress, is currently adapting to recent change but she does aspire to improve.

p.2

need to do better?

n The majority of managers and staff are well qualified. Managers supervise staff and ensure they benefit from some training opportunities, including safeguarding and first aid. This has a positive impact on care practices. However, staff are not entirely confident in all of their roles. They do not have a clear understanding of how to promote learning and development and their teaching skills are variable. There is scope to extend the performance management arrangements to help achieve the best possible outcomes for all children. n Staff observe children routinely. However, they do not always make accurate assessments of children's abilities or identify the key next steps in their learning. The manager has recently adopted a new approach to planning in the nursery. However, this is not yet embedded. Children do not continually benefit from age-appropriate activities that take account their individual learning needs to

p.2

need to do better?

further their progress. n Communication, language and literacy are promoted. Children learn to communicate their ideas and express themselves in a range of ways. Babies enjoy familiar rhymes and songs and exploring musical instruments. Toddlers develop a fondness for reading through play as they look at well-known books

p.2

need to do better?

29 October 2019 with their teachers. Pre-school children like more formal story sessions and drawing creatively using a range of mark-making equipment. This helps promote some of the skills children need to progress successfully onto the next stage of their learning and, ultimately, school. n Partnerships with parents are established. Staff share two-way information with parents about children's care, interests and achievements between the nursery and home. This helps to foster some continuity. n The nursery has golden behaviour rules. Staff encourage children to look after the environment, be kind, share, take turns and listen to others. However, toddlers and pre-school children do not always have a clear idea about what is happening now and next. Therefore, they do not always show a desire to participate fully in certain routines or activities. There is room to review the organisation of the routine and the transitions between activities.

p.2

need to do better?

n Staff promote children's good health and physical well-being. They know how to manage ongoing dietary or medical needs, and any unavoidable accidents. Staff offer children nutritional snacks and meals. They also promote hygiene regimes, including handwashing. n The nursery is inclusive. Staff respect and value children. They talk to children in positive terms about their similarities and differences. For example, staff help children to learn about and celebrate special events, such as Diwali. This helps to promote acceptance. n The nursery special educational needs coordinator is knowledgeable. She works closely with a range of health and special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) professionals. Children with SEND benefit from individual education plans. The sensory play space and community room within the nursery can be utilised for one-to-one and small-group sessions. The manager also ensures that

p.3

need to do better?

those who benefit from additional funding have full access to their entitlement. Children with SEND are monitored closely and targeted support is ongoing. n The manager is passionate about the nursery. She has recently restructured the nursery environment and has created a community room. This is now open to the public weekly for stay and play sessions hosted by the nursery, which has helped forge better links with the local community. Therefore, self-evaluation and monitoring are in place. However, the manager does not monitor the quality of teaching, the planning and children's progress as closely as possible to help maintain good standards.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Staff are suitably vetted and benefit from a basic induction to their roles. The nursery is always well staffed, meaning ratios are maintained and children are well supervised. The nursery is secure. The environment is risk assessed indoors and outside. Staff conduct daily safety and cleaning checks on all areas in use. This helps reduce any hazards. Managers and staff have a sound understanding of child protection concerns and wider safeguarding issues. They can identify indictors of potential child abuse or neglect. They know what to do in the event of different

p.3

Safeguarding

29 October 2019 concerns about a child's life at home, nursery or elsewhere. This helps to protect them from harm.

p.3

Due date

ensure all staff make accurate assessments of children's abilities and embed the planning so that children continually benefit from age-appropriate activities linked closely to their key next steps in learning, to further their progress 20/12/2019

p.4

Due date

extend the performance management arrangements and focus sharply on building staff confidence, understanding of learning and development and increasing their teaching skills to help achieve the best possible outcomes for all children. 20/12/2019

p.4

should:

n review the organisation of the routine and also the transitions between activities to help provide toddlers and pre-school children with clearer messages about what is happening now and what to expect next n monitor the quality of teaching, the planning and children's progress even more closely to help further raise the standards.

p.4

Setting details

Unique reference number EY319443 Local authority Solihull Inspection number 10071924 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

p.5

Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Full day care Age range of children 0 to 3 Total number of places 51 Number of children on roll 51 Name of registered person Lawnswood Childcare Ltd

p.5

reference number

Telephone number 0121 747 4763 Date of previous inspection 13 July 2015

p.5

Information about this early years setting

Lawnswood Childcare - Castle Bromwich Nursery registered in 2006. The nursery employs 16 members of childcare staff. Of these, 10 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, two hold level 5 and one holds level 6. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 6pm. The nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

p.5

Inspection activities

n The inspector toured the nursery and spoke to managers about the environment, the curriculum and the promotion of learning. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outside. She assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The inspector completed a joint observation of a planned activity in the pre- school with the manager of the nursery. n The inspector spoke to staff and held a meeting with the nursery management team. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and checked evidence of the suitability of staff working in the nursery. n The inspector spoke to children and parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

p.6

Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection 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.

p.6

Inspection activities

29 October 2019 regulates and inspects to 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, 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.

p.6

Inspection activities

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspection activities

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk

p.7

Inspection activities

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

Inspection activities

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7