Whitesmore Wise Owls Nursery

Inspection of Whitesmore Wise Owls Nursery Chapelhouse Road, Fordbridge, Birmingham, West Midlands B37 5JS

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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 Outstanding

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The provision is good

Children arrive at nursery happily and are eager to learn. Staff are kind, caring and attentive. They provide emotional support for younger children when they need it, which helps them to feel safe and secure. Children access an array of exciting activities. Younger children learn early mark-making skills as they explore different textures, such as paint, cornflour and slime. They use different tools, including vegetables, to make marks. Two- and three-year-old children learn how to follow instructions and move their whole bodies as they excitedly join in with a music and movement session. They are immersed by the live music staff play using a guitar. At the end of the activity, children show an understanding of staff's expectations as they wait patiently for their turn to hold the 'pick' to play music on the guitar themselves.

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The provision is good

Children are exposed to a language-rich environment. Staff continuously communicate with children and regularly sing to them. Staff model descriptive language to help younger children understand new words. Staff skilfully adapt their teaching to meet the individual needs of children. For example, when older children are playing with toy animals, staff ask some children to identify an animal beginning with a particular sound. For less able children, staff encourage them to identify animals by the sounds they make. This helps all children participate at their own level and pace, and remain motivated to learn.

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need to do better?

n Managers have designed an ambitious curriculum which provides a broad and varied learning programme for children. Staff share their vision and effectively implement the curriculum to help children gain knowledge and skills in preparation for the next stage in their learning. n Staff know children well. They understand what children need to learn next and adapt their meaningful activities to help them achieve this. In addition to this, staff provide 'compact teaching time' to provide focused one-to-one learning for children. As a result, children are supported to make good progress in their development. n Staff provide children with a wide range of activities to help them make progress across the seven areas of learning and development. Children enjoy imaginative play as they mix oats to make porridge, which they feed to dolls. They explore a wide range of technology, including touchscreen tables and remote-control toys.

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need to do better?

However, at times, staff intervene too quickly to help children achieve the desired outcome. This has an impact on the opportunities for children to enhance their critical-thinking and problem-solving skills for themselves. n Children behave well and are consistently motivated to learn. They show high levels of concentration and work cooperatively with their peers. For example,

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need to do better?

30 September 2021 older children work together to role play as dentists. They use a giant model of teeth and pretend to clean them and give an injection. They take turns and share resources. Staff help children to resolve conflicts promptly. n Partnerships with parents are exceptional. Parents speak highly of the nursery and praise the amount of continuous communication they receive about their children's learning and development. Parents become increasingly engaged in their children's learning as they complete suggested activities at home, such as finding different leaves in the environment or 'windy' items in their home. Parents praise the support that staff provide for children's individual needs. n Key persons form caring relationships with children. They provide cuddles and comfort for babies who are new to the nursery, which helps them settle. Staff work effectively with parents to follow children's individual routines, which helps

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need to do better?

to meet their needs. n There is a dedicated special educational needs coordinator who is passionate and committed to her role. She carries out regular observations of children and is responsive to those who may not be achieving expected levels of development. She implements successful partnership working with parents and other professionals, which helps children make progress in their learning and development. n Managers provide regular supervision opportunities for staff. They recognise the pressures staff face and are supportive of them. Staff access regular training opportunities. However, training is not yet sharply focused enough on raising the quality of teaching consistently to the highest possible level.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff and managers proactively keep their knowledge of child protection up to date. They are able to confidently identify signs and symptoms of abuse and know how to refer this information to other professionals. Managers understand how to respond to allegations against staff. Managers follow rigorous procedures to recruit staff and conduct the necessary checks to assess their suitability to work with children. Staff and managers carry out effective risk assessments. They are highly responsive to and resolve emerging risks in the environment, such as spillages. Accident procedures are robust, and parents are informed of injuries their child sustains as soon as practicable. Staff are effectively deployed and supervise children closely to help keep them safe.

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should:

n build on the opportunities that children have to promote their critical-thinking and problem-solving skills

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should:

30 September 2021 n strengthen the training and professional development opportunities that staff receive to raise the quality of teaching consistently to the highest level.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY319675 Local authority Solihull Inspection number 10206441 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 52 Number of children on roll 86 Name of registered person Whitesmore Neighbourhood Nursery Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 0121 7705294 Date of previous inspection 27 September 2013

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Information about this early years setting

Whitesmore Wise Owls Nursery registered in 2006. The nursery is located in the Fordbridge area of Birmingham. The nursery operates Monday to Friday, from 7.30am to 6pm, all year round. There are 18 members of childcare staff employed. Of these, 17 hold appropriate qualifications at level 3 or above. 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 received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. 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 management team and inspector completed a learning walk to gather information about how the provision and curriculum are organised. n The manager and inspector carried out a joint observation to evaluate the impact of teaching on children's learning. n Parents and children spoke to the inspector and gave their views of the setting. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching indoors and outdoors to assess the impact of this on children's learning. n The inspector held a meeting with the management team and looked at relevant documentation and evidence of staff suitability.

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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

30 September 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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