St Michaels Nursery

Inspection of St Michaels Nursery Windmill Community Centre, Messenger Road, SMETHWICK, West Midlands B66 3DX

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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

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The provision requires improvement

Children are happy and safe in the nursery. They build positive attachments with staff and look to them for reassurance when they are upset or tired. Children are cared for by staff who are familiar with their care needs. For example, babies are encouraged to sleep and rest when they are tired. Children are sociable and form positive relationships with their peers. They show good levels of confidence when they interact with other adults as they share their favourite storybooks and pretend to make them tea.

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The provision requires improvement

Children show a keenness to learn as they choose from a wide range of resources that are accessible to them. For example, toddlers explore textures, such as sand and dough. Pre-school children take part in role play as they pretend to be on a farm and search for different animals that have escaped from a field. They develop their communication as they talk about the clothes they need and describe the colour of their wellington boots. Babies explore textures as they paint their hands and print them to make cards. That said, at times, activities are not planned well enough to focus on what children need to learn next. Children follow instructions and generally behave well. Most children begin to develop an understanding of appropriate boundaries for their behaviour.

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need to do better?

n The leadership and management team reflects on practice and recognises where improvements can be made. They take advice from the local authority and are actively working to make changes to raise the quality of the provision. Recently updated policies and procedures support children's safety and well-being. n The manager has attended training to strengthen her knowledge and gain a better understanding of her role. She shares any new learning with staff to support them to develop their own practice. She completes supervision meetings with staff to look at their ongoing professional development. That said, she does not yet fully monitor staff's practice effectively enough to raise the quality of teaching to a consistently good level throughout the nursery. n Teaching is not yet good enough. Staff do not consistently plan activities that fully support individual children's learning and focus on their next steps.

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need to do better?

n Staff have established positive relationships with parents and share information about their child's day. This helps to develop some continuity of care between nursery and home. The nursery displays additional information for parents to help them support their child's care and well-being, such as information about keeping children healthy and safe. n Children begin to learn about how to manage their own behaviour. That said, on occasion, the staff do not always provide a clear enough explanation to help children understand the impact of their behaviour on others.

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need to do better?

9 March 2020 n Staff promote children's communication, language and literacy. Pre-school children enjoy listening to stories. Toddlers join in with singing nursery rhymes and actions songs that they are familiar with. Babies learn new words and develop their vocabulary as they hear new and familiar words. This helps to promote some of the skills they need to acquire for the next stage of their learning. n Children's individual dietary needs are met well. This includes cultural and parental preferences. The nursery provides freshly prepared, healthy and nutritious meals that children enjoy. Children learn about the benefits of eating well as part of leading a healthy lifestyle. n Children learn about the importance of good hygiene practices. Staff encourage children to wash their hands carefully, explaining the reason why this is important. For example, children sing the happy birthday song twice as they rub

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need to do better?

soap between their fingers 'to wash away the germs'. Visiting adults are reminded of the importance of following current guidance relating to keeping their children healthy and safe and preventing the spread of infection. n Children are active and develop their physical skills. They have access to the outdoor play area, where they run around and play games. Children learn to negotiate space, take turns and play safely.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The provider, manager and staff have attended child protection training. They are knowledgeable about the signs that indicate a child may be at risk of harm. This includes wider safeguarding issues, such as radicalisation and extremism. Staff have a sound understanding of the procedures to follow should they be concerned about the welfare of a child, including how to manage allegations. All staff are suitably vetted and benefit from a basic induction. Staff carry out regular safety and cleaning checks throughout the day in all areas used by children. The premises are safe and secure and all external doors are locked. This helps to reduce the risk of unauthorised access into the setting.

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Due date

monitor staff's practice more effectively to raise the quality of teaching to a consistently good level 01/09/2020

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Due date

9 March 2020 ensure that planning considers the individual needs, interests and stage of development of each child and provides a challenging and enjoyable experience across the areas of learning. 01/09/2020

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should:

n support children to understand how their own behaviour impacts on others.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY537040 Local authority Sandwell Inspection number 10145629 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 42 Number of children on roll 35 Name of registered person Watson, Albert Nathanial

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reference number

Telephone number 0121 558 3446 Date of previous inspection 30 October 2018

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Information about this early years setting

St Michaels Nursery registered in 2016. The nursery employs eight members of staff, of whom six hold relevant qualifications at level 3 and two at level 2. 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.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector carried out a learning walk and evaluated activities with the manager to understand how the early years provision and the curriculum are organised. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The inspector completed joint observations with the manager. n The inspector held a number of discussions with the staff, manager and the provider at appropriate times during the inspection. She spoke to parents and took into account their views. n The inspector looked at a sample of documentation, including suitability checks for staff in the nursery.

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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.

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Inspection activities

9 March 2020 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.

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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