Smarty Pants @ Lightwoods House Limited

Inspection of Smarty Pants @ Lightwoods House Limited Lightwoods House, Adkins Lane, Bearwood, Smethwick B67 5DP

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not applicable

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The provision is good

Children enjoy the calm and welcoming environment. They form strong relationships with staff. On arrival, several children are so pleased to see the staff, that they run in and hug them. Children are kind and look out for each other. For example, as children balance and step across logs in the garden they remind each other to 'be careful'. Children develop a desire to do things for themselves. For example, children concentrate and try different techniques until they manage to remove the protective backing from the stickers they want to use. Children learn mathematical language, such as 'heavy, light' and 'equal to', as they weigh different items on the scales. Children confidently engage with visitors and talk about their time in the nursery. For example, children say that they enjoy 'playing outside' and 'in the water'. Babies fully engage with staff as they explore and investigate sensory resources. Children demonstrate their knowledge of the

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The provision is good

benefits of healthy eating as they discuss their favourite fruits and vegetables at snack time. Staff have high expectations for all children and children display positive attitudes to learning. Overall, children are gaining the necessary skills and attitudes for their next stage of learning, including school.

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need to do better?

n Staff manage children's behaviour well. Children listen and respond swiftly to instructions. n Staff make regular observations and assessments of children's individual learning. They have a clear intent about what they want each child to learn next. However, staff do not create enough opportunities for children to learn about the similarities, differences and cultural backgrounds of others. n The learning environment is vibrant and inviting and there is a broad range of exciting resources that are easily accessible for children to access independently. Staff plan interesting activities that children are keen to take part in. However, some staff do not consistently adapt activities to challenge the most able children and, on occasions, children lose interest and do not stay engaged. n Staff promote children's language skills well. They introduce new words and help children to build sentences. Children who need additional help with speech and

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need to do better?

language, including those children learning English as an additional language, make very good progress. Staff model words and encourage babies and toddlers to make sounds and verbalise what they see to support their early language. n Staff promote children's early reading skills. They read stories in exciting tones, which fires children's imagination. Staff ask questions to encourage the children to think and they become more and more engrossed in the story. Children learn to recognise and write letters in their name and demonstrate good pencil control. n Children have plenty of opportunities to be physically active. Outdoors, they use

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need to do better?

15 July 2021 their bodies to twist, bend and stretch as they chase after bubbles, squealing with delight as they catch them. Staff working with babies and toddlers have a good understanding of child development. They organise the furniture and toys in the room to assist children with their developing mobility. n Children learn to be independent. For example, older children can manage their own personal care and cut up their own fruit at snack time. n Parents speak highly of the staff. They comment that staff are very supportive and provide regular updates on their children's learning and ideas of how they can extend their children's learning at home. n The manager monitors the curriculum and children's learning effectively and provides swift intervention when children need extra help. She provides coaching and training for staff to help improve their knowledge, skills and quality of teaching. The manager carefully considers how to use additional funding to

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need to do better?

improve outcomes for disadvantaged children. n The health and well-being of the staff is very important to the management team. They ensure staff workload is manageable and does not have a negative impact on their well-being. n Regular evaluation of the nursery takes account of the views of children, parents and staff. Managers and staff have identified that some children prefer to learn outdoors and have adapted the learning environment and curriculum accordingly.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff have a comprehensive understanding of how to keep children safe. They know how to recognise the possible signs of abuse and neglect and the procedures to follow to report any concerns they may have about a child in their care. They understand how to protect children from extreme views and opinions. High priority is given to health and safety and site security. The manager uses robust recruitment, vetting and induction procedures to ensure staff are deemed suitable to work with children. The deployment of staff is very well organised so that children are supervised at all times.

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should:

n enhance opportunities for children to learn about the similarities and differences between people and other communities to further develop their awareness of diversity n develop the educational programme for the most able children to enable them to make more rapid progress.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY550467 Local authority Sandwell Inspection number 10133759 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 33 Number of children on roll 51 Name of registered person Smarty Pants @ Lightwoods House Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 0121 439 5885 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

Smarty Pants @ Lightwoods House Limited registered in 2017. The nursery employs nine members of childcare staff. Of these, eight hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The nursery opens from Monday to Friday, all year round, except for bank holidays and a week over the Christmas period. 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 This was the first routine inspection the setting has received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the setting and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the setting. n The manager led the inspector on a learning walk and told her what they wanted the children to learn at the nursery. They carried out a joint evaluation of an activity together. n The manager and inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The inspector held discussions with the provider, manager and staff throughout the inspection. She looked at relevant documentation, including qualifications and first-aid certificates and evidence of the suitability of those working with children. n The inspector took account of parents spoken to on the day. She spoke to children about their experiences 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

15 July 2021 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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