St Michaels Nursery

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

p.1

Overall effectiveness Inadequate

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

p.1

The provision is inadequate

Children's safety is not assured because the risk assessment process is not robust. The quality of teaching and the activities that children take part in varies depending on their age. Activities for toddlers and older children are sparse, lack purpose and do not ignite their curiosity. Consequently, children become bored and disinterested, which has an impact on their behaviour. Furthermore, methods for dealing with toddler's and older children's behaviour are, at times, inappropriate and negative. Children lack purposeful interactions with staff and crave attention from visitors.

p.2

The provision is inadequate

Toddlers and older children do not make good enough progress in their learning. Staff do not plan activities based on children's interests or next steps for learning. Assessments of children's progress are not in place. Children do not receive a good enough level of care and attention because staff are not deployed appropriately.

p.2

The provision is inadequate

Children in the baby room receive a different experience. They are nurtured and well cared for by staff, who know them well and are attentive to their individual needs. They take part in activities that are based on their interests and support their next steps for learning.

p.2

The provision is inadequate

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive a good level of support. Staff work with other professionals involved with the children to ensure their needs are met.

p.2

need to do better?

n Although some improvements have been made since the last inspection, there are now weaknesses in other areas. Consequently, the overall quality of the provision is extremely poor. The provider does not support the manager well enough, or provide coaching and training to ensure that she is able to successfully carry out her role. n Staff do not risk assess the communal outside area before children use it. As a result, items, such as a broken vape, are not noticed or removed before children go outside to play. This compromises children's safety. n Toddlers and older children do not access activities or resources to enhance their learning and enjoyment. When they try to lead their own play and make choices, they are stopped from doing so because it does not fit in with the routine of the day. They spend prolonged amounts of time sitting with nothing to do or having to take part in activities that do not interest them. This leads children to become

p.2

need to do better?

bored and they wander around aimlessly. n The deployment of staff in the toddler and pre-school room has a significant impact on staff interactions and how behaviour is managed. This is because the

p.2

need to do better?

18 March 2022 member of staff who works with toddlers also provides one-to-one support for part of the day to children with SEND. As a result, the other member of staff spends most of the time trying to manage the remaining children and is unable to provide the interactions and support they need. At times, it is easier for staff to contain the children in one area instead of allowing them to move around freely and make choices in their play. n When activities are provided for toddlers and pre-school children, they lack purpose and fail to engage them. Staff do not consider how to organise planned activities to enable children to fully participate. For example, when children act out a story, the props are placed far apart in different areas of the room. Children who are not involved in the part of the story that is being read are made to remain seated in their own area. When they try to initiate involvement,

p.2

need to do better?

they are returned to their specific area and told to wait until it is their turn. n Staff do not carry out robust assessments to find out where children are in their learning. The progress check for children aged between two and three years is not carried out, to help staff identify any areas where children's progress is less than expected. n Some staff who work with the toddler and pre-school children do not manage behaviour in a clear, consistent, or positive way. They are too quick to prevent children from expressing their own ideas and often use language such as 'no' and 'do not do that', instead of considering that children are behaving in this way because they are bored and lack positive interactions. n Toddler and pre-school children do not learn about healthy routines. They sit down to mealtimes without washing their hands. All children do not have daily opportunities to access outdoor activities. That said, meals and snacks are

p.3

need to do better?

healthy and adhere to children's individual dietary requirements. n Parents spoken to are, generally, happy about the care their children receive. However, the quality of the feedback they are provided with depends on the room their child is based in and whether they come into the setting. At times, staff in the toddler and pre-school room are too busy or are unable to provide any feedback to parents, especially when the door is opened by the cook. Parents of babies receive information about what their child has done throughout the day and what they are working towards. n Babies receive a very different experience. Staff working with babies know them well and provide activities that engage them and motivate them to learn. Babies eagerly hunt through shredded paper to find animals that staff have hidden. They look at books, explore different textures and join in with familiar rhymes and songs. Staff support babies to develop some personal skills, such as feeding

p.3

need to do better?

themselves and sharing with their friends. Babies form close relationships with staff and are obviously happy and settled. Staff encourage babies' communication and language skills through communication bags. They talk to babies, model language and reinforce babble and single words.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

18 March 2022 Children's safety is not consistently well promoted. The outdoor area is not checked to ensure that it is safe for children to use. That said, since the last inspection, staff have attended safeguarding training and now have a good understanding of the types and signs of abuse, including county lines, child exploitation and fabricated illness. They are aware of the procedures to follow should they have concerns about a child in their care and have recently implemented these into practice. They know to seek advice from outside agencies when they are worried about a child's behaviour.

p.3

Due date

provide the manager with support, coaching and training to enable her to carry out her role more successfully 20/05/2022

p.4

Due date

carry out robust risk assessments and take all reasonable steps to ensure children are not exposed to risks; with specific regard to the communal outdoor area 22/04/2022

p.4

Due date

ensure that staff are deployed appropriately to meet the needs of all children 22/04/2022

p.4

Due date

support staff to manage children's behaviour in an appropriate and positive manner 22/04/2022

p.4

Due date

provide all children with opportunities to access outdoor activities on a daily basis 22/04/2022

p.4

Due date

promote children's good health; with specific regard to handwashing procedures 22/04/2022

p.4

Due date

ensure that information is shared with parents, so that they are fully informed of their child's care and learning 22/04/2022

p.4

Due date

18 March 2022 provide training and support for staff to enable them to plan activities based on children's interests and next steps for learning and to offer quality teaching and learning experiences for every child. 20/05/2022

p.4

Due date

provide children with a rich and varied range of resources and activities to support their learning and development 22/04/2022

p.5

Due date

carry out the progress check for children aged between two and three years, to identify any areas where progress is less than expected, and provide parents with a short written summary of their child's development. 22/04/2022

p.5

Setting details

Unique reference number EY537040 Local authority Sandwell Inspection number 10214527 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

p.6

Registers

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

p.6

inspection

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

p.6

reference number

Telephone number 0121 558 3446 Date of previous inspection 27 October 2021

p.6

Information about this early years setting

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

p.6

Inspection activities

n The inspector discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the manager and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n A meeting was held between the inspector and the manager. n The inspector looked at a selection of documentation and checked the suitability of staff working with the children. n The inspector spoke to children, staff and parents at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk together. They observed staff's teaching practice during activities.

p.7

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.7

Inspection activities

18 March 2022 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.7

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.8

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.8

Inspection activities

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

p.8

Inspection activities

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

p.8