Little Scallywags Day Nursery

Inspection of Little Scallywags Day Nursery 453 Watling Street, Tamworth B78 3ND

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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 Good

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The provision is good

Children are happy and thrive in this welcoming nursery. They settle in quickly on arrival and have adapted well to the necessary changes, including saying 'goodbye' to their parents at the entrance and confidently going to their key person. Children have warm and affectionate relationship with staff. They feel safe and secure and have lovely interactions with staff and each other. All children, including those with special educational needs/and or disabilities, make good progress. Staff follow children's interests and obtain regular information from parents to update planning for each child.

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The provision is good

Children are keen to play outside in the safe, newly designed garden. They enjoy a wide range of activities that support their physical development. Children relish digging in the large sand pit, where they scoop sand and fill buckets as they pretend they are on a beach. Children enjoy using apparatus and show good physical skills as they negotiate across crates or climb on soft play equipment. They wear a builder hat and build in the construction area. Children fill jugs with water to pour down drainpipes, they watch as it cascades down. Children understand the expectations for behaviour. They listen and respond to staff and willingly help with tasks, such as tidying up. Children show respect for one another. They offer kind gestures to their friends and share toys as they play.

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need to do better?

n Staff have a good understanding of what children already know and what they need to learn next. They plan effectively to ensure children make progress in their learning. Children who speak English as an additional language are supported well. Staff use flash cards with images of the routines to help children know what is happening next. n Staff have high expectations of what children can achieve. Those who need extra help are well supported. For instance, staff develop and implement targeted plans for them. They recognise when children may have special educational needs and/or disabilities, and seek advice from outside professionals. Children make good progress and are well prepared for the next stage in their education. However, children are not fully supported to explore their own and other cultures and communities beyond their own. n Children make good progress across all areas of learning, due to well-designed

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need to do better?

planning that follows children's interests. Young children enjoy singing along to nursery rhymes while playing musical instruments and staff introduce story props. Staff provide activities that keep children motivated to learn, including using scissors to cut out paper to made collages. However, some less confident staff are not always fully clear about the learning intentions of activities to ensure they support children's learning even better.

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need to do better?

26 November 2021 n Staff have a good knowledge of their individual key children, including their development, care needs and what makes them unique. When a child shows interest in the story about going hunting, staff encourage them to act out the story, to the delight of the children. They repeat words, such as 'swirling, swishy', as they pretend they are going through a storm or squelching mud. n Children look forward to their weekly cookery club, where the nursery cook teaches them how to bake cakes and biscuits. During lockdown, children and parents watched her cooking online as they followed her instructions. n Staff have good relationships with parents and communicate effectively about children's learning and development. Parents receive daily verbal feedback about their child's care and learning and via an online app. They can also take part in online discussions with their child's key person about issues, such as potty

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need to do better?

training. Parents speak very highly of the staff and say they are 'lovely' and their children look forward to attending. They talked about how supportive staff have been, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic when staff kept in contact with them, giving them ideas for activities they could do at home to support their children. n The manager is ambitious and continuously seeks ways to improve the nursery. She works closely with the area manager and the staff team to identify improvements to enhance the experiences for children. For example, there are plans to further develop the new outdoor provision with a stage where children can perform.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are very knowledgeable about child protection. They understand how to keep children safe and confidently identify the possible signs that a child may be at risk or harm. This includes risks to children online or from extremist views. Staff receive regular training and the manager uses scenarios and questions them about safeguarding, so that they can keep their knowledge up to date. Thorough procedures and checks are in place for the recruitment of suitable staff. New staff receive a clear induction before they start to ensure they fully understand their roles and responsibilities. This helps to keep children safe. Staff use risk assessments effectively to ensure the premises are suitable for children.

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should:

n support children to learn about their own and other cultures and communities beyond their own n enhance staffs' understanding of what they want children to learn during activities, to help children make the best possible progress.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY548368 Local authority Staffordshire Inspection number 10215842 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 56 Number of children on roll 49 Name of registered person Little Scallywags Day Nursery Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 01827 280696 Date of previous inspection 31 August 2018

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Information about this early years setting

Little Scallywags Day Nursery registered in 2017. It operates from a converted house in Mile Oak, Tamworth. The setting is open Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 6pm for 51 weeks of the year. The nursery employs nine members of staff, seven of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 to level 5. The nursery is in receipt of 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 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the provider. n The manager led the inspector on a learning walk around the nursery. They discussed how the provision is organised to support children's care and learning. n The inspector spoke to some staff, children and parents during the inspection, and took account of their views. n The inspector viewed a sample of documents, including complaints, records of staff suitability checks, safeguarding policies and paediatric first-aid certificates. n The inspector carried out a joint observation of an activity with the manager. They discussed the quality of education and staffs' professional development. n The inspector met with the manager and area manager to discuss issues, such as recruitment, safeguarding and staff supervision.

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Inspection activities

n The inspection was completed following a risk assessment of concerns received about the setting.

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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

26 November 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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