Saplings Day Nursery

Inspection of Saplings Day Nursery 56 Holyhead Road, Birmingham, West Midlands B21 0LH

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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

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The provision is inadequate

Children's safety and welfare are not promoted. Leaders do not identify and remove all possible risks to children. Children's confidence, self-esteem and emotional well-being are not supported due to the inappropriate conduct of some staff. This does not help children to feel safe and secure. Children do not receive the precise support they need to meet their learning and developmental needs. Babies sit for long periods of time without any interaction from staff.

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The provision is inadequate

Older children have not yet moved from the baby/toddler room to the pre-school room due to staffing restraints. These children do not receive enough challenge and stimulation to engage them. Consequently, at times, they become bored and boisterous which results in babies being bumped. Activities and experiences that are provided in the baby/toddler room do not match children's learning needs. This does not support children to develop a positive attitude towards learning. The information necessary to provide effective support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is not always shared with the children's key persons, particularly with regard to communication and language.

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The provision is inadequate

Children have plenty of opportunities to be physically active outdoors on a daily basis. They enjoy healthy meals that include fresh vegetables and fruit, provided by staff at the nursery.

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need to do better?

n Leaders have failed to address most of the actions raised at the last inspection. As a result, little has been done to raise the quality of care or teaching which the children receive while at nursery. This demonstrates that the provider does not understand the issues raised and there is a lack of capacity to improve. n Risk assessment of the nursery remains inadequate from the last inspection. Leaders do not ensure that the premises and equipment are safe. For example, children access an outside play area that contains hazards, including stagnant water and broken, sharp equipment. During physical activities outside, children are pushed along by their friends extremely fast in wheeled toys in an area where others attempt to take part in different activities. This results in children bumping into walls at speed and hurting others. Despite this, staff do not intervene until the inspector insists the activity is made safe. This compromises

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need to do better?

children's safety. n The premises and equipment used for the purpose of childcare is not safe or suitable. The radiators in the baby/toddler room, which children have access to, are too hot to touch and present a risk of burning. n Staff are not suitably trained to ensure children's safety. For example, food served to babies and young children is not appropriately prepared for their age

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need to do better?

23 March 2022 and stage of development, putting them at risk of choking. n Staff do not manage children's behaviour effectively. For example, at times, they speak brusquely and too harshly to children. This is not good role modelling for children. n Children are not supported to feel safe and secure as some staff's humour is degrading to them. For instance, a member of staff was seen to act out and laugh at a child who did not make it to the toilet in time, humiliating them. This does not help to build their confidence and self-esteem or support them to form positive relationships with adults or their peers. n The key-person system is not effective, in particular for children under two years of age. Babies do not receive the care and attention they need. For example, they go unnoticed outdoors as they stand alone or wander around aimlessly. n Leaders have devised a curriculum that covers all areas of learning. However,

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need to do better?

staff, working in the baby/toddler room do not understand this or implement it well. The age range of children in this room is from under one year of age to over three years of age. Staff plan activities but they do not precisely match these to children's learning needs and interests. Some staff are unsure of what the next step in learning is for their key children, including for two- and three- year-olds, who the provider receives funding for. Children do not make the progress they are capable of, as leaders have not identified the ineffective assessment and planning processes. Staff working with older children do not extend their learning during activities and interactions. n Leaders do not provide effective supervision of staff to identify their professional development needs. They do not help staff to strengthen their skills and provide consistently good teaching for all children. n The nursery special educational needs coordinator does not always share

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need to do better?

relevant information gained from outside agencies with the children's key persons to enable them to provide effective support for children with SEND. n Parents report that their children are happy to attend the nursery.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Children's safety is compromised. Leaders do not ensure risk assessments are carried out to identify and remove potential hazards. Children are at risk of choking from poorly prepared foods. The humour of staff that targets children is inappropriate. It demonstrates a lack of respect for children and does not promote their emotional well-being or help to build their self-esteem and confidence. Staff and managers know the signs and symptoms of abuse and neglect but do not recognise their own behaviour, at times, is inappropriate. Staff report they know when and where to refer a concern about a child in their care, but fail to recognise and report inappropriate behaviour from staff.

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Due date

ensure the risk assessment process is effective in identifying and removing all potential hazards to children's safety, in particular broken, sharp toys and stagnant water 11/04/2022

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Due date

ensure the premises and equipment used for the purpose of childcare are safe and suitable, in particular hot radiators that are accessible to children 11/04/2022

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Due date

ensure staff working with children under two-years-old are sufficiently trained and supervised to help them to meet the needs of these children, in particular ensuring food is not a choking hazard 11/04/2022

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Due date

ensure staff manage behaviour in an appropriate way 11/04/2022

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Due date

ensure all staff provide children with warm and positive interactions to help build their self-esteem and develop confidence in their own abilities to promote their emotional well-being 11/04/2022

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Due date

develop an effective key-person system to ensure all children are well supervised, kept safe from harm and all their needs are met 11/04/2022

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Due date

provide support, coaching and training so that all staff understand their roles and responsibilities 11/04/2022

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Due date

ensure children who need additional support, including those with SEND, receive the help they need 11/04/2022

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Due date

23 March 2022 train staff to recognise inappropriate behaviour from adults towards children and report this in line with local safeguarding procedures. 11/04/2022

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Due date

accurately identify all children's next steps and provide experiences and activities matched precisely to their individual learning and development needs. 13/04/2022

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY307246 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 10213357 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 51 Number of children on roll 63 Name of registered person Saplings Day Nursery (Midlands) Limited

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reference number

Telephone number 0121 250 0233 Date of previous inspection 14 October 2021

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Information about this early years setting

Saplings Day Nursery registered in 2005. It operates in the Handsworth area of Birmingham. The nursery opens Monday to Friday, from 7.30am to 6pm, all year round, except for bank holidays. There are nine members of childcare staff. Of these, eight hold relevant 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 The inspector discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The manager led the inspector on a learning walk and told her what they wanted the children to learn at the nursery. The manager and the inspector carried out a joint evaluation of an activity together. n The 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 manager, and provider as well as staff throughout the inspection. She looked at relevant documentation, including qualifications and first-aid certificates, and checked evidence of the suitability of those working with children. n The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day. She also 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

23 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.

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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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